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INFOGRAPHIC #13: TAOIST SELF REALMS

 

Taoist Internal Alchemy (single cultivation practices) - Taoist Self Realms

In recent decades, the construction of models of the self based on cultural context has become a hot topic with the development of cultural psychology. Chinese traditional culture, which is based on the ideology systems of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, has great differences from Western civilization both historically and currently; thus, the Chinese self has an intense cultural specificity.

The Taoist model of the Self splits the process of self-cultivation into four realms: Suren (vulgarian), Xianren (shallow), Shengren (saint), and Zhenren (immortal). This model splits self-structure into the soft Yin part and the hard Yang part.

The Taoist Soft Self and Hard Self

As one of the earliest philosophical schools in China, Taoist thought originated in the spring and autumn periods. Inheriting the thought of the Qian trigram in the I Ching – “As the movement of Heaven is ever vigorous, so must a gentleman untiringly strive along” – Confucians are inclined to advocate strong, firm, and masculine personality characteristics. In contrast, Taoists inherited the thought of the Kun trigram in the I Ching: “Because the condition of the earth is to accept dedication, a gentleman with this character is brought into the outside world” – and they are inclined to advocate clement, tolerant, and feminine personality characteristics. Taoism has always disapproved of Confucians respecting Yang and degrading Yin. Therefore, according to the thought of the Taoist representatives Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu, the Yin and Yang parts of the Taiji Model of Taoist Self can be, respectively, denoted as the “soft” self, (柔我, rou wo) and the “hard” self (剛我, gang wo). The “soft self” represents the traits of the self that reflect softness, weakness, emptiness, simplicity, non-doing, and nature; the “hard self” represents the traits of the self that reflect hardness, fullness, complexity, action, and artificiality.

Four Realms of Taoist Self-Cultivation Process

Foundational and Yang-most is Suren the hardest Self which refers to secular people who do not cultivate themselves according to Taoist doctrine; these people are also known as layfolk, ordinary people or people who are oblivious to the Tao.

Xianren, another hard Self aspect refers to people who have the ability to recognize the Tao, but the level of understanding is shallow. These people can identify the law and principle of Tao but cannot achieve a non-doing state.

The softer Shengren Self refers to people who abide by the principle of Tao and thus may have the characteristics of softness, weakness, emptiness, simplicity, non-doing, and nature. They are working on an enlightened or awakened state.

Softest at the Apex of Evolvement, Zhenren refers to people who understand the origin of the universe and life thoroughly and who achieve the parts of the Self that reflects purity, simplicity, naiveté, and nature in the process of self-cultivation.

Zhuang Tzu, The great Taoist Sage stated: "Zhenren are willing to accept life and wait patiently for their ultimate reward. They strive not to misrepresent the Tao, not to supplement nature with human means. Such people think freely and behave calmly… Living in unrestricted freedom, they can only react naturally to their surroundings. Their tranquility comes from their kindness. In social relations, they maintain their inner character… For them, there is no conflict between humans and God."

Taoist self-cultivation (the cultivation of self-authenticity) is a process of going from the Elementary Nature, namely, the softest physical self, as infants possessed, and finally reaching the Supreme Nature, i.e., the softest psychological self, which is the state with the Tao. Although the start point and the end point are both nature and soft self, individuals who achieved the realm of zhenren have already experienced the transcendence of “seeing the mountain as the mountain, seeing the mountain not as the mountain, and seeing the mountain still as the mountain.”

The four realms of Taoist self-development represent the propositions of Lao-Zhuang Taoism in the pre-Qin period and Huang-Lao Taoism in the Han Dynasty. These represent the two main schools of Taoism, which reflect the Taoist understanding of the self-cultivation stages. If one violates the principles of the self-realm that he/she has achieved, he/she will fall back to the lower realms.

INFOGRAPHIC #12: DAOIST MEDITATION

 

Taoist Internal Alchemy (single cultivation) - Meditation practices

Daoist Meditation: The Purification of the Heart Method of Meditation and Discourse on Sitting and Forgetting, 2014 ... (Zuo Wang Lun) by Si Ma. Master Cherng's translation of Discourse on Sitting and Forgetting, an 8th century classic text on meditation by Si Ma Cheng Zhen, is accompanied by his extensive explanatory commentary, unique in its ability to make this complex text accessible to the Western reader. My opinion? There are many great methods to meditate and grow internally. Find the right one for you and do it daily. This practice is calming during daily life stress and will expand your insight into enlightenment.

