From epistemology to the method : phenomenology of the body, qi cultivation (qigong) and religious experiences in Chinese worlds

Abstract

At the intersections of social anthropology, philosophy, and Asian studies, my paper explores the body ecologic through a phenomenological frame in the context of Chinese culture engaging both theory and method. How can qi cultivation experiences transporting bodies and persons in movement, within the world and their "life-world," be interpreted through a phenomenology of perception? Based on ethnographic study data collected mainly in South China (Guangzhou) and in Taiwan (1990s-2000s), this exploration is situated within qi gong experiences (training, cultivating and mastering the qi). Anchored in martial, religious, and healing arts and their meanings, qigong's myriad of forms and infinite variations invite journeys into religious Daoist and Buddhist practice, Chinese thought, and politico-religious issues of past and present Chinese society. The qigong world, paths of knowledge transmission, healing horizons, claimed affiliations, and views of practitioners unveil an ontology and a cosmology grounded in religious (Daoist and Buddhist) lore.