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

Imperiled Destinies examines the evolution of Daoist beliefs about human liability and redemption over eight centuries and outlines ritual procedures for rescuing an ill-starred destiny. From the second through the tenth century CE, Daoism emerged as a liturgical organization that engaged vigorously with Buddhism and transformed Chinese thinking about suffering, the nature of evil, and the aims of liberation. In the fifth century, elements of classical Daoism combined with Indian yogic practices to interiorize the quest for deliverance. The medieval record portrays a world engulfed by evil, where human existence was mortgaged from birth and burdened by increasing debts and obligations in this world and the next. Against this gloomy outlook, Daoism offered ritual and sacramental instruments capable of acting on the unseen world, providing therapeutic relief and ecstatic release from apprehensions of death, disease, war, spoilt harvests, and loss. Drawing on prayer texts, liturgical sermons, and experiential narratives, Franciscus Verellen focuses on the Daoist vocabulary of bondage and redemption, the changing meanings of sacrifice, and metaphoric conceptualizations bridging the visible and invisible realms. The language of medieval supplicants envisaged the redemption of an imperiled destiny as debt forgiveness, and deliverance as healing, purification, release, or emergence from darkness into light.

Martial artists, great warriors, coaches, generals, and successful corporate CEOs have all effectively used the strategies for winning found in Sun Tzu's Art of War. Authors Jerry Lynch and Chungliang Al Huang, using lessons from the The Art of War, as well as other ancient Taoist books such as the I Ching and Tao Te Ching, teach readers to develop the capacities and qualities that make a champion-such as high self-esteem, courage, fortitude, determination, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, integrity, the ability to take risks, and the ability to learn from failure. The emphasis on self-awareness, tactical positioning, and strategic advantage means that practitioners win through inner growth and self-improvement-giving them a universal competitive edge.

The Inner Chapters are the oldest pieces of the larger collection of writings by several fourth, third, and second century B.C. authors that constitute the classic of Taoism, the Chuang-Tzu (or Zhuangzi). It is this core of ancient writings that is ascribed to Chuang-Tzu himself.

- Reveals how the sexual practices of the White Tigress can preserve and restore a woman's physical youthfulness and mental energy.

- The first modern guide to White Tigress techniques, the only sexual teachings exclusively for women.

- Reveals for the first time in English the hidden teachings of immortaless Hsi Wang Mu, a White Tigress from 3,000 years ago.

- Provides Western medical correlations to substantiate White Tigress practices.

White Tigress women undertake disciplined sexual and spiritual practices to maintain their beauty and youthfulness, realize their full feminine potential, and achieve immortality. Revealed here for the first time in English are the secrets of the White Tigress that have all but disappeared from the world. Under the guidance of Madame Lin, the matriarch of a distinguished White Tigress lineage still in existence in Taiwan, Hsi Lai was given the privilege to study these practices and record them from a modern perspective so they will be forever preserved.

The vast majority of Taoist texts on alchemy, meditation, and sexuality are directed at male practitioners. "The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress" presents traditions that focus on women, traditions that stem from a long line of courtesans and female Taoists. Translations of the ancient teachings from a rare White Tigress manual dating back 3,000 years explain the sexual and spiritual refinement of "ching" (sexual energy), "chi "(vital energy), and "shen" (consciousness)--the Three Treasures of Taoism--the secret to unlocking eternal youthfulness and immortality.

The Tao of S is an engaging study of American racialization of Chinese and Asians, Asian American writing, and contemporary Chinese cultural production, stretching from the nineteenth century to the present. Sheng-mei Ma examines the work of nineteenth-century "Sinophobic" American writers, such as Bret Harte, Jack London, and Frank Norris, and twentieth-century "Sinophiliac" authors, such as John Steinbeck and Philip K. Dick, as well as the movies Crazy Rich Asians and Disney's Mulan and a host of contemporary Chinese authors, to illuminate how cultural stereotypes have swung from fearmongering to an overcompensating exultation of everything Asian. Within this framework Ma employs the Taoist principle of yin and yang to illuminate how roles of the once-dominant American hegemony-the yang-and the once-declining Asian civilization-the yin-are now, in the twenty-first century, turned upside down as China rises to write its side of the story, particularly through the soft power of television and media streamed worldwide.

Declarations of the Perfected is the first complete, annotated translation of Zhen'gao, Tao Hongjing's (456-536) masterful compilation of the Shangqing or Higher Clarity revelations, setting the stage for the heyday of medieval Daoism. The present volume presents the Declarations' second part (fasc. 5-8), which focuses on the various difficulties that Daoist practitioners are likely to encounter in a dangerous world, and how to overcome them. It begins with instructions of a more general nature, before moving on to problems faced specifically by Xu Mi (303-376) and his family and fellow officials. This volume also sheds much light on the history of its time-the kinds of moral and philosophical issues that were being debated, as well political intrigues in the Eastern Jin court.

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 TAO-TE-CHING, the ancient Taoist text written by philospher Lao-Tzu in the sixth century B.C., has inspired millions of people from all different backgrounds. This beautiful edition contains Chinese characters alongside the English text and is illustrated with black and white drawings. Commentary from the translators helps to illuminate the ideas discussed in the text so that modern-day readers can fully appreciate the meaning.

