Review

Reviewed Work(s): <italic>Daoism Handbook.</italic> Handbook of Oriental Studies.

Handbuch der Orientalistik. Section Four by Livia Kohn
Review by: Michael Saso
Source: Monumenta Serica, Vol. 50 (2002), pp. 670-675
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
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670 Book Reviews and Notes Monumenta Serica 50 (2002)

gen, diesind
den Anhängen gegebenen Statistiken weit über
äu-die Beschäftigung mit dem
Bildungs- und Prüfungswesen hinaus von
ßerst informativ, denn die Prüfungsstatistiken
höchstem
offenbaren vieles über die Lage eines Interesse sind, etwa mit den natur-
Landes.
So zeigt etwa die Liste der Examensabsol-
kundlichen Forschungen in der Ming-Zeit (S.
venten der Palastprüfungen unter 464-468),
der mit Fragen des Curriculums allge-
Mon-
mein sowie mit der seit der Song-Zeit immer
golenherrschaft (dreijährige Staatsprüfungen
wurden 1315 wieder aufgenommen) wieder aufflammenden
aus dem Diskussion des Ver-
Jahre 1333, daß die fünfzig chinesischenhältnissesetwas
von Geschichtsforschung und Klas-
älter waren als die nichtchinesischen (31 : 28
sikergelehrsamkeit. Das größte Verdienst die-
sui ). Von den Chinesen waren 92 % sesverheiratet
Werkes von Benjamin A. Elman aber dürf-
im Gegensatz zu 74% Verheirateten te wohl
unterdarin
den liegen, daß er mit seiner Kul-
Nicht-Chinesen. Die Vermischung turgeschichte
zwischen des Prüfungswesens im spät-
Chinesen und Nicht-Chinesen wird daran kaiserzeitlichen China viele Fragen in neuem
deutlich, daß von den Nicht-Chinesen 58%Kontext und angereichert durch neue Mate-
chinesische Mütter hatten, während aus dieser
rialien aufgegriffen hat und damit die Diskus-
sion über den Charakter dieser wichtigen Pe-
Gruppe die Verheirateten zu 70% mit chine-
sischen Frauen verheiratet waren (sieheriode
The der Geschichte Chinas sicherlich neu
Cambridge History of China, vol. 6 [1994], beleben
S. wird.
565).
Das Werk von Elman beschäftigt sich im
Zusammenhang der Prüfungsinhalte und im Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer
Hinblick auf die fachliche Professionalisierung
innerhalb des Bildungswesens mit vielen Fra-

Livia Kohn (ed.), Daoism Handbook. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Handbuch d

Orientalistik. Section Four, China. Leiden: Brill, 2000. xxxviii, 915 pp. Indices, Bi-
bliographies. ISSN 0169-9520. ISBN 90-04-112081

This ground-breaking compendium editedTo byaccomplish this, each of the contribu-

Livia Kohn presents the articulate research tors was
of asked by the editors (Livia Kohn,
some 30 established and younger scholars Russell
in Kirkland, and T.H. Barrett) to present
the field of Daoist Studies. Volume 14 in a their research for publication in a four part
projected 16 volume series of Brill publish-pattern: Daoist history, texts, world view, and
ers, Kohn's (900+ pages) edited opus practices. Even though some texts are refer-
magnum brings together, in an amicable and enced more than once, the reader is able to
collaborative way, a selection of works of deepen the insights gained into elusive Daoist
international scholars, who have published in Canonical themes, by interpretations from
the broadly conceived field of Daoist (Taoist) differing scholastic traditions; e.g., the Asian
studies. Not only is it a "first" of its kind, contributors
in include Chinese, Japanese, and
a field as widely divergent as Daoism has Korean perspectives on the influence of Dao-
become, it also offers a forum for integrating ism in various Asian cultures. In a Derridean
the work of Asian and Western scholars in a sense, the differance (deferral) of defined
manner not yet attempted in a western lan- meaning, until each scholar, from a wide cul-
guage. tural and linguistic background, has exposed
The handbook is organized in such a way asthe results of his or her research before a
to allow the beginner as well as the knowl-critical audience, is a singular and admirable
pursuit in itself.
edgeable reader "to gain insight into the struc-
ture and organization of the (Daoist) religion The presentation of the collected essays
from an integrated perspective" (Preface, p. vii). follows a diachronic pattern, from the pre-Han

