Daoist Meditation

Meditation has been central to the Daoist tradition from the Later Han dynasty to the present. This chapter surveys five major forms: apophatic meditation, ingestion, visualization, inner observation, and internal alchemy. Ingestion and visualization were systematized in the early medieval period; inner observation, a Daoist adaptation of Buddhist insight meditation, became central during the Tang dynasty; internal alchemy developed in the late Tang and early Song. After that, apophatic meditation and internal alchemy became the two dominant forms. The chapter provides socio-historical background, technical specifics of each type, key texts, and informing views.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Meditation has been and remains a central practice in the Daoist (Taoist) tradition. This chapter examines Daoist meditation, often referred to as dazuo (“engaging in sitting”) and shouyi (“guarding the One”) in Chinese, from the Later Han dynasty to the present. It provides a general overview of the five major forms of Daoist meditation, namely, apophatic meditation, ingestion, visualization, inner observation, and internal alchemy. Ingestion (fuqi) and visualization (cunxiang) were first systematized in the early medieval period. Inner observation (neiguan), a Daoist adaptation of Buddhist insight meditation (vipassanā), became a central practice during the Tang dynasty. Internal alchemy (neidan) developed during the late Tang dynasty and early Song dynasty. Following this period, apophatic meditation and internal alchemy became the two dominant forms of Daoist meditative praxis. In addition to providing socio-historical background information, this chapter discusses the technical specifics of each type of Daoist meditation, including major texts and informing views.