Purple Clouds

Indeed. Chen Yingning supposedly practiced the art and he considered it superior to Neidan, a notable contrast to most Neidan masters historically. Though AFAIK he never wrote about the actual practices.

Dao Hongjing considered Waidan to be necessary if one is practicing Yang Sheng practices and aiming to attain immortality. Hence why I am okay with resources on that subject being included in the thread, as they often go hand in hand. It should go without saying that I am not recommending or telling anyone to engage in the practice of Waidan. Please do not do this, it is dangerous, even more so without the guidance of a teacher. The same goes for Neidan in my opinion. I started this thread for the purpose of discussing resources on the subject.

There seems to be a woefully small amount of available resources in comparison to Neidan. Feel free to share any books, articles, papers, etc. on the subject; whether that be herbal medicines, bodily exercises, or related rituals.

What's described in the ZZ is not the same thing as the zuowang practice that later developed in Daoism as a result of the adaptation of śamatha and vipaśyanā from Buddhists. Daoists have historically reinterpreted the major Daoist scriptures in light of new practices that developed.

Hi guys, I'm new here. My interests are mainly in Daoist alchemy and religion, and I look forward to discussing these topics with others on this forum!