Bao Jing
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Bao Jing (, 260?–330 CE) was a Chinese philosopher. He was a
Daoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...
("transcendent; 'immortal'") was best known for having been a disciple of the transcendent master
Yin Changsheng Yin Changsheng ( zh, c=陰長生, tr=Long-life Yin, fl. AD 120–210) was a famous Daoist ''Xian (Taoism), xian'' ("transcendent; immortal") from Xinye County, Xinye who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE). After serving more than te ...
from whom he received the , and for having transmitted a version of the to his disciple and son-in-law
Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characters'', the '' Baopu ...
.


Names

Bao Jing's
courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
was , which is a common Taoist term, e.g., Yang Xiong's c. 2 BCE ("Canon of Supreme Mystery"), and the "Great Mystery" section of the ''
Taoist Canon The Daozang ( zh, c=道藏, p=Dàozàng, w=Tao Tsang) is a large canon of Taoist writings, consisting of around 1,500 texts that were seen as continuing traditions first embodied by the ''Daodejing'', '' Zhuangzi'', and ''Liezi''. The canon was a ...
''. He is honorifically called Bao Taixuan or simply Bao Xuan. Another famous Taoist with the same surname is
Bao Jingyan Bao Jingyan or Pao Ching-yen ( zh, c=鮑敬言, p=Bào Jìngyán) was a Chinese people, Chinese, libertarian/anarchist philosopher and Taoist who lived somewhere between the late 200's AD and before 400 AD. Political thought A successor of Laoz ...
(), whose "anarchistic" views were partially preserved in an Outer Chapter of the Ge Hong's .
Joseph Needham Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (; 9 December 1900 – 24 March 1995) was a British biochemist, historian of science and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology, initia ...
says it "remains an open question" whether Bao Jing and Bao Jingyan were the same person.


