Experience of teaching Daoism to Russian people
俄罗斯传“道”的经验分享
This report is based on our experience in the development of Daoism in Russia. I am not a professional in the issues raised in it, hence I kindly ask you to correct my mistakes if any discovered.
本文依据我们在俄罗斯传“道”的经验编写而成。本人道学修行尚浅，如若发现文中有任何错误，烦请批评指正。
The Russian Daoist Association was founded with the support of the Chinese Daoist Association in 2014 by me - Aleksei Alekseevich Khokhlov and the like-minded people interested in Daoism.
俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会（Russian Daoist Association）是在中国江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会（Chinese Daoist Association）的倾力支持下，由本人Aleksei Alekseevich Khokhlov及一众江南娱乐在线登录账号 同好于2014年携手创立。
This was a significant step in the development of Daoism in Russia, and now the number of regular practicing students exceeds 250 people, interest in the study of Daoist knowledge has grown greatly, and new researchers and teachers are emerging. But what led us to follow the path of Daoism?
此协会的创立是俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 发展的一大里程碑。当前，协会中定期练习的学员已超250人，新的研究学者和教师正在不断涌现，人们对道学的研究兴趣与日俱增。您是否好奇我们缘何走上传“道”之路？
There are 4 official religions in Russia - Christianity (Eastern Orthodoxy), Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. These great religions have great influence and deep knowledge of human nature and methods of developing the human soul towards a more spiritual and moral state.
俄罗斯现有四大官方宗教：基督教（东正教）、伊斯兰教、犹太教和佛教。这些伟大宗教博大精深，影响深远，满蕴对人性的深湛解读，以及启迪人类灵魂、精神觉悟与道德境界的真谛。
However the experience shows that for many Russian people the knowledge they possess is not sufficient to maintain and improve their health, build good relationships with people, and achieve a harmonious and happy life for themselves and their loved ones.
然而经验表明，对许多俄罗斯人而言，这些宗教知识并不足以维持和改善身体健康、建立良好的人际关系，以及营造和谐幸福的个人和家庭生活。
If analyzed, Russian people mostly lack the following 3 aspects of Daoism:
据分析发现，俄罗斯人普遍缺乏以下三大道家智慧：
- Attention to one's own body.
1）关注自身健康。
In Chapter 44 of the Daodejing Laozi teaches us that the human’s body is more valuable and closer to one than fame and wealth.
老子在《道德经》第四十四章中教导我们，人的身体比功名利禄更宝贵、更可亲。
At the same time in many religions the body is often rejected as dirty and sinful, of secondary importance. Although this helps to lead a more high moral lifestyle, still the neglect of the body causes people to ignore the needs of their body, not pay attention to proper care of it, lose the harmony of the body, and therefore health, lose the integrity of body and soul, and create division between them.
而在许多宗教中，身体往往被视为肮脏、罪恶和次要的。这种观点虽然有助于人们过上更加高尚的道德生活，但同时也会使其忽视身体需求，不注重恰当的身体护理，扰乱身体平衡，从而损害健康，破坏甚至分裂身体和灵魂的和谐统一。
The Russian people have a saying on this topic: “A healthy spirit in a healthy body.” In other words a strong, strong-willed soul with high level of morality cannot exist in a sick body.
俄罗斯有句经典谚语：“健康的精神寓于健康的体魄。”换言之，患病之身是难以蕴生出坚韧不拔、道德高尚的心智的。
The specific instances of providing the proper attention to one's body are:
- proper nutrition
- organization of the proper daily routine
- proper rhythm of work and rest
- healthsome interaction between human being and nature, etc.
恰当的身体护理实例为：
- 恰当的营养摄入
- 恰当的日常生活规划
- 恰当的作息节奏
- 人与自然的健康互动等。
Judging by what I see when I come to China, attention to the body is a characteristic of Chinese culture to a great extent and many of its aspects are widespread in society, but Russian people need to specifically deal with this issue a lot, attuning every aspect of proper body care in their lives.
从我在中国的所见所闻来看，关注身体健康是中国文化的一个普遍特征，这在中国的各种社会现象中也有所体现。而对俄罗斯人而言，我们需要专门处理这一问题，注意在日常生活中平衡各个方面的身体护理。
Lack of proper care for the body leads to depletion of vitality, premature aging, illness, distraction of a human being from a happy and creative life to the struggle against diseases, and ultimately to suffering and lack of harmony of the soul.
