ZhengYi Pai: Daoist Rites

In 2005 I made my first journey to China. It was a greater adventure than I imagined and the experience changed my life in many ways. Despite my travels throughout the United States, Caribbean and Europe, the magic of being in the remote mountains of rural China was something I never expected. This was a different place, ancient and full of life. Here, everything was new to me, unfamiliar and enchanting. I was surrounded by history, generations of people with tough skin and deep eyes and traditions that were older than the country I was born in. The purpose of that journey was to study Daoism in the Tian Shi Temple of Long Hu Shan (JiangXi Province), but the trip turned out to be a catalyst for many more experiences to come. One of the most significant is the creation of the translation you have in your hands.

As guests of the temple and future disciples we were gifted with several books on Daoism and history of the temple itself. The expectation of the Abbot was that we would at least learn the small book of prayers humbly bound in a non-descript brown cover. Still enchanted by the magical location and determined to follow the guidance of the priests I looked at the small book with awe. But, how could I learn to recite the prayers if they were written in Traditional Chinese? Obviously there was no English translation available, but there wasn’t one in Pinyin either, and thus began a literary and cultural journey that spanned 4 years.

The project of translating the book of prayers was a formidable task. It took careful orchestration of time, funding and knowledge before arriving anywhere close to the version you now have. There were many steps involved including digitizing, researching, translating and formatting. Its development was the product of the work of several people, all of whom contributed in profound ways. I fully recognize that without the help of those who were part of the project, it would never have been completed.

The text is written in Traditional Chinese and in poetic form with many subtle references to Daoist history and knowledge. This is a significant issue to deal with since the Chinese language is complex and differs greatly from English in some important ways. To begin with, each character is actually a representation of a larger idea. So while in English we would write one word to express one thing, in Chinese, the character actually paints a picture. In order to understand the subtleties of each picture, you must understand its history and context. In essence, although there is one word underneath each Chinese character, your imagination must extend to give it a 3 dimensional meaning. This presents a great challenge for translating. So, in the true spirit of living in harmony with the Dao, I constantly reminded myself that when the time was right all the pieces of the puzzle would fall into place and the translation would come forward.

That pivotal moment was in July 2009 when some key elements had come together to give this project the final push. In the depths of my bones I knew it was time.  Pulling on my faith in the Dao, I posted a notice at the Georgia Tech in Atlanta looking for a translator who was knowledgeable in Traditional Chinese and Daoism. Trusting that the Dao would send me the right person at the right time, it was FeiFei Fan who was welcomed into the creative process.

FeiFei’s expertise in both Mandarin and Traditional Chinese Literature/Poetry was a huge gift from the Dao. I consider that our coming together for this project was written in the stars and I owe him oceans of gratitude for his time, patience and warm smile. We met for over 3 months as much as possible given our mismatched schedules. After many hours of research, discussion and deliberation, the scripture was born. It was a day I’ll never forget. I know the stars shifted and all of Heaven was looking down on us beaming with satisfaction that the project was complete. We did it. After four years of hard work, it was done.

What you now have in your hands is a compilation of prayers recited twice daily by the priests of the Zheng Yi sect at Tian Shi Fu Temple in JiangXi Province, China. It’s contents date anywhere from the Ming (1368-1644 CE) to Qing (1644-1911CE) Dynasties. The collection includes sections for incantations, scripture and exhortations. It is important to note that although it is an honor to present an English translation, the cadence, intonation and rhythm of the scriptures carry a very specific Daoist function in the Chinese language. In some places my translation will seem rough or words will appear out of order, their placement is intentional. I have made footnotes to provide additional information where necessary, yet I purposely decided to forgo a long scholarly presentation of the document. Should the practitioner (reader) desire more information on the “Rites” or on Daoism, there are many Daoist scholars available on the web, try www.daoiststudies.org.

So, with much love and dedication, I present to you this project, a labor of love and hope and tears. As I am but a beginner on this Way, I ask forgiveness should any mistakes be contained within and welcome any corrections, suggestions and feedback.

From the depth of my soul I offer you the following prayer:

Christina J Barea

February 3, 2010

Atlanta, GA