Life

According to different sources, Bao Jing was born in
Chenliu Chenliu () is a town situated in Kaifeng County, Kaifeng in the province of Henan, China. See also *List of township-level divisions of Henan This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Henan, People's Republic of China (PR ...
(present-day
Kaifeng Kaifeng ( zh, s=开封, p=Kāifēng) is a prefecture-level city in east-Zhongyuan, central Henan province, China. It is one of the Historical capitals of China, Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and ...
,
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
),
Shangdang Shangdang Commandery or Shangdang Prefecture (, also named Shangtang) was an administrative subdivision of ancient China from the time of the Spring and Autumn period (771–403 BCE). Consisting of a number of districts or ''Zhōu'' (, or prefectu ...
(
Changzhi Changzhi ( zh, s=长治) is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas ( ...
,
Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...
), or Donghai (southern
Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
and northern
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
). He is famous for having announced to his parents, at age five, that he was the reincarnation of a son of the Li family of
Quyang Quyang County () is under the administration of Baoding City, Hebei province, China. The county is famous for its stone carvings, many of which are exported abroad. The Beiyue Temple is located in Quyang city. Administrative divisions Towns: * H ...
(
Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
) who fell into a well and died when he was nine years old. Raised in a family of
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
scholar-official The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
s, including
Bao Xuan Bao Xuan (, died 3 AD), courtesy name Zidu (), was a Han dynasty censor during the reign of Emperor Ai, known for his integrity and courage. He was exiled for offending the grand councilor Kong Guang (), and later died in prison for opposing Wan ...
(, d. 3 CE) and Bao Yong (, d. 42), Bao Jing studied Daoism,
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...
, esoterica, and astronomy. He had a successful career as a
Western Jin dynasty Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...
official and was appointed Governor of Nanhai (
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
) in 313. In 318, he met the transcendent Yin Changsheng, who recognized his aptitudes and instructed him in Daoist techniques of immortality. Two years later he left his office and retired to
Jurong Jurong () is a major Region, geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region, Singapore, West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the Planning Areas of Singapore, ...
(
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
) or Danyang (near
Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
), where he practiced esoteric Daoist longevity techniques. Early texts record that Bao Jing was buried at
Mount Luofu Mount Luofu ( zh, s=罗浮山, t=羅浮山 , p=Luófú Shān , cy=lo4 fau4 saan1) is a sacred Taoist mountain situated on the north bank of the Dongjiang in the northwest of Boluo County, Huizhou in Guangdong Province, China. It covers 250 kilo ...
(Guangdong) or Shizigang (, Jiangsu), but his remains supposedly disappeared by means of ("corpse liberation"), which enabled an adept to feign death and assumeng a new identity as an earthbound transcendent. The
hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...
of Bao Jing in the ("Biographies of Divine Transcendents"), which is partially attributed to the Daoist scholar
Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characters'', the '' Baopu ...
(283-343), is a primary source of information. The scholar and translator Robert Ford Campany analyzed the earliest dates by which various parts of the text are attested, and found that the Bao Jing material existed prior to 650.
Bao Jing, styled Taixuan was a native of Langye. He lived during the reign of
Emperor Ming of Jin Emperor Ming of Jin (; 299 – 18 October 325, personal name Sima Shao (司馬紹), courtesy name Daoji (道畿), was an emperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty of China. During his brief reign (323–325), he led the weakened Jin out of dominatio ...
. 323-325 and was the father of the wife of Ge Hong. Lord Yin bestowed on him a method of "escape by means of a simulated corpse." One version has it that Bao was a native of
Shangdang Shangdang Commandery or Shangdang Prefecture (, also named Shangtang) was an administrative subdivision of ancient China from the time of the Spring and Autumn period (771–403 BCE). Consisting of a number of districts or ''Zhōu'' (, or prefectu ...
and was descended from
Bao Xuan Bao Xuan (, died 3 AD), courtesy name Zidu (), was a Han dynasty censor during the reign of Emperor Ai, known for his integrity and courage. He was exiled for offending the grand councilor Kong Guang (), and later died in prison for opposing Wan ...
a Director of Convict Labor during the Han. He cultivated his body and nourished his nature, and when he had passed the age of seventy he escaped and departed. There was one Xu Ning . who served Bao Jing as his teacher. One night Xu Ning heard the sound of zither music coming from Bao's room. He asked about it and was told, "Ji Shuye formerly left a trace at the eastern market, but actually he achieved 'martial liberation' ()."
Ji Shuye is the
courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
of
Ji Kang Ji Kang (, 223–262), sometimes referred to as Xi Kang, courtesy name Shuye (), was a Chinese composer, essayist, philosopher, and poet of the Three Kingdoms period. He was one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove who held aloof from the dan ...
(226-262), the famous Daoist poet and virtuoso, who was executed on fabricated charges. This context implies that Ji Kang faked his death in order to elude the imperial and spiritual bureaucracies. is a method of liberation for those who have been executed, such as
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
(155–220). The Shangqing classic , preserved only in fragments, says Bao Jing carried out the procedure.
Formerly, Ge Hong maintained that Lord Yin transmitted to Bao Jing a method of escape by means of a simulated corpse. Later
ao Jing AO, aO, Ao, or ao may refer to: Places * Ao (building) * Ao, Estonia, village in Väike-Maarja Parish, Lääne-Viru County, Estonia * Ao Line, commuter railway line in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Ao River (Fujian), in China * Ao Station, railw ...
died and was buried .... Someone opened his coffin and saw in it a large sword. Around the tomb could be heard the sounds of men and horses, so did not dare remove .
This text claims that the method transmitted to Bao Jing by Yin Changsheng involved only a talisman, not an elixir, and that it was merely an evasive "escape by means of a simulated corpse" stratagem, using a talisman-empowered sword as one's substitute body. The 648 ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...
'' biography of Bao Jing, which is untranslated, describes him exchanging texts and methods with his disciple Ge Hong, and says that "Jing once met the transcendent Lord Yin, who transmitted instructions of the Dao to him. He died at an age of over one hundred." The ''Book of Jin'' biography of Ge Hong mentions Bao Jing several times, specifically in terms of , which includes self-cultivation, alchemy, breathing exercises, special sexual practices, medicine, magic spells, amulets, charms, and techniques of immortality.
Ge Hong made another close friendship, that of Bao Jing. Likewise a noted devotee of and authority on , Bao Jing is particularly well known as an expert on the
Yellow River Map The Yellow River Map, Scheme, or Diagram, also known by its Chinese name as the Hetu, is an ancient Chinese diagram that appears in myths concerning the invention of writing by Cangjie and other culture heroes. It is usually paired with the L ...
and
Lo Shu Square The Luoshu (pinyin), Lo Shu (Wade-Giles), or Nine Halls Diagram is an Ancient China, ancient Chinese diagram and named for the Luo River (Henan), Luo River near Luoyang, Henan. The Luoshu appears in Chinese mythology, myths concerning the Chinese ...
. He was knowledgeable not only in the various aspects of and magic, but in the classics as well. He is reputed to have been an expert on various sorts of magic, and his official biography mentions his innate knowledge of unusual events. As governor of the Nanhai region, he held considerable political power; and he was a conscientious official, ever bearing in mind the needs of the people he governed. The two became very close friends. Bao Jing gave his eldest daughter to Ge Hong in marriage.tr. Sailey 1978: 289, with pinyin romanization.


