Page 342 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

DANTlAN 303

term dantian first occurs in two sources related to the divinization of Laozi,
both dating from 165 CE: the *Laozi ming (Inscription for Laozi) mentions the
term in connection to the Purple Chamber (ziJang ~ m , the gallbladder), and
the Wangzi Qiao bei £ T~~ (Stele to Wangzi Qiao) relates it to meditation
practices (Seidel 1969,44,58-59, and I23; Holzman 199I, 79). One of the two
main sources on early Taoist meditation, the third-century *Huangting jing
(Scripture of the Yellow Court), frequently refers to the three dantian as the
Three Fields (santian = EEl) and the Three Chambers (sanfang = m), and also
mentions the Yellow Court and the Muddy Pellet. The other main early Taoist
meditation text, the *Laozi zhongjing (Central Scripture of Laozi), gives the
first detailed description of the lower Field, saying that it contains the whole
cosmos and is the residence of the material carriers of essence (jing), i.e.,
semen for men and menstrual blood for women (L12b-I3a). The same passage
shows that the appellation "cinnabar" originally derives from the red color
of the innermost part of the dantian, with no direct relation to the mineral
cinnabar or to the elixir.
In several early descriptions, the three dantian appear as residences of inner
gods visualized by adepts in meditation practices- in particular, the One who
moves along the three Fields. The best-known occurrence of the term dantian
in this context is in the *Baopu zi:
The One has surnames and names, clothes and calors. In men it is nine tenths
of an inch tall, in women six tenths. Sometimes it is in the lower dantian, two
inches and four tenths below the navel. Sometimes it is in the middle dantian,
the Golden Portal of the Crimson Palace (jianggongjinque ~ g :3E: ~) below the
heart. Sometimes it is in the space between the eyebrows: at one inch behind
them is the Hall of Light (*mingtang aJl :§t), at two inches is the Cavern Chamber
(dongfang WPJ m), and at three inches is the upper dantian. (Baopu zi, 18-323)

The *Shangqing sources further develop this view of the dantian. The *Suling
jing outlines a meditation method on the Three Ones (*sanyi) residing in the
three dantian (see the entry *sanyi) and describes the upper Field using the
same terminology as the Baopu zi (Robinet 1993, I27- 31; see fig. 62). The practice
of embryonic breathing (*taixi), also known as 'breathing of the Cinnabar
Field" (dantian huxi ft EEl Q,¥~) further contributed to shape the neidan view
of the dantian.

Fabrizio PREGADIO

m Oarga 1999, 95-98; Oespeux 1979, 23- 27; Oespeux I994, 74-80; Maspero I98I,
298-99, 360-63, 383-86, and 455-59; Needham 1983, 38-40 and 107-8; Robinet
1984, I: 125- 26; Robinet I993, 81- 82 and I27- 3I; Wang Mu I990, 264-66
:x.:: niwan; sanguan; zhoutian; neidan; TAOIST VIEwS OF THE HUMAN BODY