Meditation on meditation:

The object of meditation is to silence the rational, thinking mind and shift awareness to the intuitive mode of conciousness. This intuitive modality produces an extraordinary awareness of "oneness" where the environment is experienced in a direct way without conceptual thinking. Fragmented reality ("knowing") becomes unified and true "seeing" occurs.

There are various meditation techniques. You can focus your attention on a single item - breathing, a visualized image or a verbalized sound. Zen Buddhism places great importance on zazen (sitting meditation) which is done every day for hours. Learning correct posture and breathing is essential here. In deep meditation the mind is completely alert, but it does not analyze, interpret or get distracted.

The East has long been adept at developing the meditative mode of consciousness - art, music, calligraphy, tea ceremony, ritual, as well as forms of rope bondage (shibari and kinbaku) all do this well. Rhythmic body movement like yoga and Tai Chi are also meditative if done "naturally" without thought interfering. Even ordinary work is considered a form of meditation in the Soto school of Zen Buddhism where the "everyday mind" is greatly valued.

There is a similarity between the meditative state, martial arts and the samurai tradition known as bushido - the way of the warrior. The warrior's heightened zone of concentrated awareness is the mind of somebody facing death. Perfectly still, ready to flow spontaneously without fear or the impediment of overthinking.

The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhist practices that lead to liberation highlights the importance of meditation in it's final two steps: Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

INFOGRAPHIC 11: TAOIST CULTIVATION

 

Taoist cultivation - Art: architecture, calligraphy, ceremony, dance, literature, music, 
painting, poetry, printing, ritual objects, sculpture, textiles and theatre.

The etymology of the calligraphy character 夢, "meng" or dream.

"Butterfly Dream" painting inspired by Zhuang Zhou, from Ming dynasty painter Lu Zhi (c. 1550). The great Daoist thinker fell asleep one day and dreamed that he was a butterfly, flitting and fluttering around, happy, and doing as he pleased. When he woke up, he did not know whether he really was a man who had dreamed he was a butterfly or whether he was a butterfly now dreaming he was a man.

The dream argument is a postulation that the act of dreaming provides preliminary evidence that the senses we trust to distinguish reality from illusion should not be fully trusted, and therefore, any state that is dependent on our senses should at the very least be carefully examined and rigorously tested to determine whether it is in fact reality.

In Eastern philosophy this type of argument is sometimes referred to as the "Zhuangzi paradox." The dream argument came to feature prominently in Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Some schools of thought like Dzogchen consider perceived reality to be literally unreal.

Painting

Six Persimmons (六柿圖) is a 13th-century Chinese painting by the monk Muqi Fachang. It was painted during the Song dynasty. Muqi was one of the two great exponents of the spontaneous mode of Chinese painting (the other being Liang Kai). It features six persimmons floating on an undefined, but skillfully mottled background. It is painted in blue-black ink on paper.

The painting became famous for the tremendous skill of the brushstrokes. Their subtlety of modeling is often remarked upon. The thick and thin brushstrokes that model the lightest of the persimmons make it seem to float in contrast to the dark one next to it. The treatment of the stems and leaves recall Chinese characters, and reveal brush control at its highest level.

"Six Persimmons is passion ... congealed into a stupendous calm."

— Arthur Waley

This masterpiece currently resides in the Juko'in subtemple of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Japan. The painting is seldom displayed to the public.

CHINESE MUSIC HISTORY

"Traditionally the Chinese have believed that sound influences the harmony of the universe. Until quite recently the Chinese theoretically opposed music performed solely for entertainment, accordingly, musical entertainers were relegated to an extremely low social status.

For several thousands of years Chinese Culture was dominated by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius, who conceived of music in the highest sense as a means of calming the passions and of dispelling unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement. The ancient Chinese believed that music is meant not to amuse but to purify one’s thoughts.

Melody and tone are prominent expressive features of Chinese music, and great emphasis is given to the proper articulation and inflection of each musical tone.

Chinese musical instruments have been classified according to the materials used in their construction, namely, metal, stone, silk, bamboo, gourd, clay, skin and wood. The older instruments include long zithers, flutes, panpipes, the sheng, or mouth organ and percussion instruments, such as clappers, drums and gongs. Of later origin are various lutes and fiddles introduced to China from Central Asia."

