Page 126 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

86 T H E ENCYCLOPED IA OF TAO ISM VOL . I

inner residences and palaces are properly arranged; in the tenth, the gestation
process is completed and birth occurs.

Celestial pneumas. According to the *Yebao yinyuan jing (19.1b- 2a, and YJQQ
29.1b-2b), the embryo is imbued with nine pneumas in the first nine months
of gestation. In the third month, the hun are formed, and in the fourth, the
po. In the ninth month, 36,000 deities descend into the body, and birth occurs
during the tenth month. A *Lingbao document, the *Shengshen jing (Scripture
of the Life-Giving Spirits), explains how the deities are created from different
cosmic pneumas, and how the embryo is nourished during gestation by the
Three Primes (*sanyuan) and the pneumas of the Nine Heavens (*jiutian). At
the time of birth, some divinities descend to the courtyard of the house to
protect the newborn child (CT 318, 2a, and YJQQ 29.2b-3a).
The *Jiuzhen zhongjing (Central Scripture of the Nine Real Men; CT 1376,
I.2b- 3a, and YJQQ 30.6a) establishes a distinction between the inner spirits,
such as the hun or the po-which are produced by supernatural spirits (ling ii)
and the pneumas of the parents- and the outer spirits, who come to reside
within the person.
Mortal knots. The *Shangqing views of birth are described in the *Taidan
yinshu (Concealed Writ of the Great Cinnabar [Palace]; CT 1330, 38b-39b, and
YJQQ 2904b) and the Taijing zhongjijing n~;ffl $~c:~~ (Scripture of the Central
Record of the Essence of the Embryo; CT 1382). After the Yin and Yang pneu-
mas merge, during each month of gestation the embryo receives the pneuma
of one of the Nine Heavens. Twelve knots and twelve joints strengthen the
embryo, but they also create fetters that adepts must untie during their time
on earth to attain immortality (see Robinet 1993, 139- 43).

Catherine DESPEUX
m Furth 1995; Furth 1999, 94- 133; Kato Chie 2000; Kato Chie 2002; Larre
1982, 169-75; Miyazawa Masayori 1984a; Robinet 1993, 139- 43; Schipper 1993,
II9-2 9
* DEATH AND AFTERLIFE; REBIRTH ; TAOIST VIEWS OF THE H UMAN BODY

Death and afterlife

Early views. Notions of death and the afterlife in Taoism- and the rites cre-
ated to deal with them-evolved from two largely distinct strains of thought
and practice: those connected with the search for transcendence and immor-
tality, and juridical motifs relating to a bureaucratized afterlife. The former