Much as the modern Western world is concerned with diets, health, and anti-aging remedies, many early medieval Daoists also actively sought to improve their health and increase their longevity. This study focuses on the fifth-century dietary practices as presented in the second chapter of the Taishang lingbao wufuxu (The Preface to the Five Most High Numinous Treasure Talismans; DZ 388)---a technical manual of herbal-based, immortality-oriented recipes. I argue that examining Daoist self-cultivation diets is integral to understanding Daoist religious practice; its concepts of the body, health, and immortality; and its soteriological goals. To contextualize my findings, this project first examines the historical, social, and cultural environments in which the text was redacted, and discusses the importance of its presentation as a cosmically generated, authoritative scripture within the developing Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) Daoist school. Utilizing my own annotated translations of the text's recipes throughout the dissertation, I then perform a detailed analysis of the text's contents: the dietary regimens themselves; their expected benefits, which range from improved physical health to extraordinary abilities and longevity; and the specific herbal constituents of the diets. From this investigation, new understandings of important Daoist ideas regarding the body's composition and mutability, health and disease, the parasitic Three Worms, the spirit realm, grain avoidance diets, and immortality are proffered. Examining these themes also illustrates the ways that fifth-century Daoists developed a new worldview that systematically synthesized Daoist religion, Chinese medicine, cosmological correlative logic, and alchemical symbolism. Additionally, my analysis of sesame, poke, and other herbs in the text, using Western scientific and pharmacological research, concludes that the herbs do have healing properties, many of which reflect the text's ancient claims, and it would be possible to improve one's health while living on a reduced diet of only these substances. The dissertation ends with a discussion of modern Daoist perspectives of the diets and an evaluation of the relevance of this study to understanding religiously oriented food related issues more generally as well as modern Western dietary concerns.

Much as the modern Western world is concerned with diets, health, and anti-aging remedies, many early medieval Chinese Daoists also actively sought to improve their health and increase their longevity through specialized ascetic dietary practices. Focusing on a fifth-century manual of herbal-based, immortality-oriented recipes—the Lingbao Wufuxu (The Preface to the Five Lingbao Talismans of Numinous Treasure)—Shawn Arthur investigates the diets, their ingredients, and their expected range of natural and supernatural benefits. Analyzing the ways that early Daoists systematically synthesized religion, Chinese medicine, and cosmological correlative logic, this study offers new understandings of important Daoist ideas regarding the body’s composition and mutability, health and disease, grain avoidance (bigu) diets, the parasitic Three Worms, interacting with the spirit realm, and immortality. This work also employs a range of cross-disciplinary scientific and medical research to analyze the healing properties of Daoist self-cultivation diets and to consider some natural explanations for better understanding Daoist asceticism and its underlying world view.

Discusses the philosophy of Tao and offers information on diet and nutrition, fasting, breathing exercises, physical exercises, acupuncture, massage, birth control, sex therapy, and meditation

Achieve vibrant health by combining ancient Taoist principles, modern alternative health practices, and acid-alkaline balance • Offers complete guidelines on what to eat for different yin-yang constitutions, specific health problems and organ systems, and energetic conditions • Provides detailed information on fasting, detoxification, and food combining for acid-alkaline and yin-yang balance • Includes illustrated guides to several self-diagnostic methods from the East, allowing you to interpret your body’s signs before disease manifests The human body, like all phenomena in nature, possesses the inherent power of self-regeneration when the conditions of true health are adopted. In Cosmic Nutrition, Taoist Master Mantak Chia and senior Universal Tao teacher William Wei reveal the secret to true health and longevity: keeping all four bodies--physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual--vibrant and balanced. They show you how to work with the four bodies through simple, step-by-step nutritional and energetic practices for everyday life. Combining the ancient Taoist principles of yin and yang energy with acid-alkaline balance and metabolic body types, the authors offer complete guidelines on what to eat for different yin-yang constitutions, specific health problems and organ systems, and energetic conditions. They provide an easy-to-follow food combining method for acid-alkaline and yin-yang balance, recipes for healing meals, detailed information on fasting and detoxification, and illustrated guides to several self-diagnostic methods from the East that allow you to interpret your body’s signs before disease manifests. Dispelling the myth of germs as the cause of disease, they reveal the cancerous dangers of too much protein or pharmaceutical drugs. They also examine the life-force-increasing and youth-renewing benefits of powerful “superfoods” such as sprouts and specific vitamins and minerals. Exploring emotional and mental balance, the authors explain the psychological aspects of yin and yang and offer simple practices to release fear and worries, promote inner calm, and build a positive attitude. Balancing body, mind, and blood chemistry, this book lays out the Universal Tao’s holistic path to a long and happy life.

A unique and practical self-help guide to live a balanced and positive Taoist lifestyle from the author of The Complete Book of Chinese Health & Healing. Written by a Westerner for the Western mind, The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity is perfect for the modern reader interested in exploring the balanced and holistic health care system used by Chinese physicians, martial artists, and meditators for over 5,000 years. Drawing on his extensive personal experience and research from original sources, author Daniel Reid covers all aspects of the healthy Taoist lifestyle, delivering concise information and instruction on diet and nutrition, fasting, breathing and exercise, sexual health, medicine, and meditation. Featuring helpful charts and illustrations, The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity makes the ancient practice easier to understand and more applicable to a modern Western audience than ever before.