The Taoist “arts of the Way” (daoshu ) derive from two sources. The first is the shamanic and mediumistic arts (wushu ), which involve such practices as the use of talismans, spells, prayers, and planchette writing (fuji ). The second is the self-cultivation arts of the fangshi (“masters of the methods”), which include breathing, diets, and so forth. Originally, both types of arts were subsumed under the denomination of “arts of the Way” (daoshu ). From the late Tang period onward, Neidan gradually began to attract attention. The Pure Cultivation branch (Qingxiu pai) also admitted certain Buddhist principles, which were integrated into the alchemical practice. Zhang Boduan gathered the achievements of several masters; these provided the foundations for the principles of the Internal Elixir in his Awakening to Reality , which he deemed to represent the core of the “arts of the Way.”
The author of Awakening to Reality entered Taoism coming from Confucianism, and also studied the Classics and the historical texts. His learning was broad and deep, and he widely sought teachers and companions. Therefore his alchemical methods give emphasis to the practical aspects. He recommends arduous practice, and is neither interested in fictional discourses nor concerned with speeches by gods or spirits. He only advocates nourishing the Three Treasures and controlling the body and the mind. He intends to probe into the ultimate origin of life and to indicate a path for self-cultivation.
In addition to understanding the principles of medicine, Zhang Boduan also studied astronomy and geography. His Book of the Eight Vessels was incorporated by Li Shizhen in his Bencao gangmu , and is an invaluable source for the study of traditional Chinese medicine. His methods for the initial stage of the practice and for “refining Essence and transmuting it into Breath” have been used for present-day research into the healing methods of Qigong. Zhang Boduan did emphasize the practices of “ceasing thoughts,” “harmonizing the breathing,” “using the Intention as a guide,” and “clearing the Barriers”; all these practices, however, are closely related to medicine and healing, and thus can be seen as a precious legacy on the value of “sitting in quiescence” for healing purposes.
Needless to say, Zhang Boduan was a Taoist adept, and could hardly refrain from adopting a religious, mystical, or idealistic way of seeing. In his Secret Text of Green Florescence , however, he maintains that “the Heart is the lord; Spirit is the ruler; and the Intention is the go-between.” In practice, this means that the Heart is the material foundation of the brain; the Spirit is the function of the brain; and the Intention is the activity of the brain. Although Zhang Boduan also emphasizes harmonizing the functions of vitality and thoughts, he actually assigns them a secondary rank.
Concerning his investigations into the origins of life, Zhang Boduan emphasizes that the “Medicine” is a function of Essence, Breath, and Spirit that coagulate with one another. His view that Essence is the foundation of life, and his method of using the Intention to lead the cyclical movement of the True Breath within the body, are consistent with the constitution of the human body, and avail themselves of the principles of self-healing that are inborn in the human being. Zhang Boduan’s attitude of carrying out a deep investigation into the origins of life in order to attain longevity, as well as his notion that human life is related to the movements of Heaven and Earth, contain elements of the candid materialism that is also seen in the ancient Chinese philosophy of life. He developed the principles of the ancient alchemical classic, the Cantong qi , and integrated them with Buddhist principles concerning the cultivation of one’s Nature. Moreover, he assimilated various ancient methods of Nourishing Life, including daoyin , inner observation, embryonic breathing, and meditation, into his own alchemical methods. These methods are pragmatic, and do not rely on pointless discourses; they collect the heritage of traditional medicine, and recapitulate the methods of healing and long life elaborated by the ancient Chinese people.
For those who study these subjects in the present day and will study them in the future, Zhang Boduan’s work is invaluable not only as a source that enables us to investigate the philosophy of life, but also as a legacy that allows us to probe into life’s very own secret.