By Shawn Cartwright
“Studying the classic Taoist texts is important for every serious student of Nei Dan. Our teachers transmit the methods of cultivating Ming (命) or Life, but it is up to us to cultivate our own Xing (性) or Nature. The classics not only connect us to our lineage, their richly layered imagery, symbolism, and seeming [...]
By Shawn Cartwright
Fabrizio Pregadio, one of the foremost translators of Taoist Alchemy classics, answers several question about his work translating some of the most important texts of Nei Dan. Here is a selection of questions and his answers from the interview. The full interview can be found in the paper Interpreting the Ancient Codes available as a [...]
By Shawn Cartwright
Real Taoist and Buddhist philosophy is experiential. It is a practical method of living in the world. Even if there is a large body of scholarly work and scriptures written about it, at the end of the day, it is a practical method of living.
You cannot just read about it or think about it.
You have [...]
By Shawn Cartwright
Real Chinese Internal Boxing*, or Nei Jia Quan as it is called in Chinese, is designed to get you home alive. It is not designed for sport or for entertainment.
But there’s more to it than that. Much more.
One thing most people don’t realize is that these arts are not just for fighting. It is true [...]
By Shawn Cartwright
Generally speaking, the first part of any culture that gets exported is its products. It is pretty easy to understand why we got silk, spices, and china from China before we got philosophy and Kung Fu. Trade goods don’t need context, just cash.
China has been trading with the west for thousands of years. But where [...]