Taoist music

Taoist music is the ceremonial music of Taoism. The importance of music is demonstrated by revealing how central beliefs are reflected through elements of music such as instrumentation and rhythm. Expression of spiritual beliefs through music enables followers of Taoism to enhance their path to enlightenment. In Taoist ceremonies, music has several different functions. Taoists believe that music is a way to speak to the gods, to inspire religious followers and to achieve inner harmony, bringing the listener or participant closer to Tao. To follow Tao is to recognise the inner harmony and balance in all living things.

The principal belief of the Yin Yang is reflected in the categorisation of musical tones. The two main forms of Taoist music are the Yin Tone and the Yang Tone. Yin stands for all things that are female and soft and Yang stands for all things male and hard. Through the proper balance of Yin (female) and Yang (male) a Taoist can find harmony and simplicity in all things. Taoists strive to have these cosmic forces within themselves and around them at peace and in balance.

Poetry

Taoist poets

"Look for it, and it can’t be seen.
Listen for it, and it can’t be heard.
Grasp for it, and it can’t be caught.
These three cannot be further described,
so we treat them as The One.

It’s highest is not bright.
It’s depths are not dark.
Unending, unnameable, it returns to nothingness.
Formless forms, and image less images,
subtle, beyond all understanding.

Approach it and you will not see a beginning;
follow it and there will be no end.
You can't know it, but you can be it,
at ease in your own life.

Just realize where you come from:
this is the essence of wisdom."

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Taoists use poetry to teach because a poem is an effective way to teach multiple truths within a single small package of writing.

Taoist poetry typically falls under two styles.

The first is to capture the moment. Flash freezing something that tickles the essence of the Tao.

Whistling wind, in a driving autumn rain
Clacking stones, stumbling on the shore
Waves leaping, crashing into each other
White egret startles, recovers, descends

― Wang Wei

From a Taoist perspective, poetry is often the clearest vehicle for the transmission of knowledge of the Tao.

When words elude us, we write poetry to express truths that words don’t cover. As the Tao is beyond words, many of the lessons in a Taoist poem are not within the words but in the spaces between the words and the feelings that get stirred up from reading the poem.

Taoism as a teaching embraces many levels of truth at once. Taoism is always relative to one’s situation, containing many perceptions of a situation at once. As a result, only poetry, with its multiple levels of meaning, can reveal the path to the Tao. The Tao Te Ching perhaps best represents this style of poetry, which is at the heart of Taoism.

INFOGRAPHICS #10:1ST ART SHAN (山) OR MOUNTAIN IN CHINESE METAPHYSICS, called Wu Shu (五 术) OR THE FIVE ARTS.

Selected Taoist cultivation classics and philosophy - All belong to the 1st Art Shan (山) or 

Mountain in Chinese Metaphysics, called Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts.

Taoism is a philosophical and spiritual tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao. In Taoism, the Tao is the source, pattern and substance of everything that exists. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the All, called "the Way" or "Tao". Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize wu wei (action without intention), "naturalness", simplicity and spontaneity.

Essential Principles of Tao Self-Cultivation

1. Surrender. If we trust and surrender to the Life Force (Chi or Qi Field), the Life Force will flow into our body-mind. The Life Force supports us to effortlessly unfold who we truly are. Surrender is the prerequisite to expressing the highest level of our individual free will and creativity.The central challenge our ordinary ego-personality (heart-mind or ‘xin’ in Chinese) faces is the separation, fragmentation and dispersion of our underlying soul essence. Cloudy and reactive emotions, poor sexual habits, bad diet, shallow breathing, self-judgments, negative thinking and rejection of the spiritual nature of our physical body results in struggle, disease, suffering, and unhappy feeling of incompletion in life. Our resistance to life is what kills us. Self-cultivation teaches us to let go of our resistance to the Life Force.

2. Harmony. The Life Force is about Process. It is made of three streams of vast flowing consciousness or chi that harmonize all life: negative-receptive-female (Yin), positive-creative-male (Yang), and neutral-stabilizing-primordial (Yuan). This chi field is all-penetrating, yet remains neutral or paradoxically still even as it moves. Likewise, our soul rests in stillness while the Life Force moves in Yin-Yang and Five Phase (element) cycles through our essence.These flowing cycles/seasons offer a simple and perfect mirroring between our changing inner thoughts, feelings, perceptions and the outer action of Nature. Taoist qigong is the Process of communicating with the Life Force. Qigong trains us to speak the language of subtle energy or chi. We learn practical ways to harmonize the three currents of chi flowing amongst our self, our community, and Nature.

