[6] ElementsofotherAsiantraditions, particularlyHinduismandBuddhism, , China’, duringcertainperiods, certainTaoistsadaptedcertainBuddhistideas, , , Taoistsgenerallydidnotaccepttheidea — commoninsomeformsofCh’an/Zen — -maCh’eng-chen, atleast, Taoistshadponderedthefullrangeofspiritualmodelslongenoughtodecidethatidealssuchas “suddenness” , anexemplaryelderreportedlytaughtHoChih-chang, “Onecannotadvanceswiftly, butmusttakeyieldingrestraintastheprimeconcern [This] islikerefusing [toaccept] ahorseforracingaway.” ThoughTaoistsinlateragesdidsometimesappropriatetermssuchaswu, “achievingnewexperientialawareness” (atermmostfamiliartostudentsofZeninitsJapanesepronunciation, satori) TaoistsalwaysintegratedsuchtermsintoaTaoistperspectiveonlife.
[7] Likewise, TaoistsdidnotfindvalueintheBuddhistassumptionthatspiritualtransformationcouldtakeplacemerelyasachangeinone’sconsciousness, withoutanyrealreferencetoone’, atransformationofalltheirbeing — includingwhatothertraditionshaveoftendistinguishedasmind, body, andspirit — inaccordwiththemostsubtleandsublimeprocessesatworkintheworldwithinwhichwelive.
[8] Intheyear2000, ascholarofChinesereligion, DonaldHarper, — fromclassicaltimesdowntothepresent — hasinvolvedapracticeofself-cultivationwithinacosmoscomprisedofsubtlylinkedforces.
