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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Drawing on ancient and modern sources, Watts treats the Chinese philosophy of Tao in much the same way as he did Zen Buddhism in his classic The Way of Zen. Critics agree that this last work stands as a perfect monument to the life and literature of Alan Watts.

In this overview, Eastern philosophies scholar Alan Watts offers an entertaining and brilliant synthesis of Taoism as it is portrayed in the teachings of some of its most classic works--including the "The Art of War," the "I-Ching," "Tao te Ching," and "Zhuangzi." Through a lively explanation of the essential ideas and concepts of Taoist thought, Watts presents Tao as a personal practice of liberation and explains the role that corresponds to every person as an individual endowed with free will in a world whose norms change constantly. This exploration" "demonstrates the reach that this ancient Eastern wisdom can have on hectic modern lives. "En esta perspectiva general, Alan Watts, erudito en filosofias orientales, ofrece una sintesis amena y brillante del taoismo, tal y como aparece en las ensenanzas de sus grandes clasicos: ""el" Arte de la Guerra," "" el "I-Ching," ""el" Tao te king" y el "Zhuang Zi." A traves de una exposicion viva de las ideas y los conceptos esenciales del pensamiento taoista, Watts presenta al Tao como una practica personal de liberacion y explica el papel que le corresponde a cada persona como un individuo dotado de libre albedrio en un mundo cuyas pautas cambian continuamente."" Esta exploracion muestra el alcance que esta antigua sabiduria oriental puede tener en la ajetreada vida actual."

Lao Tzu, the legendary author of the Tao Te Ching, is also credited with the authorship of the Hua Hu Ching, which embodies some of his later teachings. During a time of political turmoil in the fourteenth century, all copies of this work were banned and ordered to be burned. Thus, few if any complete and accurate manuscripts exist today. Fortunately, the complete teachings of the Hua Hu Ching have been preserved through the oral transmission of generation after generation of Taoist masters to their disciples. In this book, Master Ni, heir to that orally transmitted wisdom, offers a superlative rendering of this reassured teaching.

Of particular interest for its application to business strategizing, this edition of the well-known ancient Chinese classic I Ching (The Book of Changes) guides readers through the intricacies of group dynamics and relationships within organizations of all kinds. The root text is supported by a commentary from the eleventh-century scholar Cheng-Yi, founder of the movement known as Lixue, the study of inner design. Cheng contended that by understanding the pattern of events--the inner design of nature--one can bring about mutual understanding and cooperation among people in groups, thus facilitating the accomplishment of any tasks they might undertake. The translator's extensive introduction gives specific, systematic guidelines for consulting the I Ching for greatest understanding and best results. Included in the afterward is a profile of the modern and Japanese organizational genius Matsushita Konosuke, founder of Panasonic and other multinational corporations, whose success has been built on the principles of the I Ching.

Definition is an important scientific and philosophical method. In all kinds of scientific and philosophical inquiries definition is provided to make clear the characteristics of the things under investigation. Definition in this sense, sometimes called real definition, should state the essence of the thing defined, according to Aristotle. In another (currently popular) sense, sometimes called nominal definition, definition explicates the meaning of a term already in use in an ordinary language or the scientific discourse or specifies the meaning of a new term introduced in an ordinary language of the scientific discourse. Definition combines the purposes of both real and nominal definition and is promoted by the Nyaya philosophers of India. Another important method of science and philosophy is induction. In a narrow sense induction is a method of generalization to all cases from the observation of particular cases. In a broad sense induction is a method for reasoning from some observed fact to a different fact not involved in the former. We understand induction in the broad sense though more often we shall actually be concerned with induction in the narrow sense. How can our limited experience of nature provide the rational basis for making knowlege claims about unobserved phenomena?

With more than four thousand entries and over one hundred illustrations, this encyclopedia offers a complete survey of the four major religious traditions of Asia. It is designed not only for students and scholars but also to help general readers find their way through the thicket of unfamiliar words and concepts that are often encountered today in various fields such as the health professions, psychotherapy, the sciences, and the media. Among the subjects covered are:
- Important terms such as "chakra," "karma," "koan," "nirvana," "tantra," "Tao," and "yin-yang"
- The lives and teachings of mystics, philosophers, and masters of meditation
- Basic texts and scriptures
- Sects and schools of thought
- Mythological figures and events

In addition, pronunciation tables, a comprehensive bibliography, and a Ch'an/Zen Lineage Chart are provided.

Called "a first rate piece of work" by T.S. Eliot, this book offers a comprehensive discussion of Taoism, one of the world's major religions, as well as a study of the Tao te ching, the best known Taoist text and Lao-tzu as a Taoist prototype. "Clarifies a large area of literature and history that has been a mystery to the West and makes fascinating reading even for those whose interest is casual." -The New Yorker

In 1950, Krishnamurti said: "If we are concerned with our own lives, if we understand our relationship with others, we will have created a new society; otherwise, we will but perpetuate the present chaotic mess and confusion."

Providing a far-reaching basis for solving many of the world's crises, On Relationship brings together Krishnamurti's most essential teachings on the individual's relationship to other people and institutions. The renowned teacher makes clear that the way we handle personal crises and relationships links us to the problems of all people and has a larger, global meaning. Ending the causes of war, for instance, cannot truly begin until we perform simple, but often ignored, tasks such as reconciling with estranged family members, keeping our homes in order, and respecting others.

Kumazawa Banzan's (1619-1691) Responding to the Great Learning (Daigaku wakumon) stands as the first major writing on political economy in early modern Japanese history. John A. Tucker's translation is the first English rendition of this controversial text to be published in eighty years. The introduction offers an accessible and incisive commentary, including detailed analyses of Banzan's text within the context of his life, as well as broader historical and intellectual developments in East Asian Confucian thought. Emphasizing parallels between Banzan's life events, such as his relief efforts in the Okayama domain following devastating flooding, and his later writings advocating compassionate government, environmental initiatives, and projects for growing wealth, Tucker sheds light on Banzan's main objective of 'governing the realm and bringing peace and prosperity to all below heaven'. In Responding to the Great Learning, Banzan was doing more than writing a philosophical commentary, he was advising the Tokugawa shogunate to undertake a major reorganization of the polity - or face the consequences.

This is a view of Chinese religion from the Taoist perspective, derived from fieldwork in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. The book is based on the Taoist hypothesis that all Chinese rites of passage and festivals are structured by the Yin-Yang five element cosmology. Buddhist and Taoist meditations of emptying, marriage, birthing, initiation, burial, ancestor rituals and the annual festivals are described through the eyes of the experts called on to serve family and village needs. The work ends with a view of religion in the People's Republic of China during a period of renewal and restoration.

Ancestors, Kings, and the Dao outlines the evolution of musical performance in early China, first within and then ultimately away from the socio-religious context of ancestor worship. Examining newly discovered bamboo texts from the Warring States period, Constance A. Cook compares the rhetoric of Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Spring and Autumn (770-481 BCE) bronze inscriptions with later occurrences of similar terms in which ritual music began to be used as a form of self-cultivation and education. Cook's analysis links the creation of such classics as the Book of Odes with the ascendance of the individual practitioner, further connecting the social actors in three types of ritual: boys coming of age, heirs promoted into ancestral government positions, and the philosophical stages of transcendence experienced in self-cultivation. The focus of this study is on excavated texts; it is the first to use both bronze and bamboo narratives to show the evolution of a single ritual practice. By viewing the ancient inscribed materials and the transmitted classics from this new perspective, Cook uncovers new linkages in terms of how the materials were shaped and reshaped over time and illuminates the development of eulogy and song in changing ritual contexts.