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Monumenta Serica 50 (2002) Book Reviews and Notes 671

through the North-South period, theofTang,

works, which I had as yet no knowledge. A
discussion of each
Song- Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, to of the 28 articles in detail
would make
surveys of Daoism in China today. a review of the Daoism Handbook
Inter-
long and from
spersed through the work, more clearly cumbersome. Each of the 28 chapters
Catherine Despeux's "Women are in worth
Daoism" reading, a task that took me two
(chap. 14) onward, are papers onmonths,
"Innerand Al- many side references, to com-
chemy" (Lowell Skar and Fabrizio Pregadio),
plete. I shall limit myself to comment on those
"Talismans and Sacred Diagrams"articles
(Catherine
which I felt were of particular value for
Despeux's second offering), Daoist divination
myself, or needed further comment, to be more
(Sakade Yoshinobu), the Quanzhen useful school
tools for classroom instruction.
(Ted Yao), "Daoist Ritual Today" I(Kenneth
was particularly helped in understanding
Dean), "Daoist Sacred Sites" (Thomas
recentHahn),
advances in Daoist studies by the re-
searchesRitual
"Daoist Art" (Stephen Little), "Daoist of Russell Kirkland, who brings an
Music" (Takimoto Yuzo and Liu Hong). There sense and depth of overview
aura of common
into
are also articles on "The study of the various
Daoism incontributions to Daoist re-
China Today" (Ding Huang), "Daoism in
search developed in the 1990s. Though I was
Korea" (Jung Jae-seo), and "Daoism never
in convinced
Japan" that Taiwan had any monop-
(Masao Shin'ichiro). oly on Daoist ritual (see p. xv), extended re-
Each of the 28 chapters has itssearch
own set visits
of made by myself to Maoshan,
Longhushan,
references (bibliography), supplemented by Wudangshan, and more fre-
four indices at the end of the work,quentlylisting
to Baiyunguan in Beijing demonstrated
names, places, titles, and subjectsconclusively
mentioned that the registers of the Lingbao
in the main body of the work. Each wanwuof dugong,
the Zhengyi mengwei, Qingwei
wulei fa, and
studies displays standards of scholarship in especially the Beiji (Pole Star
their own right; none can be faulted in any
Registers), which latter are surprisingly mis-
sing from the
way, at least by this reviewer. In addition, thediscussions of the Daoism Hand-
lucent and carefully thought out introduction
book, are in healthy condition and being passed
co-authored by Russell Kirkland on (a
fromconcise
master to disciple in China today,
more or less
explanation of Daoism as it is conceived byas they have been transmitted
scholars today), T.H. Barrett (a succinct
from the his-
Song dynasty to the present.
More to the point, it was clear from fre-
tory of Daoism), and Livia Kohn (a summary
of modern research on Daoism) presents
quent a
study with the masters of Longhushan
clear elucidation of the field of Daoist
and Maoshan,
studies,that the same titles, Daoist ritual
which must be read before attempting documents, and jiao/zhai texts taught by the
to peruse
individual articles within the massive and Daoists of these historic sanctuaries, are used
somewhat forbidding opus. The writers ofby
theTaiwan's Zhengyi citan (heirs to the
Chengyi Tradition). Maoshan, Longhushan,
introduction bring organization and life to what
would otherwise appear to the uninformed and Baiyunguan masters recognize Taiwan
student as a huge and threatening work.materials
The as coming from a common origin.
The content of these texts, some of which have
reader may pick and choose individual essays
been
according to taste, but the introduction must by published in the Dokyo Hiketsu Shusei
all means be considered first, as a guide to(Tokyo:
the Ryukei Shosha, 1979) are used by
rich materials that follow. Daoists in places as distant from each other as
Coming from a twelve year period of living Suzhou, Hangzhou, Changsha, as well as at
in China and various Tibetan cultural regions, Maoshan and Longhushan. The extent of the
separated from all but Chinese scholars' use of the crucial Lu registers, their diversity,
studies of Daoism, I found the Daoism Hand- and how they are passed on today from master
book a useful work indeed. Not only was I to disciple, are topics which, one hopes, will
brought up to date, as to what had transpiredbe covered by scholars in future studies, which
between 1986 and 1998 (my return to thego beyond the mainly text-oriented studies of
U.S.), I also discovered a new set of scholars' the Handbook.

