Immortal Sisters: Secret Teachings of Taoist Women

by Thomas Cleary

Immortal Sisters presents life stories and teachings of distinguished female Taoist adepts who lived from the third to twelfth centuries. Among them is the poet and mystic Sun Bu-er, who passed into folklore as one of the famous Seven Immortals and appears as a character in countless popular novels of China. These accomplished women, renowned in their own day and in history, represent a uniquely female heritage of spiritual mastery. Through poems, stories, teachings, and commentaries, Immortal Sisters sheds light on the spiritual methods taught and practiced by these women and illustrates the importance of the feminine in Taoism.

Genres: Taoism, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Spirituality, China, Poetry

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Dr. Thomas Francis Cleary, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University; J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley), was a prolific translator of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Muslim classics, with a particular emphasis on popular translations of Mahāyāna works relevant to the Chan, Zen, and Soen systems.

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immortal Sisters: Secrets of the Taoist Women by Thomas Cleary is published by Shambala which means normally I wouldn't have bought it. But it contained translations of writings by women Taoists so I thought I would give it a try. The introduction gave the view of Taoism as the religion of equality among women, how in all of China it viewed women as equal to men, and this was shown in the writings presented, a view which I question a little. Cleary was clearly writing from his own perspective rather than trying to be non-judgmental early on he describes the Shang dynasty as "A slave society notorious for materialism, cruelty and disregard of human life". Clearly he had been reading the Zhou propaganda a bit too closely. The Shang were one of the most egalitarian of all Chinese dynasties, women were able to own land, controlled cities, led armies into battle and practiced and led religious rites! But he didn't think fit to mention any of this in his brief introduction to the history of women in China.

The texts themselves were a little disappointing. There were a few poems with the bulk of the text being a commentary by a 20th century Taoist (gender unspecified so I'm assuming male). His commentary was fairly interesting in that it focused on spiritual alchemy and went line by line looking for the meaning in the poems. Part of me questioned though if it's meant to be esoteric and not something that should be explained how you could really benefit from such a commentary. But it made an interesting historical perspective, or modern perspective. I think it a little telling that my favorite poem, "Flying" about ascending to heaven in broad daylight, the best way to become a Taoist immortal the commentator had nothing to say because he knew of no one in the 20th century who had done such a thing.

The last part of the book is a translation of an 1899 Taoist text on inner alchemy. What makes this particularly interesting is that it was written by a woman explicitly for other women to read and learn from. Unfortunately Cleary does not say what the intended audience of the text was, how common this was, who were the literate Taoist women who were reading such texts and what impact this had, and where this tradition came from. Questions I find interesting and would love to learn the answers too. The text looks explicitly at how inner alchemy is different for women and how their bodies have different centers. This is something that Cleary picks up on and is quick to point out how in Japanese Zen Buddhism such practices are practiced incorrectly. But his criticism of Zen Buddhism is hardly surprising.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Thomas Cleary's brilliant history of Taoist women ascended masters. It is divided into 3 parts: a long and fascinating look at a women masters who often practiced in secret because their husbands, fathers, or other men in their lives didn't approve of or understand what they were doing. (Although some had marvelous partners in their husbands and in one case, her son.) This section makes you want to cry out: "You go, girl!" These women triumphed despite all odds and provide an example to us in modern times. The second part is a selection of poems by one of the masters, Sun Bu-Er, along with commentary explaining the meaning of the poems. And the third is a short section of secret teachings of these women. It's all fascinating, but don't read it as a "how-to" manual of how to practice. Rather, it is a rich, inspiring history for Taoists, feminists, and spiritual seekers.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slim volume of translated poetry of Taoist masters. The thing that makes it particularly useful, for those who identify as women, is that it actually talks about magical and spiritual practices and breathing techniques for women. So much of the ancient lore makes the assumption that the practitioner is a man.

I will continue to spend time with this book, and it inspired me to begin reading the I Ching translations as well. A journey that has begun again.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book in that it offers food for thought. These writings and poems offer a look at 6 female Taosit adepts from the fourth to the twelfth century and their spiritual roles to bring the feminine to Taoism. Chinese myth, folklore across time work for me here. I am not sure why, but I can feel the meaning more than I can say I completely understand the language.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valuable translations of primary texts - lyric poetry and alchemical meditation instruction - by Chinese Taoist women. Commentary of one long piece by a twentieth century practitioner was especially interesting as much of the verse is obscure.

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating topic and tidbits.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suitable companion to other texts and more valuable in the whole than in the mean...

[xenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The few pages of daoist poetry are lovely, filled with enigmatic allusions to reversal, ephemerality, and primordial oneness; however, the majority of this volume is filled with Chen Tingning's interpretation of Sun Bu-er. Thomas Cleary's own notes are short and precise; Tingning's go on for pages, situating Bu-er's poems through the framework of inner alchemy. His tone is authoritative, which feels at odds with daoism, whose founding premise is that the dao cannot be taught. The elusive qualities of Bu-er's poems are reduced to a definitive system of living; the snake is squeezed into oil, becoming a lifeless thing; the reader is taught how to extend their life through the retention of semen and menstrual fluid. The issue here isn't so much the pseudoscience behind such claims (though inner alchemy is over and again referred to as scientific despite bearing no empirical framework), the issue is that the meaning behind daoist folktales is lost. Immortality, in these tales, is equated with disappearing, not longevity. I was initially frustrated with these stories because they always ended the same. After a problem emerges, the mc flies to heaven, leaving their material concerns behind. However, such tales reveal the value of hiddenness to daoism. Unlike Buddhism, whose end is the total conversion of all peoples on Earth, daoism's end is complete submersion into the organic unfolding of one's surroundings. It craves no importance, only freedom from false authority and conventions. Inner alchemy, on the other hand, professes to reveal the world in all its glory, to teach the inner machinations of the body. That is not the dao.

[Catherine Pawasarat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, the writings/translations are beautiful, the commentary interesting and helpful, and the translators' notes are intriguing. As others have mentioned, the texts are highly metaphorical, so a strong background in Taoist alchemy would no doubt make it more meaningful. I have a strong background in Buddhist philosophy and practice, and still feel like I need to know more about Taoism to connect well with this book's material (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). It was well translated/written enough, though, to make me want to learn more.

[Brian Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleary gives tribute to some of the world's greatest women. He shows us a vast tradition of religion created by women, for women. It revolves around their values, their realities, and their inner continents. These traditions are passed down ear to ear in teaching lineages as long as China's history. Cleary displays the beauty and sanity of these women's spiritual paths, and shows why their wisdom has seemed invisible to grasping little emperors.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was all so beyond my understanding, there was very little that I got from it. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about all of these ancient, wise, immortal and powerful women that laid the foundations of taoist teachings.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suspect that Cleary's translation was too literal to be useful

[Judy]

"If people know how to absorb the vital energy of sun and moon, they can crystallize the elixir of immortality and transform the ordinary body." p. 48