3. Simplicity. On the outside, life is very complex. On the inside, it is very simple. The Inner Smile is the Tao path of simplicity. It’s simple when you open the heart of your soul to unconditionally accept first your own body-mind. Second phase is to accept everything ‘Other’ as part of a unified, flowing essence of the Life Force. The Inner Smile is the simplest way to keep your path heart-centered. This simple, continuous act of acceptance ends all separation and loneliness, causing a soul peace to arise within our personality. Our path in each moment is to allow our smiling presence to embrace life’s wonderful complexity. It is this simple foundation of smiling, unconditional acceptance that allows all spiritual qualities such as love, kindness, compassion and forgiveness to unfold spontaneously.

4. Grounding. Taoist qigong & meditation fuse our ego into a strong, grounded, integrated whole. Qigong allows our heart-mind and physical body to achieve optimum health. Meditation merges our personality and body with our soul, or ‘ling’. This ‘whole-body enlightenment’ can be achieved while living an ordinary life in a physical body. Being centered in life means being grounded, physically and spiritually.

5. Integrity. Qigong (chi kung) movement exercises and meditation (neigong or nei kung) are two main pillars of Tao self-cultivation. They empower a third pillar – the expression of personal integrity or innate spiritual virtue (‘de’) in daily life. Study of the I Ching, feng shui, Chinese medicine, sexual energy cultivation, and self-expression through creative arts, complete the eight pillars of our personal Tao or ‘Way’. Together these eight offer us practical skills to grow the central ninth pillar, and realize our soul highest destiny, our integration with the Great Tao.

6. Sexual Sagehood. Our volatile male-female sexuality is reflected in the polar split between the two halves of our soul, the Heaven-formless spirit and Earth-form sexually embodied aspect. But sex is our soul’s secret alchemical elixir. If we know how to tap our sexual volatility, we can quickly transform spiritually. Taoist sexual practice with a partner and solo meditative inner sexual alchemy both use our tangible sexual essence to ‘capture’ and crystallize the invisible essence of our spirit. This union of our sexual and spiritual selves births a ‘third self’, an androgynous, bi-sexual Inner Sage that manifests our immortal non-dual Original Nature. Our Inner Sage is able to embody non-dual energy (yuan chi) while present in a sexually polarized male or female body and simultaneously express our unique individual will.

7. Transformation. The core Taoist spiritual practice is Internal Alchemy (neidan gong). Alchemy is transformation, the process of speeding up internal change. Both science and art, this meditative process offers a heart-centered systematic method to transform the apparent spirit-matter split within a single lifetime.Inside every human being lives a mystical trinity. In the West this trinity might be called body-mind-spirit, but their meaning is vague. In Taoism, the trinity is jing-chii-shen, with very precise meaning. Alchemical meditation speeds up the transformations between sexual essence (‘jing’), subtle breath (‘chi’), and intelligence-spirit (‘shen’). The three are really the same, but vibrating at different speeds, to give our soul greater freedom of expression.

8. Immortality. Tao inner alchemy offers Seven Alchemy Formulas for Eternal Life. These seven stages are a practical map to spiritually rebirth the mortal self into an immortal consciousness that continues functioning after death. This is not a quest for physical immortality. Ordinary souls dissolve after death. Enlightened souls hold enough integrity to reincarnate consciously, a kind of soul immortality.Spiritual immortality is the stage beyond enlightenment. It allows us to complete the natural process of soul individuation that is happening in both our Lesser Self/personality as well as our cosmic Greater Self. Spiritual Immortality is Nature’s way to allow the most worthy individual beings to participate in the ongoing creation of the divine multi-verse.

9. Spontaneity. Every soul seeks two things. One, to complete its unique worldly destiny. Two, to achieve a high spiritual destiny of consciously merging back into its Original Spirit. But destiny is not a fixed or pre-determined path. There is only the effortless spontaneous unfolding of each moment (‘wu wei’).The Supreme Mystery (wu ji) that births the Life Force will always remain unknowable and unpredictable, even as we gradually merge with the vastness of the Tao. This central Mystery lives in the core of our inner self and keeps all life eternally fresh, joyful, and spontaneous.