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672 Book Reviews and Notes Monumenta Serica 50 (2002)

Hiketsu
These and the following comments areShusei
not (Tokyo: 1979, pp. 33-34). This
meant to be critical of the studies in the Daoist important manual, copies of which are found at
Handbook. Rather, I would like to point out Longhushan, Maoshan, and Baiyunguan in Bei-
sources and topics for further research, com- jing, provides important source material for
plementing the data presented by articles in the understanding Daoism as it is taught and prac-
handbook. For instance, study tours conducted ticed today.
by Zhao Zhendong and the Daoists of the Another important aspect of modern Dao-
Yuanxuanxue Yuan in Samdip Tan, Kowloon, ism that does not appear clearly in the Daoist
have produced videotapes which confirm Handbook, is the common use of grades (pin)
striking differences between the rituals of or ranks in Daoist ordination, along with the
Zhengyi and Quanzhen styles of ritual. The titles of various registers, used by all Daoists,
Zhengyi rituals of central China, based on modern and ancient, when signing ritual
registers and texts derived from Maoshan and documents. Since these documents are "sent
Longhushan, are analogous to the styles used off by burning during Yellow Register zhai
in Taiwan. The rituals of Baiyunguan in Bei- (Huanglu or funerary zhai), and Jinlu jiao
jing, Hangzhou temples, and the two great (Jinlu or renewal jiao) rituals, it is essential
centers of Hongkong, Yuanyuanxue Yuan and that scholars see and study them before they
Qingsong Guan, are analogous to the Quan- are burned, or even better, copy them out
zhen system of liturgical performance. during field research in China.
The above survey, conducted in central One notes, for instance, that the influential
China, shows an extended use of Wuleifa (Five Song Daoist Bai Yuchan, noted for his pro-
Thunder Daoism, the Daoist version of Tantric motion of corrected versions of Shenxiao
Vajra ritual), bu xu pacing the void, and ba gua Daoist ritual, does not sign himself as a reg-
forms of the Dance or Pace of Yu (Yu bu), istered and titled Shenxiao Daoist, but as a
deriving from the Lu registers, classical texts, Datong (Shangqing), Pole Star Thunder Bu-
and rubrics for performing Daoist ritual, reau Master of the South Sacred Mountain (see
transmitted at Longhushan and Maoshan. This Daofa huiyuan, chap. 76,3a, vol. 29, p. 262 of
information can be found in the Dokyo Hiketsu the new Shanghai wenwu chubanshe edition).
Shusei (Tokyo 1979), a source not cited in the As with the masters of Longhushan today, Bai
Handbook. transmits "correct" or approved versions of
The Wulei Fa (Five Thunder Method, also the Shenxiao ritual tradition, though not him-
self a Shenxiao Daoist when sending docu-
called Leiting or Thunder Bureau) has also
influenced Daoist ritual in the Quanzhen tra-ments to the invisible world of spirits. This
practice continues at Longhushan up to the
dition, taught at Baiyunguan in Beijing, and in
the Daoist centers of Hongkong. present time. (See below for a further comment
The text used by the Celestial Masters ofon this phenomenon.)
Longhushan, entitled Longhushan shi zhuan As the excellent article of Yamada To-
fapai (The Daoist schools taught and trans-shiaki (on The Lingbao School) points out, as
many as nine kinds of zhai/ jiao rituals were
mitted by the Masters of Longhushan) affirms
the common origin and use of Taiwan ritualsused in the North-South and Tang periods.
Later evidence shows that by the Song dynasty
and registers with Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Hubei
Daoist centers. It also demonstrates the extent and after, Daoists tended to specialize mainly
to which the Maoshan Shangqing texts andin Huanglu Thai and Jinlu jiao rituals, and
registers, the Shangqing sandong version share of registers from all of the Daoist traditions.
the Qingwei Five Thunder Register, the The division of Daoist schools into Lingbao,
Zhengyi mengwei texts and registers, and the Shangqing, Zhengyi, and so forth, which
(Taishang lingbao) sanwu dugong texts andseemed to be exclusive in the Tang and earlier
registers, are found in all of the mountans and periods, by the Song dynasty became com-
sacred places that teach and transmit Daoist monly shared by all of the major Daoist
texts and registers. Commonly transmitted schools, including the Qingwei Thunder (Vaj-
ra) styles, the Beiji Pole Star texts, and the
registers, titles and texts are listed in the Dokyo