Traditions and texts

Early
Daoist schools Taoism is an East Asian religion founded in ancient China with many schools or denominations, of which none occupies a position of orthodoxy and co-existed peacefully.Qing Xitai, 1994. Taoist branches usually build their identity around a set ...
and traditions affiliate Bao Jing with four textual and doctrinal legacies: he was a disciple of the late
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
and
Six Dynasties Six Dynasties (; 220–589 or 222–589) is a collective term for six Han-ruled Chinese dynasties that existed from the early 3rd century AD to the late 6th century AD, between the end of the Eastern Han dynasty and the beginning of the Sui ...
transcendents
Yin Changsheng Yin Changsheng ( zh, c=陰長生, tr=Long-life Yin, fl. AD 120–210) was a famous Daoist ''Xian (Taoism), xian'' ("transcendent; immortal") from Xinye County, Xinye who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE). After serving more than te ...
and
Zuo Ci Zuo Ci (), courtesy name Yuanfang, was a Chinese philosopher. He was a legendary personage of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period (20 BC–280 AD) of China. Though he is known to be from Lujiang Commandery (盧江郡; aro ...
, and a master of
Ge Hong Ge Hong (; b. 283 – d. 343 or 364), courtesy name Zhichuan (稚川), was a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, politician, and writer during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was the author of '' Essays on Chinese Characters'', the '' Baopu ...
(283-343) and Xu Mai (, 300–348).


Yin Changsheng

First, Bao reportedly met and began studying Daoism in 318 with the immortal Yin Changsheng, who gave him the , a supernatural Daoist
talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
enabling adepts to achieve ("release from the corpse"), which was a method of feigning death and assuming a new identity as an earthbound transcendent.


Zuo Ci

Second, Bao Jing was a disciple of the transcendent Zuo Ci, who allegedly presented him with the and
alchemical Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
writings. This text provides cartographic, esoteric, and talismanic functions for Daoist sacred mountains.


