View source for Taoist sexual practices

{{Short description|Religious sexual practices}}
{{Taoism}}
[[Image:Heqi.JPG|thumb|A Chinese print depicting "The Joining of the Essences", based on [[Tang Dynasty art]]]]
'''Taoist sexual practices''' ({{lang-zh|s=房中术|t=房中術|p=fángzhōngshù|l=arts of the bedchamber|first=t}}) are the ways [[Taoism|Taoists]] may practice [[human sexual activity|sexual activity]].  These practices are also known as "joining energy" or "the joining of the essences".  Practitioners believe that by performing these sexual arts, one can stay in good health, and attain longevity or spiritual advancement.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tantric and Taoist Practices to Improve Sex |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201210/tantric-and-taoist-practices-improve-sex |website=Psychology Today}}</ref><ref>Dr STEVEN LIU and JONATHAN BLANK SECRETS OF DRAGON GATE 2001</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tao of Sexology: Sexual Wisdom and Methods |url=http://www.thegreattao.com/html/taoofsexology.html |website=www.thegreattao.com}}</ref>

==History==
Some Taoist sects during the [[Han dynasty]] performed [[sexual intercourse]] as a spiritual practice, called ''héqì'' ({{lang-zh|c=合氣|p=Hé qì
}})( lit. "joining energy").<ref name=":0" /> The earliest sexual texts that survive today are those found at [[Mawangdui]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite thesis |last=Umekawa |first=Sumiyo |title=Sex and immortality: A study of Chinese sexual activities for better-being. |date=2004 |access-date=23 December 2024 |degree=PhD |publisher=SOAS University of London |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/29275 |doi=10.25501/SOAS.00029275}}</ref> While [[Taoism]] had not yet fully evolved as a philosophy at this time, these texts shared some remarkable similarities with later [[Tang dynasty]] texts, such as the ''[[Ishinpō]]'' ({{lang-zh|c=醫心方|p=Yī xīn fāng
}}). The sexual arts arguably reached their climax between the end of the [[Han dynasty]] and the end of the Tang dynasty.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

After AD 1000, [[Confucianism|Confucian]] restraining attitudes towards sexuality became stronger, so that by the beginning of the [[Qing dynasty]] in 1644, sex was a [[taboo]] topic in public life.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}} These Confucians alleged that the separation of genders in most social activities existed 2,000 years ago and suppressed the sexual arts. Because of the [[taboo]] surrounding sex, there was much [[censorship|censoring]] done during the Qing in literature, and the sexual arts disappeared in public life.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}} As a result, some of the [[Document|texts]] survived only in [[Japan]], and most scholars had no idea that such a different concept of sex existed in [[History of China|early China]].<ref>Van Gulik (1961), preface</ref>

==Ancient and medieval practices==

===''Qi'' (lifeforce) and ''jing'' (essence)===
The basis of much Taoist thinking is that ''[[qi]]'' ({{lang|zh|氣}}) is part of everything in existence.<ref>Robinet (1997), p. 7</ref> ''Qi'' is related to another energetic substance contained in the human body known as ''[[jing (Chinese medicine)|jing]]''  ({{lang|zh|精}}), and once all this has been expended the body dies. ''Jing'' can be lost in many ways, but most notably through the loss of body fluids. Taoists may use practices to stimulate/increase and conserve their bodily fluids to great extents. The fluid believed to contain the most ''jing'' is semen. Therefore, some Taoists believe in [[Huanjing bunao|decreasing the frequency of, or totally avoiding, ejaculation in order to conserve life essence]].<ref name="Wile 1992, p. 6">Wile (1992), p. 6.</ref>

===Male control of ejaculation===
{{Main|Huanjing bunao}}
Many [[Taoist]] practitioners link the loss of ejaculatory fluids to the loss of vital life force: where excessive fluid loss results in premature aging, disease, and general fatigue. While some Taoists contend that one should never ejaculate, others provide a specific formula to determine the maximum number of regular [[ejaculation]]s in order to maintain health.<ref>Wile (1992), p. 92.</ref><ref name="Formulas">{{Cite web |last=North |first=Kris Deva |title=Taoist Ejaculation Formulas |url=http://www.healing-tao.co.uk/Article_Taoist_Ejaculation_Formula.htm |access-date=2020-09-19 |publisher=Healing Tao}}</ref>