缺乏对身体的恰当护理会导致精力枯竭、早衰和患病，令人从活力无限的美好天堂跌入疾病缠身的痛苦地狱，最终导致心灵失衡崩溃，痛不欲生。
Therefore, the Daoist idea of caring for the body is extremely important for Russian people.
因此，江南娱乐在线登录账号 的养生思想对俄罗斯人不可或缺。
- The supreme value of harmony.
2)和谐的无上价值。
In every deed that human does, there is always a task - to do this deed well and effectively, achieving benefit and avoiding causing harm.
我们在做每件事时都为会其预设目标，那就是要将其出色且高效地完成，既要获取利益，又要避免造成不良后果。
Everyone strives to achieve the excellent result, but, even in the best scenario, one often achieves only one or several aspects, but not all of them.
每个人都在力求完美，但即便是最理想情况，人们也往往只能达成其中一项或几项目标，难以做到十全十美。
For example:
- did the job well, but not effectively;
- did it well and effectively, but at the same time caused harm;
- did not cause harm, but the job was not done or not done to the full, etc.
例如：
- 做得出色，但不高效；
- 做得出色且高效，但同时造成了不良后果；
- 没有造成不良后果，但事情未完成或未全部完成，等等。
People are always trying to break this deadlock, but they have no way to properly combine all the necessary aspects.
人们不断尝试打破这一僵局，但苦于找不到满足所有目标要求的应对之策。
Fortunately, the great Daoist Laozi in the Daodejing gives us advice on what to do in many of his verses. Following are some examples:
所幸，伟大的道学家老子在《道德经》中为我们指点了迷津，部分示例如下：
Chapter 9. “It is better to do nothing than to attempt to fill something to the brim. If you use [something] sharp [all the time], it cannot long preserve its sharpness.”
Chapter 12. "Five colors blinds the sight. Five sounds deafen the ear. Five flavours numb the taste. Fast racing and hunting make heart become wild."
Chapter 22. “Pursuing little gain a lot. Pursuing to gain a lot leads to confusion.”
Chapter 24. “He who stands on tiptoe does not stand [for long]. He who takes big strides cannot walk [for long].”
Etc.
第九章：“持而盈之，不如其已。揣而锐之，不可长保。”（保持着盈满的状态，不如适可而止。捶打得既尖又利的铁器，就不能长久保持锋利。）
第十二章：“五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聋，五味令人口爽。驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂。”（五光十色绚丽多彩的颜色，容易使人眼花缭乱；纷繁嘈杂的音调，容易使入耳朵受到伤害；香馥芬芳、浓郁可口的食物，容易败坏人的口味；放马飞驰醉心狩猎，容易使人心情放荡发狂。）
第二十二章：“少则得，多则惑。”(少取反而能多得，贪多反而会产生迷惑。)
第二十四章：“跂者不立，跨者不行。”(踮起脚跟用脚尖站立，是站不牢的。脚步跨得太大，是走不了太远的。)
等等。
Mainly, the answer is that it is necessary to balance all aspects of the job being done, and not to forget about the other in the pursuit of one.
因此，破局之道即必须兼顾各个方面，不能顾此失彼。
Huangdi Neijing, the most important treatise in Chinese medicine speaks about the same matters:
传统医学著作《黄帝内经》亦对此问题有所阐发：
"If one eats excess salt, then vessels coagulate.
If one eats excess bitter then skin becomes dry and body hair falls out.
If one eats excess pungent then tendons tighten and nails become brittle.
If one eats excess sour then lips become rough and wrinkled.
if one eats excess sweet then bones ache and hair falls out."
Only balance allows one to maintain the health.
“多食咸，则脉凝泣而变色。”（咸味食物吃的太多，就会血脉缓慢不畅，面色发生改变。）
“多食苦，则皮槁而毛拔。”（苦味食物吃的太多，就会皮肤干枯，体毛消失。）
“多食辛，则筋急而爪枯。”（辣味食物吃的太多，就会筋脉缩紧，指甲枯萎。）
“多食酸，则肉胝而唇揭。”（酸味食物吃的太多，就会皮肉厚糙，口唇皲裂。）
“多食甘，则骨痛而发落。”（甜味食物吃的太多，就会骨骼疼痛，头发脱落。）
因此，唯有保持平衡才能维持健康。
Another example from the Huangdi Neijing:
"Long-term lying injuries the qi.
