| Taiping Scripture, an important classic in early Taoism, was studied more, but also had many problems. The book contained abundant details about fang-ji, which was the important part of the system of immortal practicing. The scholar’s former study was mainly limited to some fields, such as medical science and health maintenance. It needs more systemic and deeper research in the field about immortal fang-ji. Many documents about fang-ji were unearthed in the later part of the 20th century, providing reference and evidence to re-interpret the immortal fang-ji and thought in Taiping Scripture.The dissertation is trying to analyze the immortal fang-ji and thought in Taiping Scripture systematically in the background of the ideological thought in Han Dynasties, focusing on Taiping Scripture and consulting other ancient literatures, unearthed documents and related archaeological materials, in order to reappear the basic situation of the development of the immortal fang-ji in Han Dynasties. There are four parts in the dissertation as follows:The first part is the introduction. It firstly explains the reasons and significance of the topic; Secondly, it reviews the learning history about the immortal fang-ji in the Pre-Qin, Qin and Han Dynasties, as the academic background of the research; Moreover, it reviews the learning history about Taiping Scripture in three aspects: medical science, health maintenance and theological thought; Finally, it explains the connotation of immortal fang-ji, and introduces the innovative points and research methods of the dissertation.The second part mainly interprets the historical background of the appearance of Taiping Scripture from two aspects:politic and knowledge, thus exploring the main factors that affected Taiping Scripture in Han Dynasties.The third part mainly analyzes the specific immortal fang-ji types in Taiping Scripture in the background of the ideological thought in Han Dynasties, consulting other ancient literatures(Lun Heng, Huainanzi, Baopuzi with articles and Xiang-Er Commentary on Lao-Zi etc), unearthed documents and related archaeological materials. These types contain "shouyi"art, meditating art, chamber meditating art, taking qi art, sex manual, relieving art, magic figures, transcending into immortal through death, eating feces and drinking urine, taking medicine and altering form etc. This part also discusses every specific immortal fang-ji type’s origin, connotation and the influence on immortal fang-ji in the period of Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties.The fourth part is epilogue. It mainly demonstrates the system of immortal practicing and its features in Taiping Scripture:Immortality and the political ideal to establish a peaceful society was combined together closely in Taiping Scripture, following the principle that self-cultivation was consistent with administering a state; It made more strict demand in invaluable aspect and took accumulating goodness as one of precondition of immortality, following the principle that paying attention to both immortal fang-ji and accumulating goodness and merit; TaipingScripture also laid emphasis on the cooperation of different immortal fang-ji; some immortal fang-ji contacted closely with medicine, while some still retained strong trace of sorcery. This part also discusses the relationship between immortal fang-ji and medicine, sorcery: immortal fang-ji, as the important part of the system ofimmortal practicing, not only took in medicine knowledge of the day directly, but also retained strong trace of sorcery to some extent. |
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