Page 250 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

BAD JI NG 2II

The eight jing also play an important role in methods aimed at releasing the
mortal knots in the embryo (Robinet 1993,139-43). These knots are congenital
germs of death located in the body since its conception, and are the negative
counterparts of the jingo They appear in the eighth month of gestation when
the pneuma of the Qingming rjlt BJl , the Clear and Luminous heaven, descends
into the body. In contrast, the eight jing symbolize the totality of the innumer-
able corporeal deities, and have the appearance of young boys whose height,
clothes, and names are specified in the texts. One method described in the
*Ciyi jing consists in having the Three Original Pure Ladies (Sansu yuanjun
-=~5tti) summon these spirits in three groups of eight- the first within
the Purple Chamber (zifang ~ J% ) in the brain, the second within the heart,
and the third within the Gate of the Vital Force (*mingmen) in the abdomen.
The upper group is related to Heaven, the lower one to Earth, and the central
one to Emptiness. The Imperial Lord (Dijun 1i'iti) makes knots on three red
threads, eight for each group. Then the bajing untie them and the threads flare
up in a great fire that consumes the knots as well the practitioner's whole
body.
Finally, the bajing are also carriages of light that transport the deities through
the heavens. In this instance they are the luminous counterpart of the basu )\
~ (eight purities), which are carriages of clouds (see *Basujing).
Isabelle ROBINET

ID Kaltenmark 1969a; Maspero 1981, 553- 54; Robinet 1984, I: 126- 27, 129-30;
Robinet 1993, 57- 58; Strickmann 1979, 173-75

* INNER DEITIES

BaoJing

~ *L (or: ~~ .;it)
?-ca. 330; zi: Taixuan Jr. ~

Bao Jing, whose place of birth is unknown, was a descendant of Bao Xuan ffi,Pl
§' and Bao Yong ffi,Pl7k, two senior officers of the Former and Later Han dy-
nasties. He began his career as a minor civil servant in Nanyang m ~ (Henan)
but was promoted to the post of Governor of Nanhai m~ (Guangdong)
in 313, under the Western Jin dynasty. In 320 he left his office and retired to
Jurong ffi!@ or Danyang fl- ~ (near Nanjing, Jiangsu). According to different
records, he was buried in the Luofu Mountains (*Luofu shan, Guangdong) or
at Shizigang ET FtliJ (Jiangsu).