Sheng-t’ai Chin., lit. “sacred embryo”; an embryo or fetus that, according to Taoist beliefs, comes into being by the fusion of the inner ch’i (nei-ch’i, ch’i) and the essence (ching) in the lower cinnabar field (tan-t’ien), where it is nourished by the breath and slowly develops into a new purified body within the physical body. This embryo is the immortal soul of Taoists. When the physical body dies, this pure body departs from its mortal sheath and the practitioner becomes an immortal (hsien). In the teachings of the Inner Alchemy (nei-tan) the development of the sacred embryo is described in great detail-albeit in the language of the Outer Alchemy (wai-tan) and is said to have nine stages, which are analogous to the effect of the ninefold-purified cinnabar of the alchemists:
1) the living ch’i circulates freely and unimpeded throughout the body;
2) the essence, the semen (ching), collects in the lower cinnabar field;
3) the sacred embryo begins to assume the form ofa human embryo;
4) the two souls (hun and p’o) of the sacred embryo come into being;
5) the embryo is fully formed and has various supernatural powers;
6) inner and outer yin and yang (yin-yang) reach their highest intensity and the embryo merges with the body of the adept;
7) the five internal organs (wu-tsang) are transformed by the power of ch’i into those of an immortal;
8) an umbilical cord develops, through which the breath is channeled during a practice known as embryonic breathing (t’ai-hsi);
9) form and Tao combine and clouds form below the feet of the practitioner, on which he ascends toward Heaven (fei-sheng), thereby completing the metamorphosis.
Texts that are not as strongly influenced by the Outer Alchemy describe the sacred embryo at the beginning of its development as a pearl or a rust-colored drop; Wei P’o-yang for instance refers to it as a child of a pearl. Other texts speak of a mysterious Pearl (hsüan-chu). Sometimes the embryo is also compared to a grain of corn or a drop of water. Syncretist movements combining Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism compare the Taoist sheng-t’ai to the Buddhist tathagatagarbha or the dharmakaya.
The term sheng-t’ai furthermore occurs in the writings of Tsung-mi, a patriarch of the Hua-yen School of Chinese Buddhism. In a passage on the origin of Zen, Tsung-mi speaks of nourishing the spirit (shen) and allowing the sacred embryo to grow. Ma-tzu Tao-i, one of the most famous Zen masters of the 8th century, also used the term.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Books on Sheng-t’ai
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