Influential Taoist Alchemist

Ko Hung 284-364 C.E.; influential Taoist al­chemist and theoretician, author of the Pao-p’u­ tzu, an encyclopedia of methods and practices for attaining immortality. The esoteric chapters of the Pao-p’u-tzu describe procedures for chang­ing one’s outer appearance, making talismans, producing spells and magical formulae, etc. Ko Hung, in compiling the Pao-p’u-tzu, made use of all Taoist texts known to him. This explains a number of contradictions between entries. The exoteric part is not confined to Taoist texts but also contains Confucianist ideas.

Ko Hung’s major contribution consisted in systematically arranging all known teachings on how to attain immortality and in combining these with the central teachings of Confucian­ism (K’ung-tzu). He emphasizes that immor­tality cannot be attained by physical, sexual, or meditative practices alone; the practitioner must also train himself in the Confucianist virtues (wu-ch’ang). Ko Hung therefore had a deci­sive influence on the moral orientation of Tao­ism. He opposed the neo-Taoist ch’ing-t’an movement (hsüan-hsüeh ), which he consid­ered to be totally devoid of any religious value.

In addition, Ko Hung was a prominent physi­cian. One of his treatises contains the first known descriptions of smallpox and psittacosis.

In the Pao-p’u-tzu Ko Hung argues that immortality can only be attained through the workings of the secret elixir of Life (nei-tan, wai-tan ); physical exercises and sexual practices are merely methods for prolonging life. Alchemy furthermore made it possible to acquire certain supernatural abilities, such as walking on water, calling back the dead, securing whatever official post one desired, etc. In addition, Ko Hung describes the preliminary spiritual exercises for attain­ing immortality. The most important of these is the veneration of the Supreme One (T’ai-i), of the Spirit of the Hearth (Tsao-chün), and of Lao-tzu.

Ko Hung classifies immortals hierarchically accord­ing to their practices. He allocates the highest rank to those who have ingested elixirs of gold or jade and performed twelve hundred meritorious deeds. They rise to Heaven in broad daylight (fei-sheng) but may remain in this world if that is their wish: in that case they make it their task to explain the teachings of Confucius to the common people and to initiate ad­vanced adepts into the secrets of alchemy. Other immortals do not have such a choice, although they liberate both themselves as well as others. They with­ draw from the world to devote themselves exclusively to hygiene exercises.

Ko Hung was renowned for his profound knowledge of the classics. He held several high military and public posts, which gained him the respect of Confucianists. He also played an important part in the successful suppression of a peasant uprising. After that he turned his back on public life and withdrew to the mountains near Canton to devote himself to alchemical practices.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.

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