Blending scholarship with an original approach, this new introduction to Confucianism is an informative and intriguing guide to China's ancient philosophical tradition. Against the backdrop of 17th century China, the book follows a Confucian couple, together with their family, friends and staff, through a typical day. The result offers a fascinating insight, not only into the intellectual and scholarly aspects of Confucianism, but also into the nature of belief, culture and society in a living philosophical tradition. The key topics covered include: the intellectual and social role of women; Confucianism, art and poetry; the relationship with the western world and western faiths. Capturing the full scope of an ancient tradition, this innovative, well-research and accessible text should be of interest to anyone interested in Confucianism, scholars, students and general readers alike

A religion with roots stretching back nearly five thousand years, Taoism combines elements of folklore, occult sciences, cosmology, yoga, meditation, poetry, and exalted mysticism. Mysterious and charmingly poetic, it is a living remnant of a way of life which has almost vanished from the world.
In this comprehensive study, John Blofeld explains the fundamental concepts of Taoism, tells many stories of ancient masters, and provides incisive reflections on Taoist verse. He writes in a colorful and unique way about his visits to Taoist hermitages in China and his interchanges with contemporary masters. Taoist yoga, a little known aspect of Taoist practice, is also discussed in detail. This book captures the spirit of the Tao, communicating the serenity and timeless wisdom of this tradition.

In 1993, an astonishing discovery was made at a tomb in Guodian in Hubei province (east central China). Written on strips of bamboo that have miraculously survived intact since 300 B.C., the "Guodian Laozi," is by far the earliest version of the "Tao Te Ching" ever unearthed. Students of ancient Chinese civilization proclaimed the text a decisive breakthrough in the understanding of this famous text: it provides the most conclusive evidence to date that the text was the work of multiple authors and editors over hundreds of years, rather than the achievement of a single individual writing during the time of Confucius.

Robert Henricks now presents the first English translation of the "bamboo slip Laozi." Differing substantially from other versions we have of the text, the Guodian Laozi provides us with clues on how and when the text came into being. As Henricks's translation shows, many chapters are missing in this form of the text, and some chapters remain incomplete. All of this seems to suggest that the "Tao Te Ching" was not yet "complete" when these slips were copied.

In his translation, Henricks focuses attention on lines in each of the chapters that vary from readings in other editions. In addition, he shows how the sequence of chapters in this form of the text is totally unrelated to the sequence readers commonly see in the "standard" form of the text, i.e., in other translations.

Here are just a few of the noteworthy features of this new "Tao Te Ching: "

- A lucid introduction to the Guodian Laozi, offering background on the archaeological interpretation of the discovery

- Line-by-line comparisons of the Guodian Laozi against the Mawangdui and Wang Bi editions

- Extensive notes on each chapter describing the unique elements of the Guodian Laozi in comparison with other versions

- Transcriptions for each chapter, noting both the ancient and modern form of the characters in the chapter

- An appendix featuring the official biography of Laozi written by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian of China, as well as Henricks's commentary and notes on this biography

This groundbreaking work will lead to a reassessment of the history and significance of this well-known and critical work as well as a reevaluation of the role it played in the development of Taoism in early China.

Through his intelligent intregration of Eastern philosophy and practical advice, Laurence G.Boldt has helped thousands of readers find personal satisfaction in their work and personal lives. Now he applies these principles to the subject of abundance.

How do we achieve material wealth without sacrifing our souls?

Applying ancient widsom to modern times, THE TAO OF ABUNDANCE reveals all...

The friends and family of a drug or alcohol addict are often left out of the recovery process. The timeless wisdom of the Tao has been adapted to gently change those who are suffering into peaceful, healthy, self-confident humans, ready to fully rejoin life in a serene and harmonious way.

Responding to our modern disillusionment with any claims to absolute truth regarding morality or reality, this book offers a conceptual approach for discussing absolutes without denying either the relevance of divergent religious and philosophical teachings or the evidence supporting postmodern and poststructuralist critiques. Case studies of mysticism within Advaita-Vedānta Hinduism, Mādhyamika Buddhism, and Nicene Christianity demonstrate the value of this approach and offer many fresh insights into the metaphysical presuppositions of these religions as well as into the nature and value of mystical experience. Like Douglas Hofstadter's Gōdel, Escher, Bach, this book finds ultimate reality to be rationally graspable only as an eternal fugue of pattern and paradox. Yet it does not so much counter other philosophical views as provide a conceptual tool for understanding and classifying incommensurable views.

The first major publication in English on the bamboo slips excavated from a late fourth century B.C. Chu-state tomb at Guodian, Hubei, in 1993. The slip texts include both Daoist and Confucian works, many previously unknown. Thie monograph is a full account of the international conference held on these texts, at which leading scholars from China, the United States, Europe, and Japan analyzed the Laozi materials and a previously unknown cosmological text. In addition, the contents include nine essays on topics such as the archaeological background of the discovery, conservation of the slip-texts, and the relation of the Guodian Laozi materials to the received Laozi text. An annotated edition of the Guodian Laozi materials and the cosmological text are included, as well as a critical bibliography with summary of Chinese scholarship on the Guodian texts in the year following the conference.

A practical guide to the mystical and a mystical guide to the practical, this book results from a painstaking comparison of thirty editions of the Tao Te Ching. The chapters of the ancient original work, synthesized from the author's comparisons, are each followed by detailed paraphrases. These explain the Tao more clearly, yet retain the shrouded truth of the original.

