Tradition of Transformative Initiation in Taoism and the Concept of xian
A. Maslov
2020 DOI: 10.25205/1818-7919-2020-19-4-9-24 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that xianhood in Taoist tradition is not physical immortality but a transformative, transpersonal process. Practitioners undergo stages of spiritual practice leading to absolute peace and self-deactualization, marked by experiences of light, a "shining spirit," and a "deep dream," and sometimes by self-rebirth as the "true man" through "dying of the previous body" and "distant wanderings," which the author typologically classifies as rites of passage. |
Abstract
This paper focuses on the characteristics of one of the key types of Taoist tradition – хian, which is usually inaccurately translated as “immortal”. Based on a number of texts of Taoist traditions Lingbao, Shanqing and Quanzhen, the paper shows that the acquisition of the state of xianhood is not connected with physical immortality, but based on the deep transformative and transpersonal experience. The practitioner goes through a series of transformative stages, each of which, depending on the particular school, includes a set of spiritual practices aimed at achieving absolute peace and self-deactualization. Such reincarnation is also accompanied by the acquisition of a bright “light”, getting a “shining spirit”, immersion into a “deep dream” that is associated with a strong insight experience. In some cases, it could be regarded as the self-rebirth in the true form (the state of the “true man”): passing through the stage of “dying of the previous body” and rebirth in the new one, as well as going to the “distant wanderings”, which typologically can be defined as a special type of rites of passage and passing through a system of consecrated rituals.