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Monumenta Serica 50 (2002) Book Reviews and Notes 673

to or exclusively
ritual forms of the Shangqing Yellow Court used in the Zhai format of
Canon. Daoist liturgy. The spirits of heaven, earth,
No matter what kind of ritual was offered,and underworld are all to be seen as rulers of
from the North-South period through the Tangthe invisible world, before which the Daoist
and Song, up to the present, each of thepriest appears to present his/her written docu-
documents sent to the celestial, terrestial, and ments, passports, memorials, and petitions,
underworld bureaus of spirits was required toreceiving back a Shuwen (rescript) as part of
be signed by the Daoist master in order to the levee in all forms of Daoist ritual.
identify him or her register to the spiritual Two of the major problems in translating
bureaucracy addressed during Thai and jiao Daoist terminology can be illustrated here. The
liturgies. To sign these ritual documents,first is the attempt to use a single, two-di-
Daoists were, and are required to use the titlesmensional English word or phrase to translate
and ranks given to them at the time of receivinga three or multi-dimensional Chinese word.
their Lu registers and textual transmissions. AThus, zhai can mean, in various contexts, a fast
complete list of pin ranks and titles given byduring which the subject is purified to receive
the Maoshan, Longhushan, and Gezaoshan jie or precepts (zhaijie), a Yellow Register zhai
masters, as well as the Wudang Shan Beiß Polefor releasing souls from the netherworld, and a
Star school, can also be found in print (in thegeneric term interchangeable with jiao for a
Dokyo Hiketsu Shusei), as well as the DaojiaoDaoist liturgy of renewal. An analogous situ-
Yuanliu, a manual kept in the private collectionation exists with the Tantric Buddhist use of
of masters from the various Daoist schools, ritual terms, as in the case of the Homa (Goma)
and manuals published privately in modernor Agnihotra ritual. There are in all four major
China. One of the most important of these, thekinds of Homa fire rites used in Tang dynasty
manual published by the Baiyunguan masterChina, and modern Japan and Tibet. These
Min Zhiting, entitled "Rituals and rubricsare: the rite of subjugating evil, by a levee with
(Koyi Koujue) transmitted at Baiyunguan,an Yidam or Dharmapãla, (half circle manda-
Beijing," shows the extent to which Zhengyila), the triangular mandala for subjugating
rubrics and liturgical methods have influencedwrathful deities, the square hearth with the
the Quanzhen school. Daoist master Min eight trigrams symbolically represented with-
Zhiting, we note here, is a descendant of a in, for rituals of increasing blessing, and the
Qing period Zhengyi Daoist from Jizushan andspecial six-sided star mandala for summoning
Weibaoshan in Yunnan, having joined theand attaining blessing from the Vajrayoginï
Quanzhen school while studying at Hua Shan(see Robert Beer, The Encylcopedia of Tibetan
in the 1940s. Symbols and Motifs, Boston: Shambala 1999).
The word "levee" is used to translate the All of these forms of Homa, like the Zhai ritual
Daoist word Thai in the excellent article of of Daoism, can be assumed under the generic
Charles D. Benn (on Tang dynasty Ordinationstitle of "Fire Rite. " It is only by performing the
and Thai Rituals). Though one can in no way Fire Rite oneself, and receiving the transmis-
fault the expertise and careful scholarship ofsion from a ritual master, that one can learn
this article, a true tour deforce, it can perhapshow to understand the term in its practice. In
be suggested that the word "levee" is here usedthe actual ritual context (as seen by the mar-
as a synecdoche (using a part to name thevelous Fire Rite celebrated at Gyantse during
whole) rather than as a literal translation of athe Sa ga zia foz-festival of the 15th day, fourth
term that expresses the complexity of the lunar month, i.e., celebration of Buddha's
Huanglu Thai ritual. ("Levee," from the enlightenment), all four of these formal objects
French lever, and the Latin levare, means toand mandala formats are achieved in the actual
raise up, or present guests to a high rankingburning of the fire ritual, as they are in the Fire
official, during a morning audience.) DaoistsRites in Japan as well. Likewise, the zhaijie of
present written documents during all DaoistBaiyunguan in Beijing, and of Hieizan in
liturgies, which may by synechdoche be calledKyoto, are quite analogous in their structural
a "levee." The practice is certainly not limitedmanner of performance. The obvious influence

