#Taoist Magic

[journeytothewestresearch]

A Catalog of the Monkey King’s Magic Powers and Skills

I am happy to announce that I've finished my 177-page catalog of Sun Wukong's powers from all 100 chapters of Journey to the West. Fans of Lego Monkie Kid and Black Myth: Wukong, fanfiction writers, and artists will certainly find it useful.

[yebreed]

Ancestral Hall of the Tiger Talisman in Fujian

One of those architectural gems that are scattered throughout the Chinese countryside: the Ancestral Hall of the Tiger Talisman (虎符祖殿) aka Huyan Ancestral Hall (虎岩祖殿) or Hufuyan (虎符岩) in Nanfeng (南豐村), Xinqiao, Fujian.

Built in the Song dynasty and rebuilt in the 16th year of Jiajing in the Ming dynasty (1537), the complex covers an area of about 1800 square meters. This temple is dedicated to the Taoist Leifa deity Zhang Shengjun (張聖君), the Master of Five Thunders. The papers with talismanic inscriptions are stuck under the ceiling.

Photo: ©劉江嶺

[jerryabstract]

[amongdragons]

Taoist Elements In Sword Forms: A Couple Of Examples

My friend asked to give an example of Taoist element in the form. Well… For instance, the fragment involving a series of horizontal chou (抽) (or xi, 洗 as variant) with steps to both sides and dian (點) at the end (I’m using the names from Essentials Of the Wudang Sword Art (武當劍法大要)by Huang Yuanxiu, I was taught according to the manual of Li Jinglin). Continue reading Untitled

[cadmar]

We Are Time

What is time? We use time and observe time by our ability of measuring changes. To us, time is the measurement of changes. The sunrise to sunset, the full moon to the new moon, the seasons, the changing of our physical appearances as a new born baby to an old person in the grave, the time between each heartbeat, and so on.

Those are just our measurements of the observations we notice of changes. We do not realize that our brain time stamps each incoming sensory signal so that they can be accurately matched to the same event: seeing, touching, hearing, and hitting a ball all have sensory signals traveling at different speeds reaching the brain at different times. Otherwise, we would be in a constant state of confusion.

We also do not realize that our vision of receiving photons, all come at different time intervals from the same source. This then creates the perception of length, width, and height. When we see a building, or a tree, or a stick, we think we are seeing all at once the entire building, tree, or stick. In fact, thousands of photons from each different point and location of the building, tree, or stick, from the bottom, from the middle, from the top, are reaching our brain at different time intervals. Our brain just combines the bottom, middle, and top sections together as one moment. We then see the building as one thing at one moment, and not thousands of moments and of sections with each section and each moment having a photon reaching our brain at slightly different time intervals. So when we see width, length, and height, we are seeing time! But, that still is not the substance of time. It is still a measurement of our ability of observation!

We are time. The substance of time is us! Time is not out there. Time is us! What does this mean? Can I break this down to more elemental insights and understandings? What is the substance of time! What has been given to me for me to be time? How am I time? What makes me and you to be time itself! Time is me, and me is time! How can this be?

[scifielves]

!! BYAKUREN AT RISK !!

[immediatebreakfast]

"Is that so?" said Wukong. "Let me try the iron on you!"

You deceive Sun Wukong?! You don't give him the martial clothes he had so politely asked for?!?

Oh, oh! Golden Hooped Iron Rod to the head for the Old Dragon King, Golden Hooped Iron Rod to the head for the Old Dragon King for a thousand years!

[magicwingslisten]

Ascending and descending lines found in various types of talismanic calligraphy are another reference to the invisible lines of contact between celestial spirits above and terrestrial beings below. This concept of linear contact is very close to the shamanistic symbol of the Tree (axis mundi) which was said to be the home of the spirits permitting ascent to the various heavens or descent to our world. The lines occur with surprising regularity in all kinds of talismans.

Laszlo Legeza, Tao Magic: The Secret Language of Diagrams & Calligraphy (1975)

[journeytothewestresearch]

Oh no ...

Someone aware of my recently-finished catalog of Sun Wukong's powers and skills indirectly requested that I make a list of powers from Fengshen yanyi (封神演義, c. 1620).

But I don't have the mental energy for it. Plus, I am not as familiar with the book as I am JTTW. I'll pass the torch onto someone else ... COUGH @ryin-silverfish COUGH.

