John Eaton Calthorpe Blofeld (April 2, 1913-June 7, 1987) was a British scholar of Asian thought and religion, especially Taoism and Chinese Buddhism. Asia is the largest and most populous of the Earths continents. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for (a) the Chinese folk religion; (b) a family of organized Chinese religious movements such as the Zhengyi (Orthodox One) or Quanzhen (Complete Reality) sects, which collectively trace back to Zhang Daoling in the late Han dynasty; and/or (c) academic... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in Devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as...

Blofeld was born in London and educated at Haileybury College, then Downing College, Cambridge University where he read natural sciences but did not complete his degree. Instead he left in his second year for travels to China. Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ... Haileybury College is an English public school founded in 1862. ... Full name Downing College Motto Quaerere Verum Seek the truth Named after Sir George Downing Previous names - Established 1800 Sister College Lincoln College Master Prof. ... REDIRECT [1] ...

From 1933-1939 he resided in and wandered around China, visiting monasteries and talking to Mongolian lamas, Zen masters, Taoist sages, etc. He lived for some time in Peking, and traveled through Asia (Tibet, Mongolia, China, India, and Burma) to visit the places where those religions lived within their practitioners. He talked to Taoist eremites, spend time in monasteries and experienced how alive the spiritual culture of China was in his period. Blofeld became a pupil of Master Hsu Yun but actually received training in Ch’an (Zen) meditation from his pupils at monastery, near Kunming, Yunnan. He also received Vajrayana teachings. Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for (a) the Chinese folk religion; (b) a family of organized Chinese religious movements such as the Zhengyi (Orthodox One) or Quanzhen (Complete Reality) sects, which collectively trace back to Zhang Daoling in the late Han dynasty; and/or (c) academic... â–¶ (help· info) (Chinese: 北京; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for (a) the Chinese folk religion; (b) a family of organized Chinese religious movements such as the Zhengyi (Orthodox One) or Quanzhen (Complete Reality) sects, which collectively trace back to Zhang Daoling in the late Han dynasty; and/or (c) academic... Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...

Although he intended to spend his whole life in Peking, he was forced out by World War II. He taught at the School of Oriental Studies, University of London (1939-1940), served as Cultural Attache to the British Embassy in Chunking (1942-1945), and received a Chinese National Government scholarship to study T’ang Dynasty Buddhism in Peking (1947-1949), only to be forced out again by the Communist takeover. He then taught in Hong Kong and Bangkok (1949-1961). He spoke Mandarin fluently, married a Chinese woman, and eventually settled in Thailand. During these years he also visited Darjeeling to study with Nyingma teachers including Dudjom Rinpoche and Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Blofeld worked for the United Nations (ECAFE, later ESCAP - Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) (1961-1974), and then taught English at Kasetsart University and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok (1974-1979). In his later years, he conducted extensive lecture tours of America and Canada (1978-1980), and subsequently studied Chinese composition and literature. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... // School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Motto Knowledge is Power Crest Patron HM The Queen President Baroness Helena Kennedy QC Director & Principal Prof. ... Senate House, designed by Charles Holden home to the universitys central administrative offices and its library The University of London is a federation of colleges and institutes which together constitute one of the worlds largest universities. ... Chongqing (Simplified Chinese: 重庆; Traditional Chinese: 重慶; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Chungking) is the largest and most populous of the Peoples Republic of Chinas four provincial-level municipalities, and the only one in the less densely populated western half of China. ... Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 The Wat Phra Kaew temple Bangkok Metropolitan Administration building Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ), or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร, IPA: ), is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 1990 population of 8,538,610. ... The Toy Train approaching Darjeeling Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal and headquarters of Darjeeling district, situated in the foothills of the Himalaya at elevations of between 2,000 and 3,000 metres above sea level. ... Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... Kasetsart University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์) the first agricultural university in Thailand, was established on February 2, 1943 with the prime aims in promoting subjects related to agricultural science. ... Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and has long been considered to be the most prestigeous academic institution in the country. ...

His studies and his collected experiences with the sages and mystics of China are of special interest, because he entered this realm in an era before the Cultural Revolution aimed to annihilate all ties to the old feudal Chinese identity. A poster during the Cultural Revolution. ...

His own view on the practices and beliefs he encountered was always marked by admiration of this lived spirituality. In the beginnings of his travels and studies, he was not very familar with the native languages, and held a skeptical position against the shamanistic elements of those religions. But as his studies dove deeper into the complex symbolism of asian thought, he developed a broader view, and became himself a deeply spiritual man. A shaman doctor of Kyzyl. ...

Blofeld died at age 74 in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 The Wat Phra Kaew temple Bangkok Metropolitan Administration building Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ), or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร, IPA: ), is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 1990 population of 8,538,610. ...

Selected works

• The Huang Po Doctrine of Universal Mind - 1947, under pseudonym Chu Ch'an
• The Path to Sudden Attainment, a treatise of the Ch'an (Zen) school of Chinese Buddhism by Hui Hai[ar] of the T'ang Dynasty - 1948
• City of Lingering Splendour : A Frank Account of Old Peking's Exotic Pleasures - 1961
• The Zen Teaching of Huang Po: On the Transmission of Mind - 1959
• The Zen Teaching of Hui Hai - 1962
• I Ching, the Book of Change: The Book of Change - 1968
• The Chinese Art of Tea - 1985

• Bodhisattva of Compassion : The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin - date unknown
• Gateway to Wisdom: Taoist and Buddhist Contemplative Healing Yogas - date unknown
• The jewel in the lotus: An outline of present day Buddhism in China - date unknown
• Mantras: Sacred Words of Power - date unknown
• The Tantric Mysticism of Tibet : A Practical Guide to the Theory, Purpose, and Techniques ofTantric Meditation - date unknown
• Taoism: The Road to Immortality - date unknown
• Wheel of Life : The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist ISBN 0877730342 - date unknown

(See below for more complete list)

External links

An extensive listing of published books