Long-term viewing injuries the Shen spirit.
Long-term standing injuries the bones.
Long-term sitting injuries the flesh.
Long-term walking injuries the tendons."
Only the proper combination and balance among them allows one not to become ill.
《黄帝内经》中的另一个例子：
“久卧伤气，
久视伤神，
久立伤骨,
久坐伤肉,
久行伤筋。”
因此，只有恰当平衡与协调各项身体活动，才能身康体健，益寿延年。
The same in deeds - even if we want to do a job well, we must not forget about thrift and saving resources. If we want to be efficient and prudent, we must not forget about achieving the goal, and so forth.
做事亦是如此，即使我们迫切想要做好，也不能忽视节俭的重要性。我们可以追求高效和节俭，但同时也不能忘记目标等重要的方面。
It is often very difficult for people to master sufficiency in their deeds. Sufficiency is the moment when further progress towards the result leads to a sharp increase in disharmony. Daoism teaches in such case to stop the action, restore harmony, and only then continue the action, trying not to lose it again.
人们在做事时往往很难把握“适度”原则。“适度”是指倘若越过这一临界点继续前进，就会导致不和谐程度剧增。江南娱乐在线登录账号 思想告诫我们，在这种情况下，人们应当停止行动，努力恢复和谐，然后再继续行动，同时注意保持和谐。
The extreme significance of this Daoist concept lies in its universality. It applies to absolutely everything in life.
此道家思想的至高价值在于它的普适性，可辐射生活的方方面面。
But it is also very difficult to master in practice. Although the idea itself is quite simple and logical, in doing deeds it is very easy to lose the correct balance and lose harmony, this often happens unnoticed by a human.
不过，将“和谐”思想应用于实践也并非易事。虽然这个概念本身简单易懂且合乎逻辑，但在实际应用时却很难把握平衡与和谐，而人们往往对事态是否失衡难以判断。
It takes many years of work and training to achieve an understanding and sense of harmony and to develop sensitivity to its loss for instant correction if necessary.
因此，必须历经多年的实践与修炼才能深刻理解和领悟和谐，培养对和谐的敏感度，以便在失衡时及时纠正。
- Yin and Yang.
3)阴阳。
The idea that everything in the world is divided into two opposite principles - light and darkness, spiritual and material, Yang and Yin - has been known in the diffirent cultures since ancient times. But it is in Daoism that it is worked out in maximum detail and is used everywhere in Chinese culture.
世间一切事物都是两两对立的，如光明与黑暗、精神与物质、阴与阳，这个观念自古以来在不同文化中皆有所涉及。其中，它在江南娱乐在线登录账号 中的阐释最为丰富详尽，在中国文化中的应用最为广泛深远。
Russian people, although they know about it, know how to use it very little. Nonetheless the proper use of Yin and Yang allows to learn to achieve harmony, adhere to it and restore it in case of loss.
俄罗斯人虽然对其有所听闻，但真正知晓如何运用的人却寥寥无几。正确运用“阴阳”理念，可以让我们学会如何达成和谐、坚守和谐以及如何在失衡时恢复和谐。
In Daodejing, the Yin-Yang principle is used throughout.
在《道德经》中，“阴阳”原理贯穿始终。
Chapter 36. “In order to compress something, you must first expand it. In order to weaken something, you must first strengthen it. In order to destroy something, you must first let it bloom. In order to take something away from someone, you must first give it to him.”
Chapter 39. "The lowly are the basis for the noble, and the low is the basis for the high."
Chapter 40. “Transformation into the opposite is an action of Dao, weakness is a property of Dao. In the world, all things are born in being, and being is born in non-being.”
Chapter 42. "All beings carry within themselves Yin and Yang... things are elevated when they are humbled, and humbled when they are elevated."
Chapter 78. “Weak overcomes strong, soft overcomes hard.”
Etc.