Classic areas to study and practice depicted above:

HEAVEN above

The Complete I Ching ― 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Translation – Illustrated, November 17, 2010 by Taoist Master Alfred Huang ... The I Ching or Yi Jing usually translated as Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination text and among the oldest of the Chinese classics, dating to the ninth century BCE in it's earliest form. The I Ching is used in a type of divination called cleromancy, which uses random numbers determined by tossing yarrow stalks or coins. The interpretation of the readings found in the I Ching is a matter which has been endlessly discussed and debated over in the centuries following its compilation, and many commentators have used the book symbolically, often to provide guidance for moral decision making as informed by Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The hexagrams themselves have often acquired cosmological significance and been paralleled with many other traditional names for the processes of change such as yin and yang and Wu Xing. The I Ching book consists of 64 hexagrams. A hexagram in this context is a figure composed of six stacked horizontal lines (爻 yáo), where each line is either Yang (an unbroken, or solid line), or Yin (broken, an open line with a gap in the center). Hexagrams are formed by combining the original eight trigrams in different combinations. The Chinese word for a hexagram is 卦 "guà", although that also means trigram. Each hexagram is accompanied with a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description.

I like the above text, but our Temple oracles (@TempleWhore and GOMORY-LIVES) prefer Unveiling the Mystery of the I Ching Paperback – October 6, 2016 by Tuck Chang ... Amanda normally uses yarrow stalks to do I Ching (much slower and more involved than coins) and at my behest will ask for advice (expansion) on Moon ritual keywords in her RITES FOR THE MORNINGSTAR epilogues.

Zhuangzi: The Complete Writings (English Edition) March 1, 2020 by Zhuangzi, Brook Ziporyn (Translator) ... New, definitive and essential in understanding the philosophic constructs of the Tao:

The Zhuangzi is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221 BC) which contains stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage. Named for its traditional author, "Master Zhuang" (Zhuangzi), the Zhuangzi is one of the two foundational texts of Taoism, along with the Tao Te Ching.

The Zhuangzi consists of a large collection of anecdotes, allegories, parables, and fables, which are often humorous or irreverent. Its main themes are of spontaneity in action and of freedom from the human world and its conventions. The fables and anecdotes in the text attempt to illustrate the falseness of human distinctions between good and bad, large and small, life and death, and human and nature. While other ancient Chinese philosophers focused on moral and personal duty, Zhuangzi promoted carefree wandering and becoming one with "the Way" (Dào 道) by following nature.

Though primarily known as a philosophical work, the Zhuangzi is regarded as one of the greatest literary works in all of Chinese history, and has been called "the most important pre-Qin text for the study of Chinese literature". A masterpiece of both philosophical and literary skill, it has significantly influenced writers for more than 2000 years.

The Zhuangzi is a deep well of unbounded wisdom - flowing like the Tao with endless interpretations and much to ponder. Check it out, you will be amply rewarded.

Now for my favorite Taoist literary work. Western minds require good translations and I found two in College. Here is a good link to What's the Best Tao Te Ching Translation.

The Tao set forth as dogma

is not the everlasting Tao.

Words cannot contain

the infinite Word.

The epitome of Chaos Magick ~

My fave translation: **Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching Paperback – January 1, 1974 by Gia-fu Geng and Jane English ... Don't be discouraged by the Amazon price, copies are usually quite affordable if you search the internet. This 81 verse book is poetic Taoist art, using only the two yin/yang colors and is very easy to read at one sitting - yet yields infinite insights upon re-reading. My Northwestern history of religion class text from 1974 is a wonderful companion book: The Way of Lao Tzu, paperback – orig. 1963 by Wing-Tsit Chan ... It gives scholarly context and commentary on this foundational philosophical work and it's impact.

EARTH below

Central image is the Purple Cloud Monastery in the [Wudang mountains]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wudang_Mountains[], Hubei China. The Zixiao Palace (or Purple Cloud Temple) standing on Zhanqi Peak - a monastery in the Wudang Mountains Taoist complex.

Taoist monks here have learned and practiced the cultivation arts for a thousand years.

The Wudang Mountains are renowned for the practice of Tai chi and Taoism as the Taoist counterpart to the Shaolin Monastery, which is affiliated with Chinese Chán Buddhism. The Wudang Mountains are one of the "Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism" in China, an important destination for Taoist pilgrimages. Wudang martial arts, like the Tao are meditative, gentle and flowing an internal art - receptive and yin. The Shaolin Monastery founded in 495 AD at Henan, is a renowned temple recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. Their teachings are active, very yang and mostly external. Long ago, I greatly enjoyed viewing the Kung Fu that was born from Western interest in Eastern practices.

