A leading scholar-practitioner of Daoism (Taoism) with over twenty-five years of experience with holistic and integrated Daoist training, Louis Komjathy is an ordained Daoist priest of the Huashan 華山 (Mount Hua) lineage (26th generation) of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism as well as founding Co-director and senior teacher of the Daoist Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering authentic Daoist study and practice and to preserving and transmitting traditional Daoist culture. He earned his Ph.D. in Religious Studies (Boston University; 2005) with an emphasis on Daoism and the academic study of religion. He currently works as Associate Professor of Chinese Religions and Comparative Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. He has particular interests in contemplative practice, embodiment, and mystical experience. He received ordination in the Huashan lineage in 2006, after which he lived as a visiting Daoist monk in the monasteries of Laoshan and Huashan. As a Daoist priest, he endeavors to help individuals develop a root in self-cultivation and a personal connection with the Dao and to facilitate a tradition-based Daoist sense of community. His recent books include The Daoist Tradition: An Introduction (2013), the edited volume Contemplative Literature: A Comparative Sourcebook on Meditation and Contemplative Prayer (2015), Taming the Wild Horse: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Daoist Horse Taming Pictures (2017), and Introducing Contemplative Studies (2017). His life and work has been featured in Dream Trippers: Global Daoism and the Predicament of Modern Spirituality (2017).
