Excerpt from Researches Into Chinese Superstitions, Vol. 2: First Part, Superstitious Practices, Profusely Illustrated We collect into this chapter. Under a general heading, written charms, hwa-fu E petition and all kinds of magic scripts, devised by Buddhist monks, and especially by Taoist priests, Tao-shi g i, for the purpose of curing diseases, preventing or checking epidemics, expelling demons, counteracting evil in uences and obtaining the protection of the Gods in all human ills. As the misfortunes which befall men here below are countless, one may imagine the various devices, which these cunning folks, ever on the look out for gain, constantly invent. The drawing up of charms is one of the chief pursuits of Taoist priests, tao-shi j: They have always some ready for every imaginable case, disease and condition, to which poor suffering mortals may be exposed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."

The first scholarly book to address Korean geomancy through an interdisciplinary lens. This book is a milestone in the history of academic research on the development and role of geomancy (fengshui in Chinese and p’ungsu in Korean) in Korean culture and society. As the first interdisciplinary work of its kind, it investigates many topics in geomancy studies that have never been previously explored, and contains contributions from a number of disciplines including geography, historical studies, environmental science, architecture, landscape architecture, religious studies, and psychoanalysis. While almost all books in English about geomancy are addressed to general readers as practical guides for divining auspicious locations, P’ungsu is a work of rigorous scholarship that documents, analyzes, and explains past and current practices of geomancy. Its readers will better understand the impact of geomancy on the Korean cultural landscape and appreciate the significant ecological principles embedded in the geomantic traditions of Korea; while researchers will discover new insights and inspirations for future research on geomancy not only in Korea, but in China and elsewhere.

This comprehensive study of the traditional Chinese craft of paper sculpture documents the ancient craft as it exists today in Taiwan.

Discusses the cultural background and meaning of ten goddesses, including Aphrodite, Isis, Athena, Durga, Laksmi, and Sita