The general idea is to limit the loss of fluids as much as possible to the level of your desired practice. As these sexual practices were passed down over the [[centuries]], some practitioners have given less importance to the limiting of ejaculation. This variety has been described as "...while some declare non-ejaculation injurious, others condemn ejaculating too fast in too much haste."<ref name=Formulas/> Nevertheless, the "retention of the [[semen]]" is one of the foundational tenets of Taoist sexual practice.<ref>Wile (1992), p. 46.</ref>

There are different methods to control ejaculation prescribed by the Taoists. In order to avoid ejaculation, the man could do one of several things. He could pull out immediately before [[orgasm]], a method also more recently termed as "[[Coitus reservatus|coitus conservatus]]."<ref>van Gulik (1961)</ref> A second method involved the man applying pressure on the [[perineum]], thus retaining the sperm. While if done incorrectly this can cause [[retrograde ejaculation]], the Taoists believed that the jing traveled up into the head and "nourished the brain."<ref>Wile (1993), p. 20.</ref> [[Cunnilingus]] was believed to be ideal by preventing the loss of semen and vaginal liquids.

===Practice control===
Another important concept of "the joining of the essences" was that the union of a man and a woman would result in the creation of ''jing'', a type of sexual energy. When in the act of lovemaking, ''jing'' would form, and the man could transform some of this ''jing'' into ''qi'', and therefore replenish his lifeforce. By having as much sex as possible, men had the opportunity to transform more and more ''jing'', and as a result would see many health benefits.<ref name="Wile 1992, p. 6" />

===Yin and yang===
The concept of [[yin and yang]] is important in Taoism and consequently also holds special importance in sex. Yang usually referred to the male sex, whereas yin could refer to the female sex. Man and woman were the equivalent of heaven and earth, but became disconnected. Therefore, while heaven and earth are eternal, man and woman suffer a premature death.<ref>Wile (1992), p. 85.</ref>  Every interaction between yin and yang had significance. Because of this significance, every position and action in lovemaking had importance. Taoist texts described a large number of special sexual positions that served to cure or prevent illness, similar to the ''[[Kama Sutra]]''.<ref>Wile (1992), p. 28.</ref>

There was the notion that men released yang during orgasm, while women shed yin during theirs. Every orgasm from the user would nourish the partner's energy.<ref name="auto">Fang (1993), p. 56</ref>

===Women===
For Taoists, sex was not just about pleasing a man.<ref>Chang (1977), p. 29</ref> The woman also had to be stimulated and pleased in order to benefit from the act of sex. [[Sunü]] ({{zhi|c=素女|p=Sù nǚ}}), female advisor to the [[Yellow Emperor]] ''Huangdi'' ({{zhi|c=黃帝|p=Huángdì}}), noted ten important indications of female satisfaction.<ref>Chang (1977), p. 32</ref> If sex were performed in this manner, the woman would create more ''jing'', and the man could more easily absorb the ''jing'' to increase his own ''qi''.<ref>Reid (1989), p. 272</ref>

According to [[Jolan Chang]], in early Chinese history, women played a significant role in the [[Tao]] ({{zhi|c=道|p=Dào}}) of loving, and that the degeneration into subordinate roles came much later in Chinese history.<ref>Chang, (1977) p. 30</ref> Women were also given a prominent place in the ''[[Ishinpō]]'', with the tutor being a woman. One of the reasons women had a great deal of strength in the act of sex was that they walked away undiminished from the act. The woman had the power to bring forth life, and did not have to worry about ejaculation or [[Refractory period (sex)|refractory period.]] To quote [[Laozi]] from the ''[[Tao Te Ching]]'': "The Spirit of the Valley is inexhaustible... Draw on it as you will, it never run dry."<ref>Reid (1989), p. 273</ref>

Many of the ancient texts were dedicated explanations of how a man could use sex to extend his own life, but his life was extended only through the absorption of the woman's vital energies (''jing'' and ''qi''). Some Taoists came to call the act of sex "the battle of stealing and strengthening".<ref>Wile (1992), p. 11.</ref> These sexual methods could be correlated with Taoist military methods. Instead of storming the gates, the battle was a series of feints and maneuvers that would sap the enemy's resistance.<ref>Wile (1992), p. 14.</ref> Fang described this battle as "the ideal was for a man to 'defeat' the 'enemy' in the sexual 'battle' by keeping himself under complete control so as not to emit semen, while at the same time exciting the woman until she reached orgasm and shed her Yin essence, which was then absorbed by the man."<ref name="auto"/>

