Foundations

222 / Journal of Daoist Studies 1 (2008) Many of the files are in RAR format, which is simply a type of compres‑ sion; if you download the program WinRAR (it is shareware, but the trial version should work fine) then you can decompress the file: http://www.rarlab.com/rar/wrar371.exe Also, some of the files are in a format called DJVV (like Deja vu), which is like PDF but usually searchable in Chinese characters. Tools for reading this format can be found at http://djvu.org/resources/ —Josh Capitanio Foundations As Daoist Studies broadens and moves up in the world, new foundations are being created that support Daoist research, translation, and practice. Two such foundations exist so far, the Daoist Foundation (daoist­ foundation.org; daoistcenter.org) and Legacy of Dao (legacyofdao.org). Both are nonprofit organizations dedicated to spreading ancient Daoist wis‑ dom and life style in the modern world. They hope to attract donations that will enable them to fund translation, research, and archival projects as well as enterprises that bring Daoist worldview and practices to larger numbers of people with the goal of enhancing health, harmony, and prosperity and improving environmental peace and quality of life. Legacy of Dao focuses mainly on grants to qualified scholars for the translation of Daoist texts and the completion of research projects. The organization also wishes to sponsor conferences and workshops in Dao‑ ist Studies and support projects that enhance the practical accessibility of Daoist methods and health practices. The Daoist Foundation is currently working toward establishing a Daoist Studies Archive that includes every major publication in Daoist Studies, with special attention to Dao‑ ist textual collections. Other major projects involve educating the general public about Daoism as a Chinese religious tradition and disseminating accurate, relevant information on Daoism in digital and media formats. All academics involved in the study of Daoism as well as all practi‑ tioners dedicated to bringing Daoism to greater public attention have a News of the Field / 223 vested interest in working with these new organizations and in making these new initiatives known to the greater public and especially to poten‑ tial donors. The creation of organizations such as these—as well as their unfolding and growth—is bound to have a major impact on making Daoist Studies a respected and well‑received field in the modern world. In China, too, new foundations are being created. Most recently, the Research Institute for Laozi and Daoist Cultural Studies 老子道学文化研 究会 was inaugurated on March 30, 2008 in the Great Hall of the People. The first president of the organization is Hu Fuchen. According to its news release, the number of Daoist Studies specialists in mainland China has continuously increased since the 1980s. While there is great need for multifaceted academic exchange in the field, China until now has lacked a central, national association for Daoist studies, thus leading to a restric‑ tion in its academic activities and research quality. The newly established Institute is a top‑notch national organization; it will provide a strong platform for promoting Chinese culture and developing the Daoist leg‑ acy. This institute has four committees: Academics, Comprehensive De‑ velopment, Association for Daoist Business Entrepreneurs, and General Administration. —Livia Kohn, Louis Komjathy, Robin R. Wang Science on Qi As Daoism makes inroads into modern technological (and especially Western) societies, its practices are increasingly integrated into contem‑ porary lifestyles. This also means that traditional Daoist body techniques in modern guises, such as qigong and taiji quan, are spreading more widely and are coming under closer scrutiny in the medical and scien‑ tific community. Although they are not strictly speaking “Daoist” in the traditional sense, the evaluation of these practices from a scientific per‑ spective plays a growing role in the presence and appreciation of the religion in the modern world. For this reason, we include a short column that presents recent publications on scientific trials involving qi exercises. ...