Nan Huaijin Selected Works (Volume 4)

Author: Nan Huaijin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Nan Huaijin, a renowned scholar with international acclaim, was born in 1918 in Leqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. At 85 years old, he was raised in a scholarly family and received early education at home. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the young Nan Huaijin joined the army and served on the southwestern frontier. After the war, he returned to Sichuan and taught at the Central Military Academy and Jinling University. With exceptional talent and detachment from worldly matters, he often traveled with simple shoes and bamboo staffs, exploring famous mountains and rivers to seek enlightened masters. He once secluded himself for three years at Emei Mountain’s Shaping Temple, thoroughly studying the vast Buddhist canon. Later, he traveled to Tibet, studying with masters of Vajrayana Buddhism and gaining deep insights into its various schools. After leaving Tibet, he moved to Kunming, initially teaching at Yunnan University and later at Sichuan University. After the war, he returned to his hometown and later retired to Tianzhu Mountain in Hangzhou and Lushan in Jiangxi, dedicating himself to scholarly pursuits. Upon moving to Taiwan, he was appointed to several universities and research institutions, teaching in Japan, the United States, and Central and South America. In recent years, he has resided in Hong Kong, contributing significantly to cultural exchange between the mainland and Taiwan. Nan Huaijin is well-versed in classics, history, and philosophy, bridging Eastern and Western cultures with profound knowledge and extensive writings. His method of combining classics and history to explain Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism is deeply insightful, vivid, and humorous, making him a beloved figure among readers across all levels in both Taiwan and mainland China. Fudan University Press is the earliest publisher of Nan Huaijin’s works in China and the publisher with the most comprehensive collection of his writings. They have published a total of twenty-four works, most of which are his representative works. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization, these works have been compiled into ten volumes, bound in hardcover, to meet the needs of readers for reading and collecting. The contents of each volume are as follows:
Volume 1: The Analects Decoded
Volume 2: The Way of Lao Tzu and Confucius, Mencius Unbound
Volume 3: The I Ching Unbound, Commentary on the I Ching
Volume 4: Zen and Taoism, Taoism, Esoteric Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism, Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Longevity
Volume 5: Exploring the Zen Sea, Zen Talks, A Brief History of the Development of Buddhism in China, A Brief History of the Development of Taoism in China
Volume 6: Experiences from History, A New Generation Between Tradition and Modernity, General Remarks on Chinese Culture
Volume 7: How to Practice Buddhism, The Healing Philosophy of the Lotus Sutra, Fundamental Beliefs of Buddhist Practitioners
Volume 8: What the Diamond Sutra Teaches, The Contemporary Interpretation of the Great Wisdom of Lengyan
Volume 9: A Concise Explanation of the Great Wisdom of the Perfection of Wisdom, Initial Practices of Meditation and Wisdom, The Contemporary Interpretation of the Great Wisdom of Lengya
Volume 10: The Original Meaning of the Great Learning
Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism have stood as the three pillars of learning, collectively known as the "Three Teachings." They have both competed and complemented each other, evolving and influencing Chinese thought and culture from various angles. Zen and Taoism, written by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin (originally titled An Introduction to Zen and Taoism, published by the Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company), is a systematic study of the essence, origins, practices, and impact of Zen and Taoism. The book is divided into two parts. The first part, "Zen and Buddhism," provides an in-depth discussion on the historical context of Buddhism’s emergence, the fundamental doctrines of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, the lineage of Zen, the life of Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch, who laid the foundation for later Zen thought, Zen discourses, cases, paradoxes, and (vigorous instruction), methods of Zen practice, the relationship between Zen and Neo-Confucianism, and the influence of Zen on Tang poetry, Song lyrics, Yuan quatrains, and Ming-Qing novels, as well as the renowned temple system. The second part, "Taoism and Taoism," offers insightful analysis of the origins of hermits and alchemists, the division of practices such as cultivating the spirit, breathing exercises, ingesting elixirs, and rituals, the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi, the customs of Qi and Yan, the theory of yin and yang and the five elements, immortal alchemy, the formation and evolution of Taoism, and the contributions of Taoism and Taoism to ancient astronomy, mathematics, geomancy, physics, chemistry, and medicine. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization, the 1989 tenth edition of An Introduction to Zen and Taoism has been renamed and republished for research purposes.
How was the universe created, giving rise to heaven and earth and all things within it? What is the true extent of the human mind’s capabilities? Can self-cultivation and meditation extend life? Throughout history, people have persistently sought answers to these questions. The mysticism that emerged in ancient China, India, and Egypt also revolved around these themes. Taoism, Esoteric Buddhism, and Eastern Mysticism, written by the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin, is a work that explores these topics from the perspectives of culture and medicine. The book is divided into three parts. The first part primarily discusses the history, theory, and practices of Esoteric Buddhism, especially the cultivation of the body, speech, and mind (the "Three Seals"). The second part focuses on the I Ching and traditional Chinese medicine, particularly the issue of qi and meridians. The third part includes related essays and prefaces. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization (Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company), the 1985 revised edition has been published for research purposes.
"Immortality" has been a dream and pursuit of humanity for millennia. Different experts have offered various methods for achieving it. To address inquiries from learners, the renowned scholar Nan Huaijin, drawing on his years of practice and ancient texts, has written Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Longevity. The book emphasizes the meditation practices of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It covers topics such as: postures and key points for meditation; the reactions of qi within the body during meditation and the psychological and physiological changes they trigger; the seven-posture meditation of Buddhism; the internal alchemy meditation of Taoism; methods for opening the Ren and Du meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians; the theory of qi-gong in traditional Chinese medicine; and practices from works such as The Secret Method of Taiji Alchemy and The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. It provides valuable guidance to correct misconceptions and promote longevity. With the author’s and original publisher’s authorization (Taiwan Lao Gu Cultural Enterprise Company), the 1989 seventeenth edition of Meditation for Self-Cultivation and Longevity has been republished for readers.