Legends and Teachings of Female Immortals
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| Quan Yin~ Goddess of Compassion and Mercy |
Immortal Sisters, Secrets of Taoist Women
“In Taoism the importance of the feminine element in human life is strongly emphasized, and mythically and historically it counts very many women among its greatest figures.” ~Thomas Cleary
In this review we will explore several female adepts of early Taoism along with some of their practices in which balance, renewal and wholeness can be restored to the life of a human being.
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| Female adept with the Peach of Immortality |
We have the legend of a prehistoric shamaness “who was at one time instrumental in restoring the balance and sanity of her people when they had gone mad, lost their original mental coherence and were on the brink of destruction.”
One female Taoist adept was known as the Tea Elder. She had been seen by the older people in the village as looking youthful for over 100 years. She carried a bowl of tea leaves to market that seemed never to run out.
Several such Immortal Sisters lived during the Song dynasty, (960-1280 C.E.).
One was an immortal sister Yu, “who learned certain Taoist breathing methods on her own from a discarded book and practiced them.”
This woman, it was recorded, found a collection of Taoist teachings in a cave and learned how to transcend the mundane world by refining the physical body. She was given the name, Real Human, by an emperor of the period in which she lived.
Then there was another distinguished female adept who was known simply as “one who had attained the Tao.”
In her healing method she did not use herbs, massage or exercise like other Taoist healers. According to immoralist records, she would have the patient sit across from her with closed eyes, while she subtly projected her energy to attack the disease; the patient’s abdomen would suddenly become very hot and would growl loudly. Even chronic illnesses would be cured this way.
Other women who practiced the Tao:
Sun Bu-er is one of the most beloved figures in Taoist folklore.
Her Taoist title is Clear and Calm Free Human. After witnessing several ‘magical’ and inexplicable events she became a follower of Wang Zhe; a Taoist master of the Jin period (1115–1234) and founder of the Quanzhen sect. Sun learned from him the pure serene way of “complete realization” along with the secrets of talismans and mystic letters. She was known for dispensing Taoist teachings in the guise of divination statements to the local villagers.
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| Sun Buer at a poetry reading |
*The Quanzhen School is currently the most dominant branch of Taoism in continental China. Known as the "Way of Completeness and Truth." In some texts, it is also referred to as the "Way of Complete Perfection." Quanzhen practitioners were particularly concerned with longevity and achieving immortality through alchemy,
Here are several instructional extracts from poems by Sun Bu-er with my commentary and parenthesis:
Before our body existed
one energy was already there.
The primal energy that exists prior to birth is known as prenatal Jing.
The basis (primal energy or prenatal Jing)
starts out uncontrived;
Unexpectedly it falls into the temporal.
Meaning, primal energy starts out pure then as we mature becomes contaminated by the world of desires, needs and senses. Do’s and don’ts appear along with good and bad.
What’s more, the body is worn out by sense impacts, (attachment to objects, goals and conflicting needs)
and is entangled by illness.
So don’t get stuck on anything at all
and the One energy will come back to the terrace.
The terrace is referring to the place of Shen, spiritual awareness or spirit so that the mind can be awakened. (the glands in the brain are conduits of Shen).
The darkness should go down the front
and light induced up the back.
This passage refers to the ‘circle of breath’ or microcosmic orbit, where the exhalation expels the dark, heavy and turbid energy that is no longer needed down the front of the body and the inhalation is brought upward to bring in the light of invigoration and renewal.
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| A diagram of the microcosmic orbit showing the acupoints along the Governing (GV) and Conception (CV) Vessels |
Poem excerpts from Wu Cailuan. She studied at a special center for feminine alchemy, and there attained the Way.
My mind is like a jade jar of ice
Never invaded by even a half mote of dust
Meaning, her mind is pure without any worldly contamination. This mind set is a prerequisite for effective cultivation practice.
Favor and disgrace are meaningless so what’s the use of contending?
Why bother with the concerns of ups and downs. Ups and downs are the way of the world that only obscure the clarity of the Way.
Fan Yunqiao was a woman of the third century whose magical powers are reputed to have surpassed her accomplished husband. The couple practiced Taoism together and reportedly left the world to “ascend into heaven”.
The image of the creative is firmness,
The virtue of the receptive is flexibility.
The creative Yang is firmness and strength. The receptive Yin is flexible and yielding. Together they make the whole and transcendental accomplishments are possible.
To nurture essence
First quiet the mind.
Why bother seeking (to perfect skills)
What then is the need to bow and pray
begging for long life?
A quiet mind gathers the essence (in meditation). While mundane skills often distract from the practice, it is important to remember that longevity and health comes from following the Tao.
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| Wisdom bearing female immortal |
Taoist sister Cui Shaozuan’s background remains obscure and unknown. In one of her poems she says:
When the source of essence is clear,
The foundation of life is firm.
When the practitioner sees clearly the origin of primal energy (in the lower tan tien or lower sea of Qi) the foundation of the practice becomes firm. Cultivation of the Jing (essence) is the foundation of a practice that restores vitality.
Mind like still water,
I’m naturally at peace.
Calm yet ever alert,
I make good progress.
The still mind knows peace and alertness allowing the practitioner to benefit in her practice.
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| Immortal goddess Quan Yin with Elixir jar |
To seek it single mindedly is to seek immortality.
Those who have attained immortality refresh the earth by their presence alone. To seek this heaven as a lifelong priority is to find the immortal way.
When it comes to spiritual alchemy, in essence men and women are the same. But men begin with refinement of energy while the woman’s practice is centered on refinement of the body.
Refinement of the body is dependent upon regulating the breath while refinement of energy is dependent upon stilling the mind and concentrating the Qi. Regulating the breath involves gathering and releasing naturally from the lower tan tien.
The classics say, “The origin of essence is rooted in the mind; the stem (foundation) of life originates in the breath.”
The twin cultivation of essence and life is a matter of keeping the mind and breathing together, and not let them separate even in a crisis.
Embrace the breathing steadily until you reach the balance of being stable (in mind) and concentrated (in spirit). Then all dark spirits will flee and you will have unusual buoyancy, clarity and well being.
Taoists engage with devotion the processes involved in bodiliy transformation and regeneration. This is achieved through the development of seven secret disciplines; special diet (to nourish Qi and Jing), Qi gong, exposing the body to natural forces of sun, moon, wind and rain. The use of breathing techniques, the use of plant and mineral substances (for making elixirs), meditation, *acu-point applications and ritual sex practices. Taoists primary interest is in transforming lower base energies into higher spiritual energies using all of the above methods and techniques. Practitioners stimulate and channel the regenerative energies through the practice of the microcosmic orbit and internal Qigong to elevate and refine basic biological energy into spiritual awaress that eventually leads to immortaity. js
*See the post on acu-points on this site~ Potent acu-points
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| Shuchi Gabriella is an Immortal who gives guidance and wisdom to those who call on her. In this way she serves humanity as a likeness and embodiment of goddess Tara. |
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