Taoist sexual practices

History

During the Han dynasty, some Taoist sects engaged in sexual intercourse as a spiritual practice known as héqì. The earliest surviving sexual texts, found at Mawangdui, predate the full evolution of Taoist philosophy but share notable similarities with later Tang dynasty works such as the Ishinpō. The sexual arts reached their peak between the end of the Han dynasty and the end of the Tang dynasty.

After AD 1000, Confucian attitudes toward sexuality grew more restrictive, and by the beginning of the Qing dynasty in 1644, sex had become a taboo subject in public life. Confucians claimed that gender separation in social activities had existed for two thousand years and suppressed the sexual arts. Censorship during the Qing caused these practices to disappear from public view, and some texts survived only in Japan, leaving most scholars unaware that early China had such a different concept of sex.

Ancient and medieval practices

Taoist thought often holds that qi pervades all existence and is linked to jing, an energetic substance in the human body. Once jing is fully expended, the body dies. Jing can be lost through various means, especially the loss of bodily fluids, with semen considered the fluid richest in jing. Consequently, some Taoists advocate reducing the frequency of ejaculation or avoiding it entirely to conserve life essence.

Many practitioners associate excessive ejaculation with premature aging, disease, and fatigue. While some Taoists prescribe never ejaculating, others offer specific formulas for the maximum number of regular ejaculations needed to maintain health. The general principle is to limit fluid loss according to one's desired practice. Over time, some practitioners have placed less emphasis on restricting ejaculation, leading to a variety of views: some declare non-ejaculation harmful, while others condemn ejaculating too hastily.

Nonetheless, semen retention remains a foundational tenet. Several methods exist to control ejaculation. A man might withdraw just before orgasm, a technique later called coitus conservatus. Another method involves applying pressure to the perineum to retain sperm; if done incorrectly, this can cause retrograde ejaculation, but Taoists believed the jing would then travel to the head and nourish the brain.

Cunnilingus was considered ideal because it prevented the loss of both semen and vaginal fluids. Another key concept in the joining of the essences is that the union of a man and a woman generates jing, a type of sexual energy. During lovemaking, jing forms, and the man can transform some of it into qi, thereby replenishing his lifeforce. By engaging in frequent intercourse, men could convert increasing amounts of jing and thus gain health benefits.