Women in Daoism

Women in Daoism focuses on the position and activities of women in the Daoist tradition from its inception to the present day. It describes how the role of Daoist women in Chinese society developed throughout history, focusing on the different ideals women stood for as much as on the religious practices they cultivated. Presenting first materials on major goddesses, including the Mother of the West, it then discusses the reality of historical women practitioners, and their role in Chinese society. The third part focuses on women’s transformation, describing the way the female body is viewed in Daoist cosmology and outlining specific practices of internal alchemy. With its wide scope, the book it presents the richness of the tradition in all its multiple facets.