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
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