Jolan Chang points out that it was after the [[Tang dynasty]] (AD 618–906) that "the Tao of Loving" was "steadily corrupted", and that it was these later corruptions that reflected battle imagery and elements of a "vampire" mindset.<ref>Chang (1977), p. 76</ref> Other research into early Taoism found more harmonious attitudes of yin-yang communion.<ref>Needham (1983)</ref>

===Multiple partners===
This practice was not limited to male on female, however, as it was possible for women to do the same in turn with the male yang. The deity known as the [[Queen Mother of the West]] was described to have no husband, instead having intercourse with young [[Virginity|virgin]] males to nourish her female element.<ref>Fang (1993), p. 60.</ref>

===Age of partners===
Some [[Ming dynasty]] Taoist [[sect]]s believed that one way for men to achieve longevity or 'towards immortality' is by having intercourse with virgins, particularly young virgins. Taoist sexual books by Liangpi<ref name="LP">{{Cite book |last=Liang Pi |first=Zhao |title=Hsuan wei Hsin |language=Chinese |trans-title=Mental Images of the Mysteries and Subtleties of Sexual Techniques}}</ref> and Sanfeng<ref name="SF">{{Cite book |last=San Feng |first=Zhang |title=Tan Chueh 三峯丹訣 |language=Chinese |trans-title=Instructions in the Physiological Alchemy}}</ref> call the female partner ''[[Ding (vessel)|ding]]'' ([[wiktionary:鼎|鼎]]) and recommend sex with pre[[menarche]] virgins.

Liangpi concludes that the ideal ''ding'' is a pre-menarche virgin just under 14 years of age and women older than 18 should be avoided.<ref name="j269" /> Sanfeng went further and divided ''ding'' partners into three ranks of descending importance: premenarche virgins aged 14–16, [[menstruating]] virgins aged 16–20 and women aged 21–25.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ruan |first=Fang Fu |author-link=Ruan Fangfu |title=Sex in China: Studies in Sexology in Chinese Culture |date=31 October 1991 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9781489906090 |editor-last=Matsumura |editor-first=Molleen |page=56 |chapter=The Value of Virgins as Sex Partners |quote=Almost all Taoist sex handbooks recommend that the "ding" should be a girl of 14 to 16, just before or after menarche. In Zhang '''Sanfeng''''s Instructions in Physiological Alchemy, "ding" were classified into three ranks. The lowest rank comprised women between the ages of 21 and 25. The middle rank compromised 16- to 20-year-old virgins after menarche. The highest rank comprised 14-year-old virgins before menarche. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XyChBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56}} ("The Role of Sexual Lore in Taoism" begins on page 50, this is a 2013 edition of a 1991 book)</ref><ref name="j269">{{Cite book |last=Ruan |first=Fang-fu |url=http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/SEN/CH23.HTM#b1-TAOISM%20AND%20SEX |title=Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia |date=1994 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-8240-7972-7 |editor-last=Bullough |editor-first=Vern L. |publication-place=New York London |page=576 |chapter=Taoism and Sex |quote=The Taoist sexual books, such as the Hsuan wei Hshin (Mental Images of the Mysteries and Subtleties of Sexual Techniques') and San Feng Tan Cheueh (Zhang Sanfeng's Instructions in the Physiological Alchemy), written, respectively, by Zhao '''Liang Pi''' and Zhang '''San Feng''', state that the most desirable ding is a girl about 14, 15, or 16 years old just before or after menarche. Zhang '''Sanfeng''' went further and divided ding into three ranks: the lowest rank, 21- to 25-year-old women; the middle rank, 16- to 20-year-old menstruating virgin girls; and the highest rank, 14-year-old pre-menarche virgin girls. |editor-last2=Bullough |editor-first2=Bonnie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021216190909/http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/SEN/CH23.HTM |archive-date=16 December 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to [[Ge Hong]], a 4th-century Taoist [[alchemy|alchemist]], "those seeking 'immortality' must perfect the absolute essentials. These consist of treasuring the jing, circulating the qi, and consuming the great medicine."<ref name="Wile 1992, p. 24">Wile (1992), p. 24.</ref> The sexual arts concerned the first precept, treasuring the jing. This is partially because treasuring the jing involved sending it up into the brain. In order to send the jing into the brain, the male had to refrain from ejaculation during sex. According to some Taoists, if this was done, the jing would travel up the spine and nourish the brain instead of leaving the body. Ge Hong also states, however, that it is folly to believe that performing the sexual arts only can achieve immortality and some of the ancient myths on sexual arts had been misinterpreted and exaggerated. Indeed, the sexual arts had to be practiced alongside [[alchemy]] to attain longevity. Ge Hong also warned it could be dangerous if practiced incorrectly.<ref name="Wile 1992, p. 24" />

