Daoism
Daoist tradition is one of the oldest in the world – its history extends back over five millenniums. The fact that it is extant proves its efficacy and reliability.
Nowadays in China a large number of different systems of self-development are known. In general, they all can be referred to as a part of the following directions: therapeutic, or medicinal Qigong, wushu Qigong, Daoist School, Buddhist and Confucian Schools.
Zhen Dao School is regarded as a part of Daoist tradition. Meanwhile, it adheres to the idea of the “unity of three doctrines”, Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. It means that disciples of Zhen Dao School study the way of Inner Alchemy as the main, the highest method of improvement. That is why this school is originally for people with great abilities. These abilities include following: sophisticated mind (to analyse information received); ability to overcome hardships, which a disciple will meet in practice with; ability to get to the root of original and true sense of Master’s instructions; ability to open ones heart and mind to new knowledge, i.e. to be “an empty phial”; to have an outstanding willower and patience etc.
For long time schools of this level were closed, and knowledge was given to chosen disciples only, by contrast to the Lower and Middle Ways that were quite popular all over China. Only in the middle of 80s of the twentieth century a sort of a break-point happened, when some schools of Inner Alchemy partially disclosed their knowledge to public. Their representatives started to teach the techniques, which had been kept in secret for centuries, openly. Zhen Dao School is one of them. Traditional Chinese name for the Schools of Practical Daoism is Dao Jia (道家), which literally means “Daoist family”.
As for Religious Daoism, the term Dao Jiao (道教), which means “Daoist religious doctrine” is used.
Therefore, Practical Daoism (道家) is the most ancient system of self-development methods, well-tried by many generations of practitioners, with the deepest practical methods (Inner Alchemy) and theoretically-philosophical doctrine covering all the aspects of harmonious development of a human being. It is a difficult enough art, which requires a great discipline of excellence from a practitioner.
As Zhen Dao School is not religious (道教), but represents a system of Practical Daoism (道家), its methods can be learnt by any person, notwithstanding ones religion or nationality. An analogy can be drawn between this doctrine and science. As far as sciences have subject of studying – organic and non-organic substances for chemistry, numbers for mathematics – subject of Practical Daoism is a human being, his body, life power and mind, his interaction with the World, and place that he fills in it.
