INTRODUCTION

The purpose and hope for this work, beyond the sharing of these marvelous ancient Taoist teachings with the public, is that its contents will help clarify and add a proper depth of meaning to the many oversimplified explanations given in so many of the popular Taoist and qigong books available in English today. I hope that it will also make clear the many overly mystified explanations that predominate in these popular writings as well.

The Taoist Canon (Tao tsang) consists of some 1,600-plus volumes, of which 75 percent deal primarily with the so-called arts of nourishing life (yang sheng shu), of which qigong is a part. It would be unreasonable to assume that any one book could possibly elucidate completely the teachings of Taoism; this work represents but a small fraction of the ancient wisdom. But what this book does do, if I have been successful, is provide a useful explanation of Taoist restorative and healing arts and comprehensive instructions on the most effective series of qigong longevity exercises developed by the Taoists, called the Eight Brocades and the Lesser Heavenly Circuit.

What makes this work unique, however, is not just its instructions on these Taoist practices but its commentaries on the exercises by the highly respected master Li Ching-yun. Li Ching-yun is one of the most famous Taoist masters of this century. He reportedly practiced these exercises for more than one hundred years, and historical documents show that he was 256 years old at the time of his death in the early 1930s. His explanations, endorsements, and longevity attest to and validate the Eight Brocades as the culmination of Taoist health and qigong practices.

Although this book deals primarily with Taoist practices, it reveals so much more about Taoism in general than could ever be learned from just studying Taoist historical and philosophical works. Practice and philosophy go hand in hand, being just two sides of the same coin. Whether you choose to practice any of the exercises in this book, your understanding of Taoism will be greatly increased by just reading it.

The book has been organized to accommodate both the advanced and the beginning student. The text relies upon several works that I have translated from the Chinese as well as upon my own practice of qigong. The primary translation comes from a stone rubbing of the original Eight Brocades text by Kao Lin of the early Ching dynasty (circa seventeenth century A.D.). (Note: The Eight Brocades text was reproduced for the stone rubbing; the date that it was first drafted is unknown.) Also included are extensive translated passages from General Yang Shen’s biography of the immortal Li Ching-yun, published in Wan Hsien, China, in 1936. Where I deemed them informative, I have translated small passages from other works as well, but it is not necessary to list them all here.

Basically the reader will encounter three separate voices in the material: that of the Kao Lin text, that of Li Ching-yun, and of course, my own voice, usually designated “Author’s Comments.” The translated voices were originally presented in separate sections, with my comments included as footnotes, but that arrangement resulted in a lot of repetition. Ultimately, I found it simpler for readers to follow the material if everything was contained in one running text.

The book provides a background explanation of the Eight Brocades, the how-to aspects of the form, and supplementary techniques to further develop your practice. To learn the exercises, it is important to read the entire book first, then begin performing the exercises according to the instructions provided.

Whether you are just starting out in learning about Taoism or are already engaged in Taoist practices, you will find many new and wonderful insights in the contents of this work, as many portions are appearing in English for the first time.