Mount Qingcheng, one of China's mystical mountains, has been the birth place of discovery, realization and preservation of the recipes that stimulate the deep potential of the human body for generations. This is the book of a Daoist master and spiritual guide Wang Yun as a young seeker and tells the tales of his inner journey which now guides the reader on a path of healing, rejuvenation and actualization of the body's innate potential. Climbing the Steps to Qingcheng Mountain brings Wang Yun's knowledge and wisdom to the West for the first time. * It serves as a guide to health and spiritual practices * including meditation and qigong exercises * based on centuries of Daoist knowledge and wisdom. * Through tales ranging from Daoist immortals to sleep-deprived salesmen, * this book offers guidance to support physical and mental wellbeing in this modern, stressful world. For a preview, exercise videos and more about the author: www.modernwisdomtg.com

You can experience calm mindfulness in every moment of every day Most forms of meditation ask us to be still and quiet, to take time away from our busy lives and forget about our ever-growing to-do lists. Myung Sung, the peaceful art of Korean mindfulness, does the opposite. Myung Sung is active, dynamic, a connectedness woven into our everyday experience through the practice of eight simple steps. Through stories and wisdom passed down through generations and practical tools, Myung Sung will help you: Find balance and happiness Calmly resolve conflict Walk through stress Accomplish your life goals Connect to your limitless reserves of natural energy and discover how your struggles - in work, marriage, parenting, friendships, health, money - become less difficult. By practising the eight keys of Myung Sung, you can transform the way you live your life and uncover a greater sense of balance between mind, body and spirit.

"Immortal Sisters" presents life stories and teachings of distinguished female Taoist adepts who lived from the third to twelfth centuries. Among them is the poet and mystic Sun Bu-er, who passed into folklore as one of the famous Seven Immortals and appears as a character in countless popular novels of China. These accomplished women, renowned in their own day and in history, represent a uniquely female heritage of spiritual mastery. Through poems, stories, teachings, and commentaries, "Immortal Sisters" sheds light on the spiritual methods taught and practiced by these women and illustrates the importance of the feminine in Taoism.

Pi gu is an ancient Taoist method of fasting for spiritual and healing purposes. Unlike traditional fasting, you do not need to stop eating when practicing pi gu. Used by ancient Taoist masters during their months or years of solitary retreat in pursuit of enlightenment, the practice centers on a simple diet of fruits, teas, nuts, and eggs paired with special chewing techniques and chi kung exercises. Providing a step-by-step guide to Pi Gu Chi Kung, Master Mantak Chia and coauthor Christine Harkness-Giles explain the pi gu diet, provide immortality tea recipes, detail the pi gu chewing exercises, and illustrate the corresponding chi kung energy exercises. They also explain the use of pi gu during darkness retreats to enhance spiritual awareness and increase mental powers and wisdom.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and the efforts of patient gardeners. At times children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success and explores how we might support and nourish young people. Engaging deeply with foundational Daoist and Confucian thinkers, philosopher Erin Cline shows how we can strengthen innate virtues of compassion, generosity, and individuality in our own tender sprouts.

The Lieh-tzu is a collection of stories and philosophical musings of a sage of the same name who lived around the fourth century BCE. The subjects of Lieh-tzu's teachings range from the origin and purpose of life, the Taoist view of reality, and the nature of enlightenment to questions about training the body and mind, communication and understanding, and the importance of personal freedom.

This distinctive translation presents Lieh-tzu as a friendly, intimate companion speaking directly to the reader in a contemporary voice about life and death, fortune and misfortune, gain and loss, and questions to problems that we want to solve in our everyday lives. By providing answers to these practical questions, Lieh-tzu builds the foundations that are necessary for the higher levels of Taoist training.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most widely read Asian classics. And it is also one of the most frequently translated books in all of history, in part because it is impossible to translate it into English in a strictly literal way; the text just has too many Chinese characters that convey multiple meanings. This often leads translators to burden the text with verbose language or loose interpretations. And when this happens the terse enigmatic beauty of the original work is lost. Here, in what may be the most faithful translation of the Tao Te Ching, the translators have stepped out of the way to let the original text speak for itself. The result is a lucid, economical rendering of the classic that allows readers to get as close to the original text as possible without knowing Chinese.Accompanying this translation are twenty-one stunning ink paintings by Stephen Addiss, as well as an introduction by the PEN Translation Prize winner and esteemed Asian scholar Burton Watson. In his introduction, Watson offers some background on the Tao Te Ching and explains the historical context in which it was written. This remarkable translation also allows readers to interact with the text and experience for themselves the nuanced art of translating. In each of the eighty-one chapters, one significant line is highlighted and alongside it are the original Chinese characters with their transliteration. Readers can then turn to the glossary and translate this line on their own, thereby deepening their understanding of the original text and of the myriad ways it can be translated into English.

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.

This collection of translated texts includes:
- "Tao Te Ching: " Cleary's original translations of the great classic of Taoism, accompanied by his commentary illuminating the text and its context.
- "Chuang-tzu: " The "Inner Teachings" of a widely influential compendium of wisdom stories, fables, and anecdotes.
- "Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries: " Another core text of Chinese Taoism, containing teachings also attributed to the author of the "Tao Te Ching. "
- "The Book of Leadership and Strategy: Lessons of the Chinese Masters: " One of the great Chinese teachings on the subtle arts of management and leadership at all levels.
- "Sex, Health, and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice: " The techniques contained in these five texts reveal the transformative influence sex can have when wisely practiced.