The newly revised and 3rd edition of The Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang by Michael Saso has been released! Prof. Saso is one of the world's best known Daoist scholars and an initiated Daoist priest, who in the book describes his training as a disciple of Daoist master Zhuang Chen Dengyun in Taiwan.
The Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang provides an authentic view and
detailed explanation of the Daoist practice of the magic square and the position of the nine stars in Heaven; the talismans and mantras for the nine stars;
specific times of the day for thunder meditation, construction of the Battle Chart of
the eight trigrams, a thorough description about the significance of Po Jun star
(the tail of the seven stars of the Big Dipper) in Daoism, pointing the gate of life.
Many practitioners in Chinese metaphysics use Qi Men Dun Jia 奇门遁甲 as a divination
method, but probably are not aware of its deep roots in Daoism and its hidden spiritual
significance. It’s a profound method for hiding the six Jia spirits (Dun means ’hide’;
Jia - ‘the six Jia spirits’) from Heaven into the microcosmos. Prof. Saso reveals the
secrets of Qi Men Dun Jia from the perspective of the Daoist tradition and rituals. He writes of a secret manual of Qi Men Dun Jia, the content of which is quite
different from what can be found in all other books on Qi Men Dun Jia available so far.
Throughout the book the reader will find lively stories related to Daoism and Chinese
metaphysics. The author recounts a story that happened during the performance of a
Daoist ritual. The event was supposed to begin at Zi hour (23 pm - 1 am) in the night
according to the rubrics in the Daoist Cannon. Daoist Master Zhuang, however,
decided to perform the ritual earlier, between 8 and 10 pm. And suddenly,
in the middle of the performance, a possessed medium started disturbing the whole
gathering, saying to everyone: “The rite was begun at the wrong hour!” What else can serve as a better example of the importance of the Day selection
(Ze Ri 择日) method in Chinese metaphysics?! The accurate calculations
in Chinese calendar and day/hour selection correspond exactly to the
principles of Heaven and Dao.
The Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang is not a dry academic writing, but a vivid account of
Daoist history, teachings and rituals. Everyone who is interested in Daoism and its relations
with Chinese metaphysics should read this book. It’s a real treasure!
You can order it directly from the author and his website:
http://michaelsaso.org
detailed explanation of the Daoist practice of the magic square and the position of the nine stars in Heaven; the talismans and mantras for the nine stars;
specific times of the day for thunder meditation, construction of the Battle Chart of
the eight trigrams, a thorough description about the significance of Po Jun star
(the tail of the seven stars of the Big Dipper) in Daoism, pointing the gate of life.
Many practitioners in Chinese metaphysics use Qi Men Dun Jia 奇门遁甲 as a divination
method, but probably are not aware of its deep roots in Daoism and its hidden spiritual
significance. It’s a profound method for hiding the six Jia spirits (Dun means ’hide’;
Jia - ‘the six Jia spirits’) from Heaven into the microcosmos. Prof. Saso reveals the
secrets of Qi Men Dun Jia from the perspective of the Daoist tradition and rituals. He writes of a secret manual of Qi Men Dun Jia, the content of which is quite
different from what can be found in all other books on Qi Men Dun Jia available so far.
Throughout the book the reader will find lively stories related to Daoism and Chinese
metaphysics. The author recounts a story that happened during the performance of a
Daoist ritual. The event was supposed to begin at Zi hour (23 pm - 1 am) in the night
according to the rubrics in the Daoist Cannon. Daoist Master Zhuang, however,
decided to perform the ritual earlier, between 8 and 10 pm. And suddenly,
in the middle of the performance, a possessed medium started disturbing the whole
gathering, saying to everyone: “The rite was begun at the wrong hour!” What else can serve as a better example of the importance of the Day selection
(Ze Ri 择日) method in Chinese metaphysics?! The accurate calculations
in Chinese calendar and day/hour selection correspond exactly to the
principles of Heaven and Dao.
The Teachings of Daoist Master Zhuang is not a dry academic writing, but a vivid account of
Daoist history, teachings and rituals. Everyone who is interested in Daoism and its relations
with Chinese metaphysics should read this book. It’s a real treasure!
You can order it directly from the author and his website:
http://michaelsaso.org
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