Tài qīng dǎo yǐn yǎng shēng jīng 太清導引養生經
Scripture of Great-Clarity Gymnastic-Breathing and Life-Nourishing
Anonymous; Six Dynasties or Táng
A foundational Daoist gymnastic-breathing (dǎo yǐn 導引) and life-nourishing (yǎng shēng 養生) manual. Preserved as DZ 818 / CT 818 (Dòngshén bù, Jiè lǜ lèi 洞神部戒律類).
About the work
Dǎo yǐn tradition
Dǎo yǐn 導引 (“guiding and pulling”) is the classical Daoist system of physical exercises for health and longevity — combining stretching, breathing coordination, and visualisation. It has roots in the pre-Hàn Yǐn shū 引書 (now recovered from Zhāng jiā shān 張家山 archaeological findings) and is systematically codified in Hàn-Six-Dynasties texts.
Contents
The text provides specific dǎo yǐn exercises, typically:
- Seasonal / diurnal-cyclic practices aligned with yīnyáng and wǔ xíng cycles.
- Organ-specific exercises addressing the wǔ zàng 五藏.
- Breathing techniques (tǔ nà 吐納).
- Meditative visualisations accompanying the physical practice.
Dating. Six Dynasties / Táng. Dynasty: 六朝-唐.
Translations and research
- Kohn, Livia. Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2008. The standard English study of the dǎo yǐn tradition.