The Chifeng sui (Шаблон:Zh), known in English as the Marrow of the Red Phoenix, is a Chinese medical compendium composed during the Ming dynasty by Zhou Lüjing (Шаблон:Lang). Born to an upper-class family, Zhou was groomed for politics; after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, however, he embarked on a quest for self-healing and eventually became a Daoist ascetic. Dated to 1578, the Chifeng sui contains numerous "longevity methods" collected by Zhou over the years.
Drawing upon sources on qigong from the Song and Yuan dynasties,Шаблон:Sfn the Chifeng sui is concerned with "longevity methods" including breathing techniques, gymnastics, and sleep exercises.Шаблон:Sfn The manual also includes twelve "incubation practices of stillness" attributed to the "master of cosmic energy" Chen Tuan.Шаблон:Sfn
Authorship and publication history
Although Zhou Lüjing (Шаблон:Lang) was an educated and married aristocrat, he was also prone to sickness. After contracting tuberculosis, Zhou left his family in search of ways to improve his health. Over the years, Zhou became well-versed in Daoism and had amassed a vast collection of Daoist spells and medicine.Шаблон:Sfn Zhou, who was also known as "Meidian daoren" (Шаблон:Lang) or the "Daoist Confounded by Plum Blossoms",Шаблон:Sfn subsequently composed the Chifeng sui, which is dated to 1578 and first appears in his anthology of medical writings titled Yimen guangdu (Шаблон:Lang) or Wide Tablets of the Gate of Silence.Шаблон:Sfn
A complete French translation by Шаблон:Ill, titled La moelle du phénix rouge, was published in 1988,Шаблон:Sfn whereas a partial English translation by Teri Takehiro was published in 1990.Шаблон:Sfn