Next Qi Gong practices:

[The Root of Chinese Qigong: Secrets of Health, Longevity, & Enlightenment (Qigong Foundation) Paperback – October 15, 1997]

by Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang Ph.D. ... Not a "fun" lay person read or easy to understand, but excellent information. My go-to Qi Gong info source.

Why Qi Gong?

It's a perfect meld of the mind/body/spirit symbiosis in a practice that is effective. Since Mao Zedong died in 1976, it has become the national "religion" of China, replacing Confucianism. Millions of people believe it is the Way. As a practice to cultivate and balance qi It has influenced White Tigress/Jade Dragon dual cultivation in some interesting ways.

Another great holistic movement practice is Tai chi, short for T'ai chi ch'üan, sometimes also known as "Shadowboxing". Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits, and meditation.

T'ai Chi Classics, 2017 by Waysun Liao ... Foundational. However, the key after reading the classic texts is putting this information into practice. These "forms" or movements came from five traditional schools and have evolved in modern times.

INFOGRAPHIC #9: CHINESE METAPHYSICS CALLED WU SHU (五 术) OR THE FIVE ARTS

 

Chinese Metaphysics called Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts.

I decided to not upload anything about the first two of the Five Arts separately, but rather talk about them here in an overview.

The 1st Art Shan or Mountain (山) is also called the Philosophical art as it includes the thoughts and teachings of well known ancient Chinese philosophers on the study of man and nature. Other study that falls under this art includes diet, physical health, martial arts, meditation and self-healing. I felt these topics were best discussed under Taoist cultivation practices.

The 2nd Art Yi or Medicine deals with healing. It includes all form of traditional Chinese medicine including acupuncture and medical prescriptions. To me, it was ideally presented via Wu Xing internal and external concepts and recent advances in modern science about functionality and dissipating structures.

Key cultural study 5th Art areas depicted in the image above:

To me, Wang Yang Min said it well. As a Luciferian, I believe Knowledge is the Coin of the Realm. However, if it is not applied in practice, then Illumination is wasted.

There is much confusion about how Wu Shu or the Five Arts is applied in a Taoist or Wu Xing Metaphysical context:

Traditionally, Western metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:

1. What is ultimately there?

2. What is it like?

Feng Shui, Chinese Medicine, Chinese Astrology, Bazi or Four Pillars of Destiny, Divination, Xian Xiang, etc., do not explain and answer the above two questions. Therefore, The Five Arts cannot be categorized as Chinese "Metaphysics".

As a Chaos Magick practitioner, I'm only interested in how the Five Arts or other Chinese cultural practices can be applied to get verifiable results and give me useful knowledge.

I see a number of Pathways here that are useful and some that baffle me.

In the 1970's I took a Eastern Religion course at Northwestern that had an excellent reading list. Among the books, were two written by the Western academic Arthur Waley:

The Analects of Confucius Paperback – orig. 1938 by Arthur Waley (Translator) ... The cultural impact of Confucius was to promote subservience in China to Authorities like ancient Sages, Emperors and totalitarian leaders like Mao Tse Tung.

Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China, orig. 1939 by Arthur Waley ... I'm just going to quote the back of the book blurb: "In the fourth century b.c. three conflicting points of view in Chinese philosophy received classic expression - the Taoist, Confucianist, and the 'Realist'. The Taoists were indifferent to society, morality, law and order, and promoted a Path of mystic fulfillment. Confucionists, sought a Philosopher King who would establish goodness and morality. The 'Realists believed in neither man, nor God - but simply believed that government must be based on the actual facts of the world, as they are."

Lao Tzu (571-470 BCE) was a contemporary of Confucious (551-479 BCE) and for a brief period, Taoism (the true origin of Chinese culture) spread without excessive political interference. In 221 BCE, China was finally unified by military force and shortly afterwards in 134 BCE, Confucianism was established as the national religion by imperial decree. This unification of state and religion ruled China for the next two thousand years, while other modes of thinking were suppressed.

Good overview article on the Five Arts: Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics.

"The five arts are the fundamental guide to living for the Chinese people throughout the ages. The content of each of the five arts are complex and very difficult to master. As such, practitioners focus in one or two of the five arts and many only on one of two of the disciplines within the arts."

From another source:

"The Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics dates back to 256 BC. The principles used in the Five Arts are universal and interchangeable. Yin and Yang, the concept of balance forms the basis of the core principles in all modalities.

