The Longevity Plan

 The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China. By John D. Day, M.D., Jane Ann Day, and Matthew LaPlante. Harvard Paperbacks, 2018, 304 pages. VSCL.  

The Seven Lessons are:
1. Eat good food.
2. Master your mind-set.
3. Build your place in a positive community.
4. Be in motion.
5. Find your rhythm.
6. Make the most of your environment.
7. Proceed with purpose. 

Dr. Day, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Utah, stayed and studied at the Longevity Center in Bapan, CR China.  He has thoroughly researched the topic and tells us how he applied to his own life.

Taoist Immortals

Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1993, 476 pages. VSCL. Biography of Kwan Sai Hung.  (1920-...)  A fictional Taoist Master/Immortal.  

"Some of the Masters of Mount Huashan were already addressed as "Immortal."  These were highly regarded individuals, agless in appearance.  Their titles meant "realized persons," signifying that the Masters has fulfilled, as a minimum requirement, the completion of internal alchemy for the sake of longevity, liberation from the cycle of transmigration, enlightened perception of the nature of life, astral travel, and the total memorization of the hundreds of volumes comprising the Taoist Canon." - Chronicles of Tao, p. 69  

Bat Immortal, Yin-Yan Immortals, Frog Immortal ...

Eight Immortals - Wikipedia

Xian - Wikipedia

Xian (Chinese: 仙/仚/僊; pinyin: xiān; Wade–Giles: hsien) refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of xian has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural occurrence. The Chinese word xian is translatable into English as:

• (in Daoist philosophy and cosmology) spiritually immortal; transcendent human; celestial being
• (in Daoist religion and pantheon) physically immortal; immortal person; an immortal; saint
• (in Chinese alchemy) alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life; one who practices longevity techniques
  • (or by extension) alchemical, dietary, or qigong methods for attaining immortality
• (in Chinese mythology) wizard; magician; shaman; sorcerer
• (in popular Chinese literature) genie; elf, fairy; nymph; 仙境 (xian jing is fairyland, faery)
• (based on the folk etymology for the character 仙, a compound of the characters for person and mountain) sage living high in the mountains; mountain-man; hermit; recluse
• (as a metaphorical modifier) immortal [talent]; accomplished person; celestial [beauty]; marvelous; extraordinary
• (In new-age conception) seeker who takes refuge in immortality (longevity for the realization of divinity); transcended person [self] recoded by the "higher self"; divine soul; fully established being

Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and tai chi chuan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality".

Victor H. Mair describes the xian archetype as:

They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ṛṣi who possessed similar traits.^[1]

Dao De Jing Chapter 33 Tao Te Ching

 Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter 33

"One who knows others is clever, but one who knows himself is enlightened. 
One who conquers others is powerful, but one who conquers himself is mighty. 
One who knows contentment is rich and one who pushes with vigor has will. 
One who loses not his place endures. 
One who may die but will not perish, has life everlasting."
-  Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 33 


"It is wisdom to know others;
It is enlightenment to know one's self.
The conqueror of men is powerful;
The master of himself is strong.
It is wealth to be content;
It is willful to force one's way on others.
Endurance is to keep one's place;
Long life it is to die and not perish."
-  Translated by R. B. Blakney, 1955, Chapter 33   


"He who knows others is wise;
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others is strong;
He who conquers himself is mighty.
He who knows contentment is rich.
He who keeps on his course with energy has will.
He who does not deviate from his proper place will long endure.
He who may die but not perish has longevity."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 33 

"Know others by knowing yourself.
Overcome others by overcoming yourself.
Understanding what is enough is enough.
Presence is perseverance.
Coming to stillness is forging ahead.
Find life by accepting death."
-  Translated by Starwell Crispin, Chapter 33 

知人者智.
自知者明. 
勝人者有力.
自勝者強. 
知足者富. 
強行者有志. 
不失其所者久. 
死而不亡者壽. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33 


zhi ren zhe zhi.
zi zhi zhe ming.
sheng ren zhe you li.
zi sheng zhe qiang.
zhi zu zhe fu.
qiang xing zhe you zhi.
bu shi qi suo zhe jiu.
si er bu wang zhe shou.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 33  



"He who knows others is intelligent;
he who understands himself is enlightened;
he who is able to conquer others has force,
but he who is able to control himself is mighty.
He who appreciates contentment is wealthy.
He who dares to act has nerve;
if he can maintain his position he will endure,
but he, who dying does not perish, is immortal."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard, 1919, Chapter 33  



"Knowledge frequently results
from knowing others,
but the man who is awakened,
has seen the uncarved block.
Others might be mastered by force,
but to master one's self
requires the Tao.
He who has many material things,
may be described as rich,
but he who knows he has enough,
and is at one with the Tao,
might have enough of material things,
and have self-being as well.
Will-power may bring perseverance;
but to have tranquility is to endure,
being protected for all his days.
He whose ideas remain in the world,
is present for all time."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 33  



"Quien conoce a los demás es inteligente.
Quien se conoce a sí mismo tiene visión interna.
Quien conquista a los demás tiene fuerza; quien se conquista a sí mismo es realmente poderoso.
Quien sabe cuándo ha obtenido bastante es rico, y quien sigue asiduamente
     el sendero del Tao es alguien de propósito constante.
Quien permanece en el lugar en el que ha encontrado su verdadera casa vive mucho tiempo,
     y quien muere, pero no perece, goza de la auténtica longevidad."
-  Translation from Chinese to English by John C. H. Wu, translated into Spanish by Alfonso Colodrón, Capitulo 33 

"Knowing others makes you smart, but knowing yourself makes you wise.
To rule others, you must be powerful, but to rule yourself, you must be strong.
If you have only what you need, you have true wealth.
If you never give up, you will find a way.
If you stay true to yourself, you will never be lost.
If you live your entire life, you’ve really lived."
-  Translated by Ron Hogan, 1995, Chapter 33

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage includes a Google Translate option menu for reading the entire webpage in many other languages.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching [246 CE Wang Bi version] includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms (concordance) for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, links, research leads, translator sources, and other resources for that Chapter.  

