Zhu Xi and Daoism: Investigation of Inner-Meditative Alchemy in Zhu Xi’s Theory and Method for the Attainment of Sagehood

Abstract

In a sense Zhu Xi’s philosophy would not be possible without Daoist cosmology and self-cultivation practices. Daoism provides the beginning and end of Zhu Xi’s philosophy in that his philosophy begins with the Diagram of the Great Polarity or Taijitu 太極圖, and it ends with his later life interest in Daoist self-cultivation and breathing techniques. This is a bold claim. This chapter will explicate why Daoism plays such an important role in his philosophy.