[yebreed]

Twenty-eight Constellations From The Temple Of Supreme Talisman

Pottery figurines of the Twenty-Eight Constellations from the Ziwei Pavilion (紫薇閣) in Supreme Talisman (Taifu) Temple (太符觀) are quietly chatting.

The Taoist temple itself, located in Fenyang (汾陽), Shanxi, was built in the fifth year of the Jin dynasty (1200). The Jade Emperor is enshrined in the main hall. The other halls on the both sides are dedicated to the Holy Mother of Houtu (后土聖母), aka Xiwangmu, The Queen Mother of the West, and to the Five Sacred Mountains (五嶽).

The figurines, just like some of the buildings, date back to the Ming dynasty. Each is about half a meter high. Of the original number, eight have been lost over the centuries. The rest were moved to the Shanxi Museum (山西博物院).

Photo: ©雪夜魚舟

[jerryabstract]

[emporiannee]

a xianxia au idea

buncha ideas n explanations under the cut

okay so it all started with this post i saw recently about the concept of yin eyes. it was kinda hard to look into. even if i use the chinese name, most results refer to them as yin/yang eyes and talk about them from a more modern context i think? so i'm just using it more as loose inpiration and will be referring to them as yin eyes for ease.

In this au, they'd be something one is born with and grants someone the ability to see ghosts and deities and see the presence of magic. Because it's more common for ghosts to be seen near people than deities, the general population considers the eyes to be cursed. However, they're seen more neutrally as a tool to people who are familiar with cultivation bc of it's ability to see through magic or identify ghosts in hiding.

Izuna

born with yin eyes. they're not hereditary like the sharingan tho. I think the uchiha in this au would be a clan known for having many great generals, heroes, ascended immortals, etc in their history and madara and izuna are expected to follow in those footsteps. I think it'd be fun to play around with how important auspiciousness/divination can be in xianxia and maybe madara was believed to be blessed since birth but izuna gets more mixed reactions, esp with his eyes.

izuna escapes from that environment by leaving for his cultivation but really he just doesn't want to be there and has complicated feelings about ascending in the first place.

his base robes should probably be a little ostentatious and gilded. His traveling robes and hat are more homely but gold embroidery and accessories are still visible and basically anyone can still tell he's some young lord from a rich family lol

Tobirama

his design was hard. I just ended up changing his hair bc his canon hairstyle was too uncanny when i tried to imagine him in a xianxia setting....

he's the second prince from the east sea palace. So he's a dragon. I think the water association and the treasury mentioned in Journey to the West suit tobirama well while the east being associated with the wood element suits hashirama/the senju well.

he goes out into the world to learn more about the humans and dresses himelf as a taoist with simpler robes and horsetail whisk.

i thought this might be funny bc according to cursory research, taoists monks would use the whisk to shoo away evil thoughts or the temptation to return to secular life. Tobirama would do this to people who annoyed him.

This is also purely self-indulgent and bc i've been reading tgcf but i think he should be able to transform not just from dragon -> somewhat draconic state -> human but also between genders for disguises. There is very little difference tho.

i have some ideas for madara too and i think hikaku n mito would fit well into this au as diviners/astrologists or smth. will prob stew on it for a while ^^

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]Chinese immortal Hanfu <电母/Mother of Lightning> Based On Yuan Dynasty Taoist Temple Mural<永乐宫/Yongle Palace>

【Historical Artifacts Reference 】:▶ China Yuan Dynasty Taoist Temple 永乐宫/Yongle Palace Mural<电母/Mother of Lightning>

⚡【电母/Mother of Lightning】⚡

电母/Dianmu (Chinese: 電母; pinyin: Diànmǔ; lit. 'Mother of Lightning'), also known as Leizi, is the Chinese goddess of lightning, who is said to have used flashing mirrors to send bolts of lightning across the sky.

She is married to Leigong/雷公, the god of thunder. She is one of the gods who work together to produce the phenomena of thunder. Other companions are Yun Tong (Yún Tóng, 云童, lit. the "Cloud Youth/Kid"), who whips up clouds, and Yu Shi/雨师 ("Rain Master") who causes downpours by dipping his sword into a pot. Roaring winds rush forth from a type of goatskin bag manipulated by Fengbo/风伯 ("Earl of Wind/Wind Uncle"), who was later transformed into Feng Po Po ("Old Lady Wind").

