The readings in this book are a beginner's entree into the vast treasury of writings from the sacred Chinese tradition, consisting of original translations of excerpts from the Taoist canon. Brief introductions and notes on the translation accompany the selections from the classics; books of devotional and mystical Taoism; texts of internal alchemy; stories of Taoist immortals, magicians, sorcerers; ethical tracts; chants and rituals; and teachings on meditation and methods of longevity.

To age with the sun and moon and be renewed by spring and summer, to conserve the seeds of growth in autumn and winter and to be nourished by the eternal breath of the Tao--these are the goals of the Taoist alchemists, the masters of the arts of health, longevity, and immortality.
This book is a translation of a concise Taoist alchemical manual known as the Dragon-Tiger Classic, along with its two most important commentaries. The classic, written in ancient times by an unknown author and published during the fifteenth century BCE, is regarded by contemporary Taoist practitioners...

Here is the Hui-ming Ching, a classic Taoist manual on the circulation of internal energy by means of meditation and the inspiration for many techniques of Qigong. It is one of the few Taoist treatises to describe the landmarks of spiritual development and document the process of spiritual transformation from start to finish.

As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Eva Wong heard and memorized many tales told to her by Hong Kong's finest professional storytellers, by actors on the radio, and by her grandmother. These popular tales of the Taoist immortals were also often dramatized in Chinese operas.

The stories are of famous characters in Chinese history and myth: a hero's battle with the lords of evil, the founder of the Ming dynasty's treacherous betrayal of his friends, a young girl who saves her town by imitating rooster calls. Entertaining and often provocative, these tales usually include a moral. The...

In "Holding Yin, Embracing Yang," Eva Wong presents translations of three key texts containing the highest teachings of the Eastern and Western schools of Taoist internal alchemy— the discipline of cultivating health, longevity, and immortality by transforming the energetic structures of body and mind. The texts are primarily concerned with meditation, breathing practices, and sexual yoga with a partner— all as means for developing within ourselves the same life-giving energy that sustains and nourishes the universe. The texts in this collection offer a clear view of the physical,...

Considered by many Taoists and non-Taoists alike to be an essential guide to living, Lao-tzu's Treatise on the Response of the Tao was written by the twelfth-century sage Le Ying-chang. Presenting foundational teachings and practices of the Action and Karma school of Taoism, it is replete with folk stories illustrating the teachings and an introductory essay that discusses the more esoteric meaning of the passages. Told with clarity and depth, these seminal Taoist teachings offer guidance on leading a balanced healthy life.

Here is a classic Chinese text on the Taoist arts of longevity and immortality. The text dates from the Five Dynasties (907-960 C. E.) and is attributed to Chungli Ch'uan and Lu Tung-pin--two of the most popular figures of Taoism and Chinese culture. This text focuses on Taoist inner alchemy, a theory and method for transforming the mind from within by using practices such as breath control, calisthenics, meditation practices, and sexual alchemy (the method of gathering energy from a sexual partner).
The teachings address the following topics:
- The nature of immortality and how it...