Product Description

History and legend are interwoven in this folk novel that both entertains and instructs. Written by an unknown author, Seven Taoist Masters is the story of six men and one woman who overcome tremendous hardships on the journey to self-mastery. These characters and their teacher, Wang Ch'ung-yang, are all historical figures who lived in the Southern Sung (1127–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties. Wang is regarded as the greatest patriarch of the Complete Reality school, a highly purified branch of Taoism having a strong affinity with Zen Buddhism. The novel brings to life the essentials of Taoist philosophy and practice, both through the instructions offered by Wang—on topics such as the cultivation of mind and body, meditation techniques, and overcoming the obstacles to enlightenment—and through the experiences of the characters.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #160566 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-26
• Released on: 2004-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

Customer Reviews

A Story of Seven Journeys
I first came upon this book at my college library several years ago, and I could not put it down. And, recently, I finally able to obtain this book in hand and read it once more. To me at least, it is a book full of insights and fascinating stories. It was not until later that I realized that they are stories mixed with historical facts and mythology in order to teach (about the basics of Taoism) and to entertain the readers.

"Seven Taoist Masters" is a story of one woman and six men (students of Wang Ch'ung-yang) who faced severe hardships and overcoming them on their own unique paths towards self-mastery over themselves and towards enlightenment. The one story that I most identified with was Chi'iu Ch'ang-ch'un's long journey.

This novel is roughly 200 pages and easy to read. It was written by an unknown author but it was translated by Eva Wong with great clarity. I would recommend this book, as well Eva Wong's "Tales of the Taoist Immortals," for those who are interested in Taoism philosophy and in Chinese historical legends.

Two kinds of Taoism?
With this book translated by Eva Wong finally we can conclude there has been two kinds of Taoism:

- that one of Lao-Tse with the I Ching, and Tao Te Ching, and

- that one of the School of Complete Reality, which is described in this novel, and is considered according to the author a manual of Taoist training.

Behind the former there is a complete application of the yin-yang philosophy, and in it we have that the "Unity arises out of the Absolute Tao, and from Unity there appears cosmic Duality, and from such Duality, Trinity springs forth into existence, and Trinity is the primal source of all reality." Tao Te King

Behind the latter we have what can be called... "the popular Taoism of twentieth-century...(which) has very little in common with the lofty sentiments and the cosmic concepts of the old philosopher(Lao-Tse) who taught the truth as he perceived it, which was: That faith in the Absolute God is the source of that divine energy which will remake the world, and by which man ascends to spiritual union with Tao, the Eternal Deity and Creator Absolute of the universes" The Urantia Book...

In this second kind of taoism, that one of the School of Complete Reality, there is a "singular path" to immortality and enlightment obtained by the lonely path of mediation and we can wonder, can it really be obtained? or, is it just a part of a fascination by legends of the human mind?

Wonderful
I'm so very glad I came to this review site, because I learned so much from the knowedgable reviewers here!

That being said, I loved the stories in this book. I'm currently on a jag of these kind of stories (Chronicicles of the Tao, Opening the Dragon Gate) and I think this is the best one I have read so far. I particularly appreciated that each character in this had their own specific block to overcome.

I'd like to know if anyone from the Southern schools of Taoism has written a book like this?