Page 56 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

16 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM VOL. I

Initiation

In Taoism, the problem of how knowledge and skill are transmitted to the
next generation (chuanshou 1wl'll) is not dealt with in a systematic or regulated
way, but rather as a direct confrontation between master and disciple. This
theme will be considered here centering on the treatment given in *Ge Hong's
(283-343) *Baopu zi. Ge Hong repeatedly stresses that if a person earnestly
wishes to achieve immortality he should study under a master, and if a good
master is not chosen, there can be no success. The entire chapter 14 CQinqiu"
fJJ:1<:, "Seek Diligently") of the Baopu zi deals with this theme.

Although students of the future must make it their duty to seek a master, it is
vital that they do so having made very sure of him first. A person of poor and
narrow knowledge will be powerless to help them to achieve the Way, because
his actions will be shallow, his virtue weak, his accomplishment feeble, and his
resources scarce. (I4.257-58; see trans. Ware I966, 237)
Ge Hong calls an excellent teacher an "enlightened master" or mingshi BJl affi,
and repeatedly speaks about such a person. He says, for instance;
If you wish to become a divine immortal (shenxian +$ {ill), you must grasp the
essential. The essential consists of treasuring the essence (baojing Wf~; see
*jing), circulating breath (*xingqi), and ingesting the Great Medicine. In these
three, however, there is profundity and shallowness. You cannot learn all about
them in a short time unless you meet an enlightened master and go through
much hard work. (8.I49; see trans. Ware 1966, I38)
Ge Hong's "enlightened master," as depicted in the Baopuzi, does not merely
imply a wise teacher. As ming (enlightened) can mean sheng ~ (saint, or sage)
in contrast to su {~ (worldly; Maspero 1933), mingshi can be interpreted as a
person who is permitted, by means of a pact with the deities, to transmit the
Taoist scriptures and techniques (Yoshikawa Tadao 1980). Therefore Ge Hong
encourages people to seek an enlightened master, because without one, they
cannot be taught the esoteric scriptures and secret teachings. He also says that
refining the elixir cannot be easily done without receiving secret teachings
from an enlightened master (Ware 1966, 270.)
A master gives this one-to-one transmission, or shishou ~ffi 11:., only to a
person in whom he has confidence and who is fit to receive the secret trans-
mission. Ge Hong says that certain alchemical texts and methods must only
be transmitted to the wise, even if the master is offered a mountain of gold
for their secrets (Ware 1966, 75). The transmission of such texts to someone
inferior would bring down heavenly punishment. Fear of the "retribution of