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674 Book Reviews and Notes Monumenta Serica 50 (2002)

of Tantric Buddhism on Daoism, and con- cisely "spirit," as an object of liturgical per-
versely, the influence of Daoist yinyang wu- formance (the sending off of memorials, re-
xing cosmology on the liturgies and healing scripts, petitions, and passports to the world of
methods of Kagyu Karmapa in the areas of spirits).
Kham (eastern Tibet) in Derge and Chamdo, Longhushan even today transmits Shenxiao
are remarkable. Comparative studies of Daoist registers in a correct (zheng) version, as op-
and Tantric Vajra (Thunder) methods yield posed to the xie or vulgar, unregulated spirits
similar analogous results. of popular folk religion. These state regulated
Less studied by modern scholars are the and legitimated forms of Shenxiao registers
rites, and jiao/zhai liturgies of Quanzhenand rituals are listed in the Dokyo Hiketsu
Daoism. Though the essays on Quanzhen Shusei (Tokyo: 1979), the Daojiao yuanliu,
(called "All True" or "Complete Perfection" and the private manuals of Daoists throughout
by various translators) in the Daoist Handbook southeast China. All of these sources list popu-
are important contributions to our under- lar Daoist registers as follows: there are twice
standing of this important movement in mod- nine or eighteen pin or offical grades, (nine
ern Daoism, further research remains to be zheng and nine cong, as in the imperial man-
done on the vast differences between the lit- darinate) of Yujing or Shangqing Daoism,
urgies of Quanzhen and of the Zhengyi, Shang-Tianshu or Qingwei Daoism, Pole Star Dao-
qing and Lingbao tradition. Quanzhen Daoismism, Yufu Zhengyi Daoism, and Shenxiao
and its liturgical style has deeply influenced the Daoism, in that order. The first three sets of
zhai/jiao liturgies of Hongkong, the New Terr-registers (and ordination rites) do not transmit
itories, and much of Guangdong Province, Shenxiao titles. The Yufu or Zhengyi Lu reg-
including the great Buddhist-Daoist complex isters contain Shenxiao spirit listings in the
of Luofushan, origin of the Yuanxuanxuelower grade 9,8, and 7 ranks, but not for grade
Yuan of Kowloon, and its master Zhao Zhen- six or higher. The popular Shenxiao order
dong. begins to receive Zhengyi, Pole Star, and
Studies of the Ming, Qing, and modern Thunder Bureau registers from grade six and
Daoist centers are still in their incipient stages. higher. The observant scholar is able to de-
Though the articles in the Daoist Handbook on termine that Daoism from the Song dynasty
these topics are admirable first beginnings, onward, is indeed regulated by State approval
more research into the various provincial and with the registers and texts transmitted at
local schools, such as that undertaken by John Longhushan, Maoshan, Wudangshan, and
Lagerwey for the Hakka areas of Fujian and more recently by Baiyunguan in Beijing.
West Guangdong, must be conducted. There is There is another key to recognizing the
a wealth of printed material that indicates a transmission of Daoist registers and ritual
much broader range of liturgical and exorcistic texts. This is the use of the 40 word poem,
style than hitherto indicated by the French/ given to the Daoist ordinand at the time of
Dutch or American schools of Daoist studies. receiving his or her registers. There are some
The Shenxiao school is a case in point. This 72 recognized versions of this poem, published
term, often (mistakenly) translated as "Divine in the Baiyunguan Gazeteer, and republished
Empyrean," represents a widely distributed in Taiwan and modern Baiyunguan temple
and popular form of Daoism found in modern bookstore sources. Each generation that the
Taiwan and southeast China. The character register is passed on, the next character in the
shen in the title, if translated, must be seen in is used in the title of the Daoist ordinand.
poem
terms of its converse or related systems. Shen The standard poem used at Longhushan,
Maoshan, and held in the Baiyunguan collec-
is not juxtaposed to gui (demon) in this context,
nor does it mean "divine" as in the Daoist tion, (found in the Dokyo Hiketsu Shusei, p.
Handbook title. For the Daoists of Longhu- 31) has been transmitted for some 28 or 29
shan, and most of southeast China, the con-
generations since the Song dynasty. The 28th
character Ding (tripod), 29th character Da
verse of shen is xian (immortal) and ¿hen (true,
(great), and 30th character Luo (network) are
realized). In such a context, shen means pre-

