Daoism and the Warrior

[shanlung]

  Whoever didn't notice tao do battle wasn't paying attention.

 

  

 

And whoever who do not know the Tao exist in midst of battle or in the midst of peace , or in a 66-72 hours work week cannot be a Taoist idiotic or not or even a run of the mill dime a dozen Taoist

 

 

Idiotic Taoist and palm leave waving and hosannas singing of Yangzi

[Taoist Texts]

@Taoist Texts: What was the sect of swordsmen-alchemists you mentioned called? I would like to know a little more about them.

Here you go:

 

 

 

 

The other commentary attached to the  text—attributed  to  Luo  Gongyuan 羅公遠 (ca. 655‑758)—indicates that the nature of the weapon, and the powers it possesses and bestows upon one who wields it, varies  greatly according to the rank and caliber of the Immortal in question:

 

1) Heavenly  Stalwarts  (tianxia 天俠) are originally Heav‑ enly Immortals  who have  been bestowed a sword  by the  Su‑ preme Thearch (Shangdi 上帝).

 

2) Immortal Knights  (xianxia 仙俠) [are those who] after  cultivating the practices for the heavenly ascension of the Per‑ fected, further refine the qi to forge a sword. 

 

3) Holy  Stalwarts  (lingxia 靈俠) [are those who after] al‑  ready having become Earthly Immortals, dwell in a mountain  as its protector. Once they have refined their sword and dagger  to completion, they become able to instantly dispatch the fly‑  ing sword to any location within 10,000 li, as soon as they hear  of any injustice.

 

4) Wind  Stalwarts  (fengxia 風俠) are also Earthly Immor‑ tals. In refining the  sword  and dagger, they practice  only in‑ termittently and do not reach the ultimate efficacy. When they hear  of injustice, they can arrive instantly with body and  sword wherever  wind  can penetrate (they cannot penetrate  solid surfaces).

 

5) Water Stalwarts (shuixia 水俠) are originally Water Im‑ mortals (shuixian 水仙).49 When the refining  [of the  sword]  is completed, they are called Water Stalwarts. They cannot fly if  there is no water.

 

6) Fire  Stalwarts (huoxia  火俠). When they practice  this, they naturally are set on fire.  This  is  also known as  The  Samadhi of Fiery Radiance. Once they have completed the re‑  fining of the sword and dagger, and when the body is about to  fly, they require a ball of Transformation Fire, on which to ride upon to come and go. Thus they are called Fire Stalwarts.

 

7) Air Stalwarts  (qixia  氣俠) [are those  who  have]  only  learned to stabilize the  breath. Thereby  with the essence and  efflorescence they refine the  sword. When the  sword is  com‑ plete it is like air. [because they] wield [this] while coming and  going, they are called Air Stalwarts.

 

8) Ghost Stalwarts (guixia 鬼俠). People cannot see their  form. They had  originally cultivated [the  way of] the  Spirit Immortal (shenxian 神仙). They have a water and ink form, and  a water and ink sword. In exiting, entering, coming and going,  they are no different from air.

 

9) Sword‑Encountering  Stalwarts  (yujianxia  遇劍俠) are  those who, having come upon a precious sword, can transform and appear at will in the East and West.50

 

 

 

 

“Do Immortals Kill?: The Controversy Surrounding Lü Dongbin.” Journal of Daoist Studies, vol. 1 (2008), pp. 28-66. 

• STEPHEN ESKILDSEN, PROF. DR.

 

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