Ge Hong

A third tradition concerns Ge Hong (283-343) retiring to
Mount Luofu Mount Luofu ( zh, s=罗浮山, t=羅浮山 , p=Luófú Shān , cy=lo4 fau4 saan1) is a sacred Taoist mountain situated on the north bank of the Dongjiang in the northwest of Boluo County, Huizhou in Guangdong Province, China. It covers 250 kilo ...
(
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
) in 312, where he became the disciple and son-in-law of Bao Jing. He married his master's eldest daughter
Bao Gu Bao Gu (, ), 4th-century, also known as Pao Ku Ko), was a Chinese Taoist physician. She was the daughter of accomplished Taoist practitioner and governor Bao Jing, and the wife of Ge Hong, who is the author of ''Baopuzi''. She is also known as ...
(), who was a famous female physician in Chinese history. Bao instructed Ge in Daoist alchemy and transmitted a version of the that had been divinely revealed to him while meditating in a cave on
Mount Song Mount Song (, "lofty mountain") is an isolated mountain range in north central China's Henan Province, along the southern bank of the Yellow River. It is known in literary and folk tradition as the central mountain of the Five Great Mountains of ...
. Daoist legends differed over whether the was revealed to Bo He (, fl. 300) or to Bao Jing. The former narrative says the transcendent Wang Fangping () instructed his student Bo He to stare at the north wall of a grotto on
Mount Emei Mount Emei (; zh, c=峨眉山, p=Éméi shān, O2-mei2 shan1), alternatively Mount Omei, is a mountain in Sichuan Province, China, and is the highest of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Mount Emei sits at the western rim of th ...
(
Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
) until he could discern the Chinese characters that ancient Daoists had engraved, which was revealed after three years of wall gazing. Ge Hong's c. 330 attributes it to Bo He and describes the , called the (, Esoteric Writings Script of the Three Sovereigns), as providing protective talismans with divine powers to quell demons and banish misfortune. Ge quotes his teacher Zheng Yin (, c. 215-c. 302) saying that there are no more important Daoist books than the and . "Of old, transcendent officials and perfected persons venerated and kept secret the Way ; unless one has a transcendent's name, they cannot be bestowed on one. They are transmitted once every forty years. He to whom they are transmitted swears an oath f secrecyby smearing his lips with blood and makes a covenant by surrendering pledge-offerings." The context further says ancient Daoist writings were hidden away in "caves", that is,
grotto-heavens Grotto-heavens () or Dongtian are a type of sacred Taoist site. Grotto-heavens are usually caves, grottoes, mountain hollows, or other underground spaces. In the Tang dynasty, immortals were thought to have lived in certain immortal cave-heav ...
, on "all the famous mountains", and besides 40-year transcendent master-disciple revelations, they could also be revealed by mountain deities to deserving adepts like Bo He, who "got his in a mountain, and immediately set up an altar, made a present of silk, drew one ordinary copy, and then left with them." The latter revelation narrative says that during the Yuankang era (291-299) of the Jin dynasty, when Bao Jing was fasting and meditating in "Lord Liu's grotto" at Mount Song, the "writings spontaneously carved themselves on the walls". Both
Dao'an Dao'an (; 312–385) was a Buddhist monk, author and bibliographer, during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He was from what is now Hebei. His main importance was that of overseer of translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese, organizer of the Chinese s ...
's and
Zhen Luan Zhen Luan (甄鸾) (535 – 566) was a Chinese mathematician, astronomer, daoist and buddhist who was active during the Northern Zhou (557-581) of the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. Born in the Wuji County of the present day Hubei Provi ...
's (Essays to Ridicule the Dao), which were presented to
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother ( empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rul ...
in a 569-570 court Buddhist-Daoist debate, report that the was revealed to Bao Jing on the walls of a cave, and when imperial authorities discovered this, the was proscribed and "he was sentenced to death".


Xu Mai

Shangqing School The Shangqing School (Chinese:上清), also known as Supreme Clarity, Highest Clarity, or Supreme Purity, is a Daoist movement that began during the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty. Shangqing can be translated as either 'Supreme Clarity' ...
sources document the fourth Daoist tradition about Bao Jing, who is claimed to have been the master of Xu Mai (, 300- 348), a chief recipient of the
visionary A visionary, defined broadly, is one who can envision the future. For some groups, visioning can involve the supernatural. Though visionaries may face accusations of hallucinating, people may succeed in reaching a visionary state via medita ...
Yang Xi's "Shangqing revelations" of 364-370. Xu Mai was head of the aristocratic Xu family in
Jurong Jurong () is a major Region, geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region, Singapore, West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the Planning Areas of Singapore, ...
(
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
) that sponsored Yang Xi. In 346 he changed his name to Xu Xuan (), travelled to sacred Daoist mountains, and supposedly disappeared as a transcendent. The Shangqing patriarch
Tao Hongjing Tao Hongjing (456–536), courtesy name Tongming, was a Chinese alchemist, astronomer, calligrapher, military general, musician, physician, and pharmacologist during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. A polymathic individual of many tal ...
's 499 , which codified the "Shangqing revelations", disparages Bao Jing. It says he was still living on Mount Mao and had not yet "departed". "They are now both Agents Below the Earth ; they reside in the cavern-palaces. As for what received and practiced, he was by nature of only meager talent, and was furthermore obstinate, so he did not obtain much."


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * *{{cite book , last=Yamada , first=Toshiaki , date=2008 , chapter=''Sanhuang wen'' 三皇文, Script of the Three Sovereigns , editor-first=Fabrizio , editor-last=Pregadio , title=The Encyclopedia of Taoism , publisher=Routledge , pages=837–839 4th-century Taoists Jin dynasty (266–420) philosophers Jin dynasty (266–420) Taoists Mythological powers Taoist immortals Taoist philosophy