Return to the Mountain: A Tàijí Journey
I am excited to announce
the preview of our new Feature-Length Film documentary called Return to the Mountain: A Tàijí Journey. In July 2005 I
spent a month in China making a movie on the Mythical, Cultural, and Spiritual
Foundations of Tàijíquán with his eldest son Jud, a filmmaker living in China
for twenty years. We toured from the
modern cities of Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Beijing to the remote countryside of Chen and
Zhaobao Villages (where Taiji has been in continuous practice for over 400
years) and the magnificent and immensely significant Daoist mountain of
Wudangshan. Throughout this journey we
tried to unravel the
worldview that produced and continues to sustain this wonderful Body, Mind,
Spirit exercise by connecting it to its roots in ancient Chinese medicine,
ritual, meditation, art, and Daoism in general.
Where and When
The showing will occur at
the opening night of
the first day of the ninth International Conference on Daoist
Studies at Boston University from 7-8:30 PM. The specific location is at the Boston University School of Theology, 745
Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, which is next to Marsh Chapel, directly across from the “BU
Central” stop on the MBTA “B” Green Line Train. Please come at least thirty
minutes early.
International Conference on Daoist Studies
For the last ten years, the
series of international conferences on Daoist Studies has been instrumental in enhancing the study,
application, and awareness of Daoism throughout the world. The only major Daoist conference series, it
follows a tradition that began in Boston (2003) and continued through Mt.
Qingcheng (2004), Fraueninsel in Bavaria (2006), Hong Kong (2007), Mt. Wudang (2009), Los Angeles
(2010), Mt. Nanyue (2011), and Ammersee Lake near Munich (2012). In honor of its great success and as a tribute to
Boston University for the initial conference, the 9th International Conference on Daoist Studies will take place once
again at Boston University.
This year’s conference
theme is “Daoism: Tradition and Transition.” The focus is on Daoist thought, history, and practice—with particular
attention to the impact Daoism has exercised in Chinese history and the contemporary
world. Panel topics
include Daodejing, Zhuangzi, Huainanzi, Comparative Philosophy, Daoist Ritual,
Daoist Ethics, and more.
Registration and Opening
Ceremony: College of Arts and
Sciences, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room B50. The College of
Arts and Sciences can be found directly east of the School of Theology, across
Marsh Plaza. The auditorium
for the Opening Ceremony can be found in the basement of the College of Arts
and Sciences.
Panel on Daoist Psychology
I will also be on the panel for Daoist
Psychology at the conference, which will take place on Saturday, May 31 2014 between 5-6:45
PM. My paper will be on “The Foundations of Daoist Psychology.” I will be
joined by Jerry Alan Johnson (chair
& discussant), Reggie Pawle (“The Application of Daoism to Client Concerns in Psychotherapy”), Donald
Davis (“Daoist Practice and Human Flourishing in Positive Psychology”), and Andrew Lambert
(“Daoism and Disability: alternative models of personhood and agency in
disability studies”).
I have been attending this
conference since the very beginning and made a presentation at the last one as
well. It just keeps getting better and
better. I you are at all interested in
Daoism, this is your chance to meet with the top Daoist scholars from around the
world. I am happy to say that it has
been one of the high points of my life.
Please refer to their website for complete information about other
speakers and their topics at http://sites.bu.edu/daoiststudies/.
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