The essential Taoist book and one of a triad that make up the most influential religious and philosophical writings of Chinese tradition, the "Tao-te Ching" is the subject of hundreds of new interpretive studies each year. As Taoism emerges as one of the East Asian philosophies most interesting to Westerners, an accessible new edition of this great work -- written for English-language readers, yet rendered with an eye toward Chinese understanding -- has been much needed by scholars and general readers.

Richard John Lynn, whose recent translation of the "I Ching" was hailed by the "Times Literary Supplement" as "the best "I Ching" that has so far appeared," presents here another fine translation. Like his "I Ching, " this volume includes the interpretive commentary of the third-century scholar Wang Bi (226-249), who wrote the first and most sophisticated commentary on the "Tao-te Ching."

Lynn's introduction explores the centrality of Wang's commentaries in Chinese thought, the position of the "Tao-te Ching" in East Asian tradition, Wang's short but brilliant life, and the era in which he lived. The text consists of eighty-one short, aphoristic sections presenting a complete view of how the sage rules in accordance with the spontaneous ways of the natural world. Although the "Tao-te Ching" was originally designed to provide advice to the ruler, the Chinese regard its teachings as living and self-cultivation tools applicable to anyone. Wang Bi's commentaries, following each statement, flesh out the text so that it speaks to the modern Western reader as it has to Asians for more than seventeen centuries.

Is human nature good or evil? Does knowledge guarantee right action, or can humans do what is wrong when they know what is right? What parts should teachers, classic texts, and our own moral intuitions play in our ethical cultivation?

Confucianism is one of the world's most influential philosophical traditions, offering profound and challenging insights on human nature, virtue, and the foundations of civilization. In The Ways of Confucianism, David S. Nivison brings out the exciting variety within Confucian thought, as he interprets and elucidates key thinkers from over two thousand years, from Confucius himself, through Mencius and Xunzi, to Wang Yangming, Dai Zhen, and Zhang Xuecheng.

Applying the ancient yet timeless 81 principles of Taoism to parenting, The Tao Of Parenting features instructive anecdotes from four families to demonstrate how Taoist teachings help parents raise good, healthy children. The stories are just as diverse as the families who tell them (a blended family featuring children from separate marriages, a couple with different cultural and ethical backgrounds, a single parent of twin boys, and a couple with different parenting techniques learning to compromise). Some of the Taoist principles used by these families include: * "Do Not Think of Self". Shows the rewards parents receive by making their children their number one priority * "The material is fleeting, the spiritual is everlasting". Demonstrates the rewards of caring for those in need * "Do Not Be Authoritarian". Shows how to foster self-reliance and responsibility in children while supporting their efforts, rather than controlling their every move * "Follow the middle road; it is the heart of knowing". Offers the benefits of parents being neither too permissive or too strict, but rather adjusting the rules for each child and each circumstance There are many more valuable lessons in this special book which can be used by parents of all faiths to help guide their lives and those of their children.

The Lieh-Tzu ranks with the Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu as one of the most eloquent and influential expositions of Taoist philosophy. This definitive translation by Professor Graham does full justice to the subtlety of thought and literary effectiveness of the text. A. C. Graham is one of the most distinguished Sinologists working today.

The family is central to societies that have been profoundly influenced by the Confucian, and later, Neo-Confucian mandate. This book examines the nature of family continuities and the internal family social and psychological dynamics in societies that comprise the Confucian core of Asia, namely China (including Taiwan), Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Confucian ideas are discussed from diverse perspectives: religion, philosophy, and history; anthropology and sociology; psychology, psychoanalysis, and psychiatry. Both abiding psychological and social similarities as well as cultural differences are addressed. The volume provides insights on both the positive social cohesiveness found within Asian families and on the possible tensions and even psychopathical responses that may be engendered within a contemporary Confucian family. In addition, the work explores the common Confucian family-cultural background that must be understood to interpret both the scholastic and entrepreneurial success of East Asians wherever they have settled in the Americas and the recent economic push in their homelands.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

How Confucius Saved an Ancient Civilization; The King or Ancient Classics; The Shu King, China's Oldest History; The Shih King or Ancient Poetry; The Yi King, the Oldest Works of Magic; The Analects of Confucius, his Deeds and Sayings; The Great Learning by Confucius; The Hsiao King, or Classic of Filial Piety.

This extraordinary collection of teachings and commentaries illuminates the many profound mysteries of inner alchemy, one of the most important dimensions of the Taoist tradition. The science of inner alchemy consists of mediation practices that enable the individual to have a more intimate, energizing, and inspiring relationship with life. Although these techniques are described in the sourcebooks of ancient Taoism, they are often couched in cryptic symbolic language, making it difficult for today's seekers to put these teachings into practice. Some classical Taoist writers, however, did adopt a more explicit manner of expression. Practical Taoism is a collection of writings from these more accessible commentators on the traditional alchemical texts, compiled by a seventh-generation master of the Northern Branch of the Complete Reality School of Taoism known as the Preserver of Truth.

The original audience for the Gospel of Matthew included converts from Judaism who wrestled with how to be faithful to Jesus Christ under difficult circumstances in a changing world. The Gospel of Matthew became a first-aid manual for this church in the midst of a struggle.

Thomas Long identifies this first audience and its faith within the social and religious context of the day and clarifies the structure of the Gospel. Providing examples of contemporary relevance, Long helps today's reader discern the significance of this guide for faithful living in today's church.

Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

The readings in this book are a beginner's entree into the vast treasury of writings from the sacred Chinese tradition, consisting of original translations of excerpts from the Taoist canon. Brief introductions and notes on the translation accompany the selections from the classics; books of devotional and mystical Taoism; texts of internal alchemy; stories of Taoist immortals, magicians, sorcerers; ethical tracts; chants and rituals; and teachings on meditation and methods of longevity.