damdao

Regarding best translations: Livia Kohn, for instance The Zhong-Lü System of Internal Alchemy https://threepinespress.com/2020/08/01/the-zhong-lu-system-of-internal-alchemy-2/ or Louis Komjathy too. Extensive translations (not always best, though) Eva Wong The Tao of Health, Longevity, and Immortality: The Teachings of Immortals Chung and Lu Harmonizing Yin and Yang Nourishing the Essence of Life: The Outer, Inner, and Secret Teachings of Taoism Holding Yin, Embracing Yang: Three Taoist Classics on Meditation, Breath Regulation, Sexual Yoga, and the Cir culation of Internal Energy

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but this references may help you: This first is about karman properly speaking "Between karmic retribution and entwining infusion", Maeda Shigeki in Daoism in History https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=PAUg-Xelo-IC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false Then, you have another chinese concept of cause and effect, more akin with magia sympathica, and that is 感应 or resonance, response, etc. Huai-nan Tzu: Philosophical Synthesis in Early Han Thought, Charles Le Blanc https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=iWjqAQAAQBAJ&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false and the Chapter VI of Huainan Zi that is the source of that concept.

The thing is that the writing of the historical records was commended to his father Sima Tan. As his father could not fullfil the project he finished it. But... he had his setbacks due to political issues, he was even castrated. Although he was confucian (so to say) his adversary were the legalist not the daoists. If I not mistaken, he devised the distinction between philosophical Daoism (Dao Jia) and religiuos Daoism (Dao Jiao). This helped to safeguard the philosophical books such as Daode Jing, Lie Zi, Zhuang Zi and others. Besides, he was who depicted the first emperor as a sadistic tyrant (because he was a legalist ruler). Truth is a little debatable though. So, I think that the reference to Laozi is neither particularly relevant here nor accurate (in the modern sense). It seems to me that he collected traditions and more or less composed a text. His more powerful endeavour was to depict the dynastic system, the characterization of leaders, etc. Political things.

Here we have another translation that matches the first possibility ofered by @Cobie that of a question, it is from The Grand Scribe's Records, volume VII, Nienhauser, ed., Cheng, Lu, Nienhauser and Reynolds, transl.:

Sorry , but I think that you are mistaken. In Classical Chinese more than in Modern Chinese, there are no word classes per se, so position is all important in determining if you are before a verb, a noun or an adjective (or any other class). So, if you change the order you change the meaning, the function and the class, even the pronunciation can change. What it is more free are the coordinations, sometimes you cannot say if it is a word or two words, classical examples are 神仙, 鬼仙 that could be interpreted as two words coordinated or one word.

The modifier comes before the modified, so we can leave aside the meaning "malefic", "deleterious", etc. I think that it could be interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Is he not, perchance, like a dragon?" Implying a "yes" as an answer. I don't know what the OP was asking, but the wording could have a different meaning depending on the context. In a Daoist book, it is something definitely positive. Riding the clouds and winds is a favorite occupation of immortals (maybe alluding to an ethereal quality in their bodies).

If you like Wang Liping system better begin with Nathan Brine books, as Shadow_self said. But, it is always better to have a teacher, either online or in presence (this is better, of course). Regarding the foundational training you may consider the Wuliu Pai lineage.

Welcome to the forum, it is great to have a daoist priest and teacher as you in the forum.

I agree that speaking about shamanism and daoism has become kind of fashionable. The subject presents a more complicated relationship than merely one originating the another. But, what sinologist call "shaman" is not 薩滿, which is a modern term in chinese, but 巫. So keep it in mind when you read some informed comments about chinese "shamanism".

In neidan texts nobody want to become ghost immortal. But following paths and practices that develops yin shen, the yin spirit, has as an aftermath a kind of immortality, but yin immortality, hence, you become a ghost immortal. This a not so veiled critique to chan buddhism.

A sufi sheik here once told us that the takbir position may be related to the chinese medical theory of the phoetus shape in the ears and touching lightly the lobule acts like a kind of stimulation in the head faculties and senses (because the ear lobule corresponds to the head of the phoetus in auriculotherapy).

Thank you! It was really hard to see today, I cannot fathom how hard was playing it.

I'm sorry to tell you, but Argentina will be the World Champion...

Yes, I have heard the expression before (in chinese) with the value of something truly incredible, the height of a situation. I don't think that in the folk lore it is normal to see ghost in broad light.

Because in folk religion it is believed that only 神仙 (trascendents, immortals) could stand in broad daylight (being pure yang beings), other entities are considered 鬼 (ghosts) and they, being pure yin beings, can only "manifest" themselves at night. So, leaving your physical body in daylight means you are not a ghost but an immortal. Simple as that. If someone dissolves his /her body, the phrase used is something like "he leaves behind only his shoes (or fingernails, etc.)".