     A Top Tier online free resource for English and Spanish readers, researchers, Daoist devotees, scholars, students, fans and fellow travelers on the Way. 

Chapter 33, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Daily Somatic Practices in 2023

 In 2023, my Daily Body-Mind-Spirit Practices include: 

the Yang Style Traditional T'ai Chi Ch'uan 108 Movements Long Form;

the Yang Style Taijiquan Standard 24 Movements Short Form;

the Eight Immortals Cane Form Yang Style;

Wudang Chi Kung, Warmups, Exercises, Ideals;

and Daoism: Principles and Practices.

Yang Style Taijiquan - Traditional 108 Movements T'ai Chi Ch'uan Long Form

Standard Simplified Yang Style Taijiquan 24 Movements Short Form

Eight Immortals Cane Routine #1, Yang Style

Wudang Qigong , Warmups, Exercises, Ideals, Meditation

Daoism: Principles and Practices

 

 Today, January 23rd, is my birthday.  I am 77 years old today.  

Taoist Enlightened Person: Xian

"Xian (Chinese: 仙/仚/僊; pinyin: xiān; Wade–Giles: hsien) is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:

• "spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being" (in Daoist/Taoist philosophy and cosmology)
• "physically immortal; immortal person; immortalist; saint" (in Daoist religion and pantheon)
• "alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life; one who practices longevity techniques" or by extension "(alchemical, dietary, qigong) methods for attaining immortality" (in Chinese alchemy)
• "wizard; magician; shaman" (in Chinese mythology)
• "genie; elf, fairy; nymph" (in popular Chinese literature, 仙境 xian jing is "fairyland", Faerie)
• "sage living high in the mountains; mountain-man; hermit; recluse" (folk etymology for the character 仙)
• "immortal (talent); accomplished person; celestial (beauty); marvelous; extraordinary" (metaphorical modifier)

Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and T'ai chi ch'uan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality".
The xian archetype is described by Victor H. Mair.

They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ṛṣi who possessed similar traits.1994:376

According to the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, Chinese xian (仙) can mean Sanskrit ṛṣi (rishi "inspired sage in the Vedas")."

Excellent article in Wikipedia:  Xian (Taoism) 

Enjoy Life, Move More Often, and Live Longer

"While it’s nearly impossible to avoid the inevitable loss of physical function that accompanies aging, a study out of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London suggests that seniors who enjoy life enjoy improved mobility and live longer than their more sour peers.  While happiness itself does not enhance or preserve one’s physical capabilities, happier people do tend to be healthier and more active, which in turn is linked to increased mobility, even in old age. Though the reverse is also true (healthier people also tend to be happier), scientists say that’s not the explanation. The happiness factor is important, regardless of health.  “We have previously shown that positive well-being and enjoyment of life are predictors of longer life,” said study author Andrew Steptoe. “Older people who report greater enjoyment are less likely to die over the next five to eight years than those with lower enjoyment of life.”"
-  National Monitor, 21 January 2014

I took a long walk on this driftwood strewn beach near Olympic National Park in Washington.  Marvelous!  

Ladders to Heaven

Bai Zi Bei
The Hundred Character Tablet

By Lu Dongbin
Translated by Jill Gonet, MFA
Qi Magazine, 2017, Volume 27, No. 3, p.44-51
"Guidance and Instruction on Internal Cultivation by Lu Donbin"

"To nourish the vital breath, keep watch in silence;
In order to subdue the mind, act with non-action.
Of movement and stillness, be aware of their origin;
There is no work to do, much less someone to seek.
The true and consistent must respond to phenomena;
Responding to phenomenon, you must be unconfused.
When unconfused, the nature will stabilize by itself;
When the nature stabilizes, energy returns by itself.
When energy returns, the elixir crystallizes by itself;
Within the pot, the trigrams of water and fire are joined.
Yin and yang arise, alternating over and over again;
Every transformation comes like a clap of thunder.
White clouds form and com to assemble at the peak;
Sweet nectar sprinkles down Mount Sumeru.
Swallowing for yourself this wine of immortality,
You wander so freely - who is able to know you?
Sit and listen to the tune played without strings,
Clearly understanding the mechanism of creation.
It comes entirely from these twenty lines;
A true ladder going straight to Heaven!"



"Nurturing energy, forget words and guard it.
Conquer the mind, do non-doing.
In activity and quietude, know the source progenitor.
There is no thing; whom else do you seek?
Real constancy should respond to people;
In responding to people, it is essential not to get confused.
When you don't get confused, your nature is naturally stable;
When your nature is stable, energy naturally returns.
When energy returns, Elixir spontaneously crystallizes,
In the pot pairing water and fire.
Yin and yang arise, alternating over and over again,
Everywhere producing the sound of thunder.
White clouds assemble on the summit,
Sweet dew bathes the polar mountain.
Having drunk the wine of longevity,
You wander free; who can know you?
You sit and listen to the stringless tune,
You clearly understand the mechanism of creation.
The whole of these twenty verses
is a ladder straight to heaven."
- Master Chang San-Feng
  100 Character Tablet, Translated by Thomas Cleary