第三十六章：“将欲歙之，必固张之；将欲弱之，必固强之；将欲废之，必固兴之；将欲夺之，必固与之。”（想要收拢它，必先扩张它；想要削弱它，必先让它强大；想要废除它，必先推举它；想要夺取它，必先给予它。）
第三十九章：“贵以贱为本，高以下为基。”（尊贵以卑贱为根本，高以低为基础。）
第四十章：“反者道之动，弱者道之用。天下万物生于有，有生于无。”（“道”的运动是循环往复的运动变化，它的作用是微妙柔弱的。天下的万物都是生于看得见的有形质，而看得见的有形质却生于看不见的无形质。）
第四十二章：“万物负阴而抱阳……故物或损之而益，或益之而损。”（万物都背阴而向阳……世上的事物，如果减损它有时反而会得到增加，如果增加它有时反而会得到减损。）
第七十八章：“弱之胜强，柔之胜刚。”（弱小的能战胜强大的，柔软的可以战胜刚强的。）
等等。
Experience shows that the most important principles arising from the famous Yin-Yang scheme - “the limit of Yin gives birth to Yang, the limit of Yang gives birth to Yin”, as well as “inside Yin there is Yang, inside Yang there is Yin” are often not obvious to people, but at the same time they have an extremely wide application and can bring great benefits to people in their lives.
经验表明，“阴极生阳，阳极生阴”“阴中有阳，阳中有阴”等著名“阴阳”学理论往往不为人深悉，但其应用却极为广泛，对人类生活大有裨益。
Therefore, the study and proper application of the Yin-Yang law is extremely important for the Russian people.
因此，深刻研究并恰当运用“阴阳”理论对俄罗斯人民至关重要。
All this knowledge must be both studied theoretically and learned to apply in practice, in various spheres of life, and in order to gain completeness this knowledge must be also learned directly inside the human body through Daoist practice.
上述江南娱乐在线登录账号 知识的掌握应当结合理论研究和在各个生活领域的实践应用。同时，为全面理解江南娱乐在线登录账号 知识，还需借助江南娱乐在线登录账号 修炼，将学识内化到自己的身心之中。
For 9 years the Russian Daoist Association has been conducting the following activities on the study of Daoism:
九年来，俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会始终致力于开展以下江南娱乐在线登录账号 研究活动：
- Daoist practice is taught in regular groups for more than 250 people (the total number of people trained over the entire period is thousands of people).
- 定期为250多人举办江南娱乐在线登录账号 修习班（九年间受训总人数达数千人）。
- Training on the theory of Daoism is provided, at the moment we are translating and teaching more than 10 weekly courses on important texts of Daozang on Daoist alchemy, IChing, medicine, general Daoist knowledge, as well as martial arts.
- 提供江南娱乐在线登录账号 理论培训，目前我们每周翻译和讲授10多门课程，内容涉及江南娱乐在线登录账号 炼丹术、《易经》、中医、江南娱乐在线登录账号 常识以及武术相关的重要道藏典籍。
- Quarterly events are held with the participation of more than 100 students for joint intensive practice and discussion of Daoist topics.
- 举办季度道学活动，与100多名学员一起集中练习和讨论江南娱乐在线登录账号 话题。
- At the beginning of the pandemic we were able to quickly introduce an effective model of joint practice and study of theory through modern tools of online video conferencing, which allowed students to continue studying Daoism. There was no break in classes even for a week.
- 疫情初期，我们借助网络视频会议等现代工具，迅速引入了实践与理论相结合的有效学习模式，丝毫没有耽误上课进度，我们甚至一周都没有停课。
- There are special groups for teaching students in English in the Russian Daoist Association that have been successfully conducted for several years; we welcome sincerely interested people from other countries, not only from Russia; students in such groups achieve excellent results, no worse than those of Russian students.
- 俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会设有专门的英语教学小组，已成功开展多年。我们热烈欢迎来自俄罗斯以及其他各个国家的诚心学道之人，这些国际学员成绩优异，与俄罗斯学员不分伯仲。
- A land was selected taking into account Feng Shui and purchased in a mountainous area and construction of a favorable Daoist place for meetings and practice of students of the Russian Daoist Association has been started.
- 我们在山区选购了一块风水宝地，计划在此为俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会的学员们建造一处聚会与修炼的江南娱乐在线登录账号 场所，目前该项目已经动工。
Inspiring examples of the great Daoists of China are the greatest value for us; Russian Daoists will try to match and widely spread the Dao in Russia and the world!Thank you.
中国道家先贤的伟大实践是指引我们前进道路的无价之宝，俄罗斯修道士必将继古开今，在俄罗斯及世界各地广泛传“道”！谢谢！
（本文作者：阿列克谢道长，系俄罗斯江南娱乐在线登录账号 协会会长，本文为阿列克谢道长在第五届国际江南娱乐在线登录账号 论坛所作分享，转载请注明作者和出处）
