Declarations of the Perfected

Declarations of the Perfected is the first complete, annotated translation of the Zhen'gao, Tao Hongjing's (456-536) masterful compilation of the Shangqing, or Higher Clarity revelations, setting the stage for the heyday of medieval Daoism. This volume presents its first part (fasc. 1-4), centring around the practice of achieving "spiritual union", a spiritual analogue to sexual intercourse, with "perfected partners". The book is the first to examine in depth the full process of this practice.