Great Clarity: Daoism and Alchemy in Early Medieval China (Asian Religions and Cultures)

This Is The First Book To Examine Extensively The Religious Aspects Of Chinese Alchemy. Its Main Focus Is The Relation Of Alchemy To The Daoist Traditions Of The Early Medieval Period (third To Sixth Centuries). It Shows How Alchemy Contributed To And Was Tightly Integrated Into The Elaborate Body Of Doctrines And Practices That Daoists Built At That Time, From Which Daoism As We Know It Today Evolved. The Book Also Clarifies The Origins Of Chinese Alchemy And The Respective Roles Of Alchemy And Meditation In Self-cultivation Practices. It Contains Full Translations Of Three Important Medieval Texts, All Of Them Accompanied By Running Commentaries, Making Available For The First Time In English The Gist Of The Early Chinese Alchemical Corpus.--book Jacket. The Early History Of Chinese Alchemy And The Way Of The Great Clarity -- The Heaven Of Great Clarity -- The Great Clarity Corpus -- The Crucible And The Exlixir -- The Ritual Sequence -- The Medicines Of Great Clarity -- Gods, Demons, And Elixirs: Alchemy In Fourth-century Jiangnan -- The Way Of The Great Clarity And Daoism In The Six Dynasties -- Scripture Of The Nine Elixirs -- Scripture Of The Golden Liquor -- Scripture Of The Reverted Elixir In Nine Cycles -- The Later History Of Chinese Alchemy And The Decline Of Great Clarity. Fabrizio Pregadio. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 319-336) And Index. Fabrizio Pregadio extensively examines the religious aspects of Chinese alchemy. The main focus is the relation of alchemy to the Daoist traditions of the early medieval period (third to sixth centuries) The origins of alchemy is a fascinating subject that has engaged the attention of several generations of scholars.