Taoism, Taoist Women,

The tradition of Immortal Sisters--female Taoist adepts--is as old as Chinese myth and history. In English translation for the first time, the writings and poems in this book demonstrate the accomplishments of six distinguished Taoist women from the fourth to the twelfth century. The best-known is Sun Bu-er, who passed into folklore as one of the famous Seven Immortals and whose character appears in countless popular novels of China. The translations shed light on the spiritual methods used by these women and illustrate the prominence of the feminine in Taoism. The translator’s introduction and commentaries contribute biographical sketches and insights into the Taoist tradition, in which the importance of women transcended the influence of patriarchal society