• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.17
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• pp.227-237
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• 2004

The concrete, practical orientation of the Chinese toward the aim of communal harmony conditioned their approach toward philosophical differences. Ideological conflicts were seen, not only by the politicians but by the intellectuals themselves, to threaten societal well-being. Harmonious interaction was finally more important to these thinkers than abstract issues of who had arrived at the 'truth'. Perhaps the most obvious illustation of the way the Chinese handled their theoretical conflicts is to be found in mutual accommodation of the three emergent traditions of Chinese culture, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Beginning in the Han dynasty(206 BC-AD 200), the diverse themes inherited from the competing 'hundred schools' of pre-imperial China were harmonized within Confucianism as it ascended to become the state ideology. The harmony among confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, traditional philosophical trend in China, is very important research subject at contemporary circumstance. For its cultual influences to surrounding nations, such as Korea, japan and Vietnam etc., are so crucial.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.31
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• pp.53-86
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• 2011

Taoism exercised its influence and has made much progress apparently under the aegis of the Tang dynasty. But since the external alchemy, a traditional way of eternal life that they have pursued, met the limitation, they were placed in a situation where they needed to seek a new discipline. From this period to the early North Song dynasty, three religions have established the unique theoretical systems of their own theory of ascetic practices. They showed their own unique formats as follows. Neo-Confucianism established the theory of moral training, Buddhism did the theory of ascetic practices and Taoism had theory of discipline. By this time, a person who claimed the Intermixture of Three Religions composed the new system of theory of ascetic practice by taking advantage of other religions and putting them into his own view. Chen tuan established the theory of internal alchemy of Taoism and was the most influential figure in the world of thought since North Song dynasty. He clearly declared that he accepted the merits of other religions in his theory. He added I Ching of Confucianism in I Ching of secret of Taoism to stop the logical gaps during the process of disciplines in Taoism and took ascetic practices on mind of Buddhism into his system while he sought a way to integrate the dual structure of body and mind. The theory of Chen tuan's internal alchemy was training schema with stages of 'YeonJeongHwaGi', 'YeonGiHwaSin', and 'YeonSinHwanHeo' based on the concepts of vital, energy and spirit. The internal alchemy practice that Chen tuan was saying started from the practice of Zen to keep the mind calm with the basis of fundamental principles of interpretation of book of change according to Taoism. When a person reached the state to be in concert with all changes at the end of the silence and be full of wisdoms, he finally returned to the state of BokGwiMuGeuk by taking the flow of subtle mind and transforming it into energy. He expressed this process by drawing 'MuGeukDo'. Oriental philosophy categorized human into 'phenomenal existence' and 'original existence'. The logic of theory of ascetic practice has been established from these 'category of existence'. It would be determined whether it will return to 'original existence' or be stepped up from 'phenomenal existence' according to how the concept of 'self' or 'I' was made. Chen tuan who established the theory of internal alchemy in Taoism has established the unique theory of internal alchemy discipline and system of intermixture of three religions in this aspect. Today is called 'era of self-loss' or 'era of incurable diseases' caused by environmental pollution. It's still meaningful to review the theory of discipline of Chen tuan's connecting the body and the soul to heal the self, and keep life healthy and pursue the new way of discipline based on it.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.39
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• pp.143-168
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• 2013

The purpose of this paper is to study the succession and method of five-masters of southern school in transmitting the internal alchemy in Taoism which is established by Zhang Bo-duan. In history, the internal alchemy is divided into a few schools but all of them are under the umbrella of Zhang Bo-duan's alchemy. The five master's method has been consistent from Zhang Bo-duan to Seok Tae to Seol Do Gwang based on three reasons. First, they lived long while practicing the method. Second, they learned the method from their direct master secretly. Third, they kept practicing the individual method while staying in the secular world rather than in a religious body. I limit three of them Zhang Bo-Dan, Seok Tae, Seol Do Gwang as figures who practiced the pure internal alchemy. Thus I argue that the method stayed only for 200 years, arising from the late Dang Dynasty and disappearing in 1911, when Seol Do-Gwang was dead. This method can be instructed only to the appropriate figure, and the specific steps of method are taught through the oral instruction so that this method cannot be wide spread. Based on the fact that the time of practicing method is quite long and it needs intensive and constant efforts, it is difficult for a mundane person to practice and cope with the training. Jin Nam and Baek Ok Seom are believed that they belonged to the school of Shin So. Baek Ok Seom is regarded as a figure that made efforts to unite the school of Wei and the internal alchemy. However, he made lots of fabrication and discrepancy. Thus I state that Jin Nam and Baek Ok Seom need to be out in the succession and method of five masters of southern school in Taoism. Their changed method in quality needs to be organized in a new genealogy.