Each Five Arts discipline has various systems. Furthermore, there may be more than one school of thought or branch of study, which could be well developed, complex, and holistic in its own essence."

Finally, a link to the Five Arts Forum 

INFOGRAPHIC #8: THE STUDY OF "FORTUNE TELLING" USING NUMERICAL ANALYSIS.

 

The 3rd Art: Pu (命) - Life (Divination or Prediction) - from Chinese Metaphysics called Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts. This Art is the study of "Fortune Telling" using Numerical Analysis.

The Key cultural study 3rd Art areas depicted in the image above:

Art Destiny Analysis Ming (or Fate) is apparently different from the 3rd Art Pu or Prediction, as well as the 5th Art of Forms. All three typically require tools and a mathematical facility, but the end purposes diverge somewhat.

In 5th Art Feng Shui they use the the luopan or geomantic compass. Like a conventional compass, a luopan is a direction finder. However, a luopan differs from a compass in several important ways. The most obvious difference is the Feng Shui formulas embedded in up to 40 concentric rings on the surface of a metal or wooden plate known as the heaven dial. The circular metal or wooden plate typically sits on a wooden base known as the earth plate. The heaven dial rotates freely on the earth plate. Unlike a typical compass, a luopan does not point to the north magnetic pole of Earth. The needle of a luopan points to the south magnetic pole (it does not point to the geographic south pole). The Chinese word for compass translates to “south-pointing needle.”

In the 5th art there are several other tools - depicted is a spoonlike sundial-looking calculator and two "Cosmic" divining board charts, one traditional and the other modern. Yes - there is now a cell phone app for this Art!

While I believe in the interconnectedness of the Universe and know there are many, many things beyond our current understanding, I'm skeptical about predicting the future via these methods. The obvious application would be to amass wealth and/or avoid difficult life situations and I see very little proof of that this is possible. The promises of this ability are a temptation for paying customers, but I think there are better approaches to Pu, or Life divinations.

I don't care if a belief system is "scientific" by modern standards, but I do need personal affirmation and credible repeatability. To me and our TTI community, tarot and oracles divine information from our subconscious as well as non-mortal energy beings that exist in a multi-dimensional space-time continuum that has Reality borders. One of those borders is the Now.

In my LHP belief system the Future is unwritten and we write it with our actions.

That being said, I find the historic study of Chinese fortune telling very interesting. This area also overlaps with other Arts in a very confusing way.

Additionally, there is a popular aspect of the 4th Art (not depicted in the image above) that I find very useful. To TTI, it gives advice like tarot via interconnectedness ... The I-Ching with its' 8 trigrams and 64 hexagrams.

However, there is MUCH more to the 3rd Art - for example the Three Styles (三式; sānshì; 'three styles') of divination. They make use of the 8 trigrams and the 64 hexagrams as a foundation:

1 - Tai Yi Shen Shu

2- Qi Men Dun Jia

3- Da Liu Ren

The Sage Li Yang describes Da Liu Ren as the highest form of divination in China.

I imaged books on the Three Styles by Dr. Ong Hean Tatt, Ph.D. because he has done an excellent job of explaining Chinese cultural concepts in English. He is business minded like Joey Jap, but IMO not as mass market pandering.

INFOGRAPHIC #7:THE 4TH ART - THE STUDY OF FATE

 

The 4th Art: Ming (扑) - Divination - from Chinese Metaphysics called Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts. 

This Art is the study of Fate ... Destiny Analysis.

Key cultural study 4th Art areas depicted in the image above:

NOTE: Ming Art practices raise a number of questions about Fate, Determinism and whether there is a mechanism that allows Destiny to be deciphered. As a Dominant identified person my own belief system says No. I feel each individual has a significant impact on their own Fate and celestial bodies have a minor impact at best. However, I am very open to the concept of Divination and exploring how to use tools like the 4th Art to expand Magick (what we don't fully understand). To me, the most effective tools work with the subconscious mind and tap into things deep below the surface of ordinary reality.

The Definitive Book of Chinese Astrology – January 21, 2010 by Shelly Wu ... Definitive? I have no idea. Both Eastern and Western astrology and their efficacy are subjects that I can't personally validate. I do have an uncle who is a professional astrologer in California and he has done my chart. Pisces with Leo rising and a Leo Moon. I also enjoy astronomy and think Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a Giant of Science. Regardless of my ignorance here, Ms. Wu is a respected author on the topic even though her companion book (depicted and next) on "mindblowing sex" through astrology seems bombastic. YMMV The Chinese Zodiac is iconic (like the Western version) and it's the Year of The Tiger on February 1st 2022 which bodes well for Taoist White Tigress practitioners like @Elle_D_Or and @MissLolo12 who were born in the year of the Tiger.

