A Daoist way of being: clarity and stillness as embodied practice* |
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Authors: | Louis Komjathy |
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Affiliation: | Department of Theology and Religious Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA |
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Abstract: | Daoism, especially classical Daoism, is often constructed as a ‘philosophy,’ ‘set of ideas,’ or ‘system of thought.’ This is particularly the case in studies of Chinese philosophy and comparative philosophy. The present article draws attention to the central importance of clarity and stillness (qingjing 清靜) as a Daoist form of meditative practice, contemplative experience, and way of being. Examining historical precedents in classical Daoism, the article gives particular attention to the Tang dynasty (618–907) ‘Clarity-and-Stillness Literature,’ specifically the eighth-century Qingjing jing 清靜經 (Scripture on Clarity and Stillness; DZ 620). In the process, one finds that qingjing is one of the major connective strands throughout the Daoist tradition, a connective strand that reveals the central importance of embodied, experiential, and applied dimensions of human being from a Daoist perspective. |
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Keywords: | Apophatic meditation clarity and stillness Clarity-and-Stillness Literature contemplative psychology Daoism (Taoism embodiment mystical experience _qingjing_ _Qingjing jing_ _Shengxuan huming jing_ |
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