Shawn Arthur - Early Daoist Dietary Practices: Examining Ways to Health and Longevity

Shawn Arthur is Associate Professor of Religion at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. His teaching and research focus on early Daoism; Chinese religions; the intersection of religion, culture, medicine, and the bodyespecially as these relate to self-cultivation and body modification; and method and theory in the study of religion.

Many people deserve my sincere gratitude. First, I thank my partner Karen for her patience and support. Special thanks go to my mentor and friend Livia Kohn for all of her insightful comments and encouragement. I would like to express my appreciation to Professors John Berthrong, David Eckel, Stephen Prothero, Michael Puett and the Religion Department at Boston University, as well as Professors Miriam Levering, Rosalind Hackett, and the Department of Religion at the University of Tennessee for their teaching, encouragement, and continued friendship over the years. I also am thankful to Michael Winn and Professors Chen Xia and Hu Fuchen, as well as the monks at Qingyang gong, for their time, patience, and instruction while I did research in Chengdu and Beijing, China. Thanks also go to my reviewers and to Richard Carp and Rebecca Norris for including my work in their Religion and Body series.

General Healing:

These regimens will: Heal all of the hundred illnesses.

Recipes: 1, 7, 8, 12, 16, 21, 25, 28, 35, 37, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 57

Benefit and nourish the body, and make it healthy.

Recipes: 1, 2, 10, 17, 26, 27a, 35, 52

Chinese Medical DiagnosisPathogenic Qi:

These regimens will: Remove cold and induce warmth.

Recipes: 1, 7, 17, 28, 36, 52, 56

Get rid of wayward and heterodox qi.

Recipes: 1, 14a, 17, 28, 52

Reject dampness and excess water.

Recipes: 1, 8, 14a, 25

Help adept endure heat.

Recipes: 2, 7, 17, 49

Ward off wind.

Recipes: 1, 17, 36

Close and Block the Ghost Gates.

Recipe: 1

Negate the effects of summer heat.

Recipe: 28

Cure dehydration and excessive thirst.

Recipe: 47

Curing Daily Life Problems and Specific Illnesses:

These regimens will: Heal the five toils and seven injuries (for both men and women).

Recipes: 15, 17, 40, 43, 54

Help with womens gynecological, fertility, and birth-giving issues.

Recipes: 4, 14, 15, 43, 45

Regulate and harmonize bowels and bellies.

Recipes: 2, 17, 43, 47

Alleviate pains such as in the waist and spine, rheumatism, and arthritis.

Recipes: 25, 52, 54

Expel general worms and parasites.

Recipes: 15, 49

Deal with chest problems.

Recipe: 14a

Transforming Bodily Energies:

These regimens will: Benefit and increase qi.

Recipes: 1, 2, 7, 12, 14, 20, 25, 27a, 28, 36, 43, 44, 46

Protect and increase jing.

Recipes: 1, 2, 8, 14a, 17, 27a, 36

Increase and nourish the shen.

Recipes: 1, 17, 25, 27, 37, 46

Energize and invigorate the body.

Recipes: 27, 27a, 36, 50

Replenish marrow.

Recipes: 8, 40, 55

Increase yin energy.

Recipes: 14, 45

Repair emptiness.

Recipe: 36

Improving the Physical Body and Psychological Concerns:

These regimens will: Improve sight.

Recipes: 2, 5, 12, 14, 15, 17, 25, 27, 28, 43, 45

Improve hearing.

Recipes: 1, 2, 5, 12, 14, 15, 25, 27, 43, 45

Strengthen body and bones.

Recipes: 2, 8, 27, 27a, 40, 43, 45, 50, 54

Help you to get lighter and walk lightly.

Recipes: 2, 12, 14, 17, 23, 25, 28, 45

Strengthen and re-grow teeth.

Recipes: 2, 4, 12, 14, 28, 35, 45, 48

Benefit flesh and muscles.

Recipes: 5, 6, 17, 27a, 39, 48

Soften and fill the organs.

Recipes: 2, 14a, 27a, 28

Benefit wisdom and remembering.

Recipes: 15, 43

Keep brain from diminishing.

Recipe: 20a

Strengthen the will.

Recipe: 25

Open your xin (; heart/mind) and clear your eyes.

Recipe: 2

Make a peaceful xin .

Recipe: 29

Repair weariness.

Recipe: 36

End suffering.

Recipe: 50

Ward off loneliness.

Recipe: 55

Issues of the Bodys Appearance:

These regimens will: Rejuvenate and change the complexion.

Recipes: 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 20a, 28, 36, 43, 45

Return white hair to black (and re-grow lost hair).

Recipes: 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, 23, 27, 28, 35, 45, 48, (49)

Make skin glossy, smooth, and shiny (and without marks or blemishes).

Recipes: 4, 12, (15), (17), 28, 39, (43), 45, 48, (49), 50

Bring about a youthful state.

Recipes: 1, 6, 20a, 49

Remove intestinal fat.

Recipes: 15, 47

To Eliminate Hunger:

You will be without hunger or thirst.

Recipes: 1, 2, 9, 19, 25, 28, 29, 47, 59, 60, 61, 66

Gradually you will naturally not hunger.

Recipes: 7, 8

You will never [need to] eat again.

Recipes: 7, 8, 18a, 64, 65

You can eat other foods if you desire them.

Recipes: 9, 28, 66

If you eat other things, you will again hunger.

Recipe: 7

To expel the Three Worms and Three Corpses:

Three Worms and Concealed Corpses

Recipes: 18, 27a, 28, 29, 34, 43

Three Worms

Recipes: 16, 22

Three Corpses

Recipe: 17

Worms and/or Parasites

Recipe: 14, 15, 49

Extreme Health

With these recipes you will: have radiance in (emit light and qi from) the hands and nails, body, gall bladder, and eyes.

Recipes: 2, 12, 23, 27a, 36, 50, 53

Be able to control your good looks and aging looks.

Recipes: 2, 13, 17

Be able to see for 1000 li ().

Recipes: 12, 16, 27a

Not know weakness or limitation.

Recipes: 28, 36, 47

Have extreme strength of body and qi.

Recipes: 7, 12, 27

Be able to see in the dark

Recipes: 12, 17

Be able to endure extreme cold and heat.

Recipes: 14, 28

Your shadow and echo will appear and will manifest (themselves).

Recipe: 2

Not exhaust the five storehouses (zang , organs).

Recipe: 2

Be able to hear for 10,000 li.

Recipe: 12

Be able to control constriction and swelling.

Recipe: 14

Change your intestines intomuscles.

Recipe: 16

Be able to ingest corpse-liberation medicine.

Recipe: 32

Protective Qualities:

With these recipes: demons will all be controlled.