Legend

Dianmu was once a human, who lived with her mother. One day, she was dumping rice husks, because they were too hard for her mother to eat. When the short-tempered thunder god Leigong saw her dumping the husks out, he thought she was wasting food, so he killed her. When the Jade Emperor found out, he was infuriated at Leigong's careless murder. The Jade Emperor revived Dianmu, making her a goddess. Dianmu was made to marry Leigong, who took on the responsibility of caring for her. Dianmu's job is now to work with Lei Gong. She uses mirrors to shine light on the Earth, so Leigong can see who he hits and makes sure they aren't innocent. This is why lightning comes before thunder.

In other depictions

Dianmu also appears in Wu Cheng'en's late 16th-century novel, the Journey to the West; she appears during the events of the Slow Cart Kingdom (車遲國, Chechi), where three 'Animal Strength/Power Immortals', "Tiger Strength", "Deer/Elk Strength" and "Goat/Antelope Strength", three demons who disguised themselves as Taoist magicians to deceive the King of the Kingdom of Chechi, by means of having ended a seemingly-endless drought through the means of a legitimate magic tablet that can control the weather by summoning gods in control of various aspects of the weather, including Dianmu, accompanied by Yún Tóng (云童, lit. the "Cloud Youth"). Once Sun Wukong interrupts the summons, Dianmu and her fellow weather deities help the Buddhists instead of the demons in their rain-making competition.

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📸Photography post-production :@小何力

👗Hanfu & 👑Crown：@雁鸿Aimee

💄 Makeup：百丽 （临溪摄影）

👭Model：@清音音音音

🔗 Weibo:https://weibo.com/1615560544/O267AzTqM

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[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

chinese daoshi道士/taoist make magic weapons (this one is coin originated hundres years ago) with strong power to drive away evil spirits

[sagelasters]

the void state through the context of asian philosophy 

How often does one hear about the void state? Many people probably think it doesn’t exist because the idea of instant ‘manifestation’ is too good to be true. The fundamental realm of our world taught us that suffering is inevitable, and success can only be achieved through physical hard work. Sometimes, the idea of exquisite comfort and abundance of wealth hangs above people’s heads like a bait, oftentimes those that climb the ladders, falls off and never to return again. If it was fake, there wouldn’t be so many similarities in philosophy all across the world, some stretches back to ancient civilizations. The void state has many names/terms depending on each culture interpretation, but it is always referred to the state of stillness.  I used to be skeptical of anything metaphysical related, but if you really want to change your life, I’d advise you to drop all of those doubts just for several minutes. Remember your roots, just remember. 

In Taoism, there is a concept called ‘wuji’ (無極) which directly translated to ‘without limit’ or ‘without roof’. Wuji is represented by a blank circle and described as the state of unmanifest, a stillness, infinite ‘no-thing’, and a primordial universe. Many Taoist scholars described ‘wuji’ as a ‘good night sleep’ where all negative and positive emotions cease to exist, many believers of Taoism stated that the world was once in the ‘wuji’ state. Since it is boundless and an infinite universe,  ‘wuji’ must exist in order for movement and manifestation to arise. This state is taught in many forms of Chinese martial art, oftentimes requires deep concentration to fully ‘enter’ (I don’t like this word because ‘wuji’ isn’t a magical place, it literally exists within you, it needs you to exist. You are the movement and manifestation). Overall, martial artists used this to relax mentally and physically, it’s actually a meditative state. In ‘wuji’, you have the potential to ‘move’ and become ‘something', as it is a pre-existential state. 

Another state of stillness can be seen in Buddhism is the Śūnyatā or suññatā (voidness, vacuity or emptiness) Buddhist philosophers even refers to is ‘The Void’ where the essence of the soul is empty, it is ‘the synonym of that which has no cause, that which is beyond thought or conception, that which is not produced, that which is not born, that which is without measure.’ ‘Sunyata’ is a composition of ultimate reality and the release of attachment. The Buddha found true enlightenment when he realized ‘emptiness’. He freed himself from all of the suffering and dissatisfaction of the Earthly world. In ‘sunyata’, every entity is interconnected with a blankness, the concept explains that the universe's ever-changing and empty nature allows for the creation and destruction of all things. To reach the state of ‘sunyata’ or the great void, one must have great concentration and tread gently, avoiding forcing their way in. 

That was a lot of researching and summarizing but I love to share my knowledges with you. As you can see, the void state is not anything new. In-fact the concept is much older than we think! I hope this post showed you new insights and please stop doubting the void's existence. It lives within you, it is literally a part of you.