Author(s): Zhang Tianyu (ed) (tr from Chinese Thomas Cleary)

Spirituality

Here is a panoramic view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with Chinese culture and society - with intriguing accounts of the Taoist secret societies that carried out mystical exercises and powerful consciousness - altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration. "Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians" is a collection of sketches portraying more than one hundred remarkable individuals associated with exceptional knowledge, uncommon artistry, and spiritual leadership over a period of more than two millennia, from the eleventh century b.c.e. to the thirteenth century c.e.Compiled by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, the book introduces a broad range of personalities, professions, and pastimes of China's esoteric elite, from the most illustrious to the obscure. Among them are philosophers and scholars, strategists and statesmen, recluses and courtiers, magicians and mediums, philanthropists and educators, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, priests and paupers, artists and poets. Here is an introduction to the magical and mystical realm of Taoism through biographical and historical sketches of Taoist adepts over two thousand years. This panoramic view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with Chinese culture and society includes intriguing accounts of the Taoist secret societies that carried out mystical exercises and powerful consciousness-altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration. This collection of sketches, compiled by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, and translated by renowned translator Thomas Cleary, portrays more than one hundred remarkable individuals from the eleventh century B.C.E. to the thirteenth century C.E. It introduces us to a broad and fascinating range of personalities including philosophers and scholars, magicians and mediums, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, and artists and poets, among many others. Cleary's expert translation and informative footnotes make this collection a lively and accessible read.