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Monumenta Serica 50 (2002) Book Reviews and Notes 675

now being tranmitted at Longhushan and

I hope that by these additional remarks and
Maoshan. observations, materials not found in the Daoist
Quanzhen, Shenxiao, and popular Lu Shan/ Handbook may be used to supplement its
findings. The editors, and especially the gen-
Sannai Daoists, on the other hand, advance one
eral editor Livia Kohn, must be congratulated
character in the poem, everytime an ordination
ceremony is performed. Thus, the poems for of presenting to the public for the first time a
Shenxiao and Quanzhen Daoists, which may truly ecumenical study, combining the best
research of Europe, North America, and Asia.
be as long as 100 characters, do not represent
the diachronic passing on of registers over
time, but the synchronie teaching of registers
during a single master's lifetime. Michael Saso

Livia Kohn. God of the Dao: Lord Lao in History and Myth. Michigan Monogr
Chinese Studies, 49. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies University of M
1998. xiii, 390 pp. Bibliography, Glossary-Index, Illustrations. US$ 25.0
0-89264-133-9 (pbk., alk. paper)

This ambitious and edifying book by PartLiviaI has six chapters which describe the
Kohn examines the Daoist god Lord Lao
various source materials that pertain to Lord
(Taishang Laojun - the deified formLaoof in his many roles perceived throughout
Laozi)
history,
through two approaches; the historical and the which include - cultic high god of
organized
mythological. As Kohn explains in her preface, Daoist religion, as portrayed in
the historical approach examines the hagiography
"when (chap. 1); a symbol of political
and where and what" (xii) of Lord unity Lao; his
and cosmic harmony, as portrayed in
role and image in certain periods for official
certaininscriptions (chap. 2); a revealer of
social groups such as Daoist believers wisdomand and methods of self-cultivation (chap.
immortality seekers, the government3)elite, and of
the rules and rituals (chap. 4) in Daoist
common people, or adherents of non-Daoist scriptures; a model for other Daoist deities in
faiths. To this end, Kohn skillfullyterms drawsof ontheir hagiography and their role in the
various sources such as Daoist hagiography, pantheon (chap. 5); a protector of life and
Daoist ritual and meditation texts, official wealth,in- as portrayed in various types of
scriptions, Buddhist tales, popular sources tales, as
(chap. 6). In doing this, Kohn taps into
well as works of literature and fine art. The a wealth of material (mostly from the Daoist
mythological approach examines the meaning Canon) which has never been consulted by
modern scholars. As a result, she succeeds in
of Lord Lao's life story, particularly in terms
of how it is relevant to the worldview and providing us with a much fuller picture of what
Lord Lao has meant to Daoists, and how his
practice of Daoist believers. It compares spe-
cult
cific episodes and motifs in Lord Lao's story to and lore developed over history, than ever
before. Chapters 3 and 4 are particularly
variant Daoist themes, and also compares them
to similar stories and symbols in various Chi-
appreciated by this writer, since they - for the
nese, non-Chinese and Western traditions. The
first time ever - provide a comprehensive sum-
mary of the various types of teachings that
mythological approach tries to look at patterns
of thought and imagery that indicate Daoists the have attributed to Lord Lao. Also,
workings of the religious mind worldwide.each chapter in Part I includes a table listing
The book is thus divided into Parts I andthe
II, primary sources described and consulted in
which employ respectively the historicalthe
ap-discussion. These tables are very useful for
proach and the mythological approach. Daoism specialists who wish to explore the

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