Chinese Sexual Astrology: Eastern Secrets to Mind-Blowing Sex – Illustrated, December 15, 2006 by Shelly Wu ... No idea what Ms. Wu's bestselling book is, but my bet is on this one. Also no idea if astrological compatibility is a ~real~ factor in the complex process of cycling energy with a beloved. I tend to think that love, listening, skill and attractive chemistry are much more important.

Winning Destiny With Zi Wei Dou Shu: Purple Star Astrology – March 6, 2017 by Leslie Leong ... Here is the wikipedia entry on the ancient Divination Art of 紫微斗數 - Zi Wei Dou Shu.

Ba Zi- The Destiny Code: Your Guide to the Four Pillars of Destiny – February 1, 2005 by Joey Yap ... The Four Pillars of Destiny also have a good wikipedia link.

Decide for yourself if these well developed, ancient Chinese divinatory astrological systems are more than mumbo jumbo.

Qi Zheng Si Yu, also known as the 7 Stars 4 Auxiliaries Heavenly Stars Astrology: Development of Chinese Astrology.

INFOGRAPHIC #06:THE 5TH ART (相): APPEARANCE OR PHYSIOGNOMY

 

The 5th Art: Xiang (相) - Appearance or Physiognomy - from Chinese Metaphysics called Wu Shu (五 术) or the Five Arts. This Art is the study of forms.

Key cultural study 5th Art areas depicted in the image above:

Palmistry (form of the hand) - Chinese Medical Palmistry: Your Health in Your Hand – July 1, 1995 by Zong Xiao-Fan, Gary Liscum and Xiao-Fan Zong. In Chinese medicine, every part of the body is believed to contain a hologram of the entire organism, just as each cell contains the genetic code of the entire body. Thus Chinese doctors have for centuries believed that one can diagnose health and disease from the shape of the hand, the mounds and lines on the palm, and the fingernails. There are many other books on palmistry in English, but this is the first on Chinese medical palmistry. ... A diagnostic tool that I know nothing about and very different then palmistry being used to determine ​Ming (Destiny/Fate) the 4th Art.

Face Reading (form of the face) - Mian Xiang - Your Guide to the Art of Chinese Face Reading – January 8, 2005 by Joey Yap 

In this book: Learn the basics of Face Reading, including the 5 Officers, the 12 Palaces, and the 100 Year map of the Face, find out how the face not only reveals a person's fortune, but their abilities, personal characteristics, innate nature and discover 'trade secret' Face Reading techniques. ... All I know is that Joey Yap is a prolific author on Chinese cultural topics and has built a large business educating students all over the world.

Feng-Shui (form of the living environment) - A Master Course in Feng-Shui: An In-Depth Program for Learning to Choose, Design, and Enhance the Spaces Where We Live and Work – July 17, 2001 by Eva Wong  

Definitive text. Feng-Shui "Wind-Water" is a topic I've long been fascinated with and the ideals of environmental flow, uncluttering and harmonious decor elements have great appeal. In China it's complex, with many schools of thought. The eight-sided Bagua symbol utilized to map locations is iconic and sublime.

Nine Star Ki: Feng Shui Astrology for Deepening Self-Knowledge and Enhancing Relationships, Health, and Prosperity – December 18, 2008 by Robert Sachs

It may feel like woo woo snake oil, but Nine Star Ki developed in 1924 is an interesting adjunct to Feng-Shui. There are thought to be nine-year and nine-month cycles of Ki/Qi on Earth, which are related to solar and seasonal cycles, and which have common effects across the planet on people's mental and physical development and experiences throughout their lives. The 9 Ki 'stars' are numbers that represent those cycles. The numbers can be calculated for anyone using only a birthdate.

Naming: Eight Diagrams and Naming (Chinese Edition) – January 9, 2013 by Yusen Chang ... A technique using the Bagua to determine auspicious baby names that align with their birthdate and destiny.

Burial: A Brief History of Funeral and Burial Practice in China (Chinese Edition) – January 8, 2011 by Zhang Jie Fu 

Last here and appropriately last of the Xiang forms, are these practices. Feng-Shui, in the beginning was about tomb location and it evolved into a architectural Art that was more expansive.