==See also==
* [[Aiki (martial arts principle)|Aiki (Japanese)]]
* [[Huanjing bunao]]
* [[Jiutian Xuannü]], goddess of sexuality as well as warfare and longevity
* [[Sex magic]]
* [[Sexual vampire]]
* [[Tantric sex]]
*[[Yangsheng (Daoism)]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==

===Contemporary texts===
*[[David Deida]]. ''The Superior Lover''.  2001.
*[[Jolan Chang|Chang, Jolan]]. ''The Tao of Love and Sex''. Plume, 1977.
*Chang, Stephen T.. ''The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom''. Tao Longevity LLC, 1986.
*[[Mantak Chia|Chia, Mantak and Maneewan]]. ''Healing Love Through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy''. Healing Tao, 1986.
*[[Mantak Chia|Chia, Mantak and Michael Winn]]. ''Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy''. Aurora, 1984.
*[[Mantak Chia|Chia, Mantak and Douglas Abrams Arava]]. ''The Multi-Orgasmic Man''. HarperCollins, 1996.
*[[Mantak Chia|Chia, Mantak and Maneewan]]. ''The Multi-Orgasmic Couple''. HarperOne, 2002.
*[[Mantak Chia|Chia, Mantak and Rachel Carlton Abrams]]. ''The Multi-Orgasmic Woman''. Rodale, 2005.
*[[Bruce Frantzis|Frantzis, Bruce]]. ''Taoist Sexual Meditation''. North Atlantic Books, 2012.
*Holden, Lee and Rachel Carlton Abrams. ''Taoist Sexual Secrets: Harness Your Qi Energy for Ecstasy, Vitality, and Transformation'' - Audio CD set. Sounds True, 2010.
*[[Hsi Lai]]. ''The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress: Secrets of the Female Taoist Masters''.  Destiny Books, 2001.
*[[Joseph Needham|Needham, Joseph]]. ''Science and Civilization in China,'' 5:2. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1983.
*Reid, Daniel P. ''The Tao of Health, Sex & Longevity''. Simon & Schuster, 1989.
* Robinet, Isabelle. ''Taoism: Growth of a Religion'' (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997 [original French 1992]). {{ISBN|0-8047-2839-9}}
*[[Robert van Gulik|Van Gulik, Robert]]. ''The Sexual Life of Ancient China: A Preliminary Survey of Chinese Sex and Society from ca. 1500 B.C. till 1644 A.D.'' Leiden: Brill, 1961. {{OL|13350221W}} 
*[[Ruan Fang Fu]]. ''Sex in China: Studies in Sexology in Chinese Culture'' Plenum Press, 1991. {{OL|13567038W}} 
*Wik, Mieke and Stephan. ''Beyond Tantra: Healing through Taoist Sacred Sex''. Findhorn Press, 2005.{{OL|16989994W}}
*Wile, Douglas. ''The Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics including Women's Solo Meditation Texts''. Albany: State University of New York, 1992.
*Zettnersan, Chian. ''Taoist Bedroom Secrets,'' Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press, 2002.{{OL|8676171W}}

===Classical texts===
* [[Su Nu Jing]]
* ''Health Benefits of the Bedchamber''
* ''[[Ishinpō|Ishinpō (醫心方)]]''
* "Priceless Recipe" by Sun S'su-Mo (Tang)
* "Hsiu Chen Yen I" by Wu Hsien (Han)

==External links==
* [http://www.thegreattao.com The Great Tao] Answers to Everyday Problems.
* [http://www.bigeye.com/sexeducation/ancientchina.html History of Taoist Sexual Development in China] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218013144/http://www.bigeye.com/sexeducation/ancientchina.html |date=2008-12-18 }}
*[http://china.emperadoramarillo.net/treatises.html Sample of the Taoist Manuals]

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