1912. The American Lectures on the History of Religions. The writer's objective is to exhibit his view of the primitive and fundamental element of Chinese religion and ethics. That view is based on independent research into the ancient literature of China and into the actual state of her religion. Confident that his view is correct it gives the book as a key to the study of Taoism and Confucianism. Contents: The Tao or Order of the Universe; The Tao of Man; Perfection, Holiness, or Divinity; Asceticism. Prolongation of Life. Immortality; Worship of the Universe; Social and Political Universism (1); Social and Political Universism (2); and Fung-Shui.

1895. Having written a book on Confucius, Alexander turns his attention to another Chinese classical subject-the life and teaching of the most distinguished of Confucius's contemporaries, Lao-tsze, the Great Thinker. Believing that knowledge of Lao-tsze is to be gained from the thoughts to which he gave utterance in his one great work, the Tao-tih-King, Alexander has made a translation of this piece the focal point of this volume. The Contents are divided into the following three Parts: Origins and Antecedents; Lao-Tsze and His Period; and The Tao-Tih-King.

The book "Tao Te Ching" is available almost everywhere, it had been translated into more than 140 languages and the publication of it was just next to "The Bible" during the past 2,700 years, thousands of current publications could be found in the major book stores, with explanation written by different famous authors.

However, there are readers that complained; "Who really knows what is Tao and can please tell us? We have studied the books for years and are sorely perplexed." These are the people who have the right scent in study.

"Tao Te Ching" is in fact the first and greatest puzzle that was created by St. Laozi more than 2,700 years ago in Chinese words.

It is the time for St. Laozi to tell people in the world about "Tao" by himself with the complete contents which consist of Yang (visible) and Yin (hidden and invisible) parts in "The Book of Thou Does."

The book "Tao Te Ching" is available almost everywhere, it had been translated into more than 140 languages and the publication of it was just next to "The Bible" during the past 2,700 years, thousands of current publications could be found in the major book stores, with explanation written by different famous authors.

However, there are readers that complained; "Who really knows what is Tao and can please tell us? We have studied the books for years and are sorely perplexed." These are the people who have the right scent in study.

"Tao Te Ching" is in fact the first and greatest puzzle that was created by St. Laozi more than 2,700 years ago in Chinese words.

It is the time for St. Laozi to tell people in the world about "Tao" by himself with the complete contents which consist of Yang (visible) and Yin (hidden and invisible) parts in "The Book of Thou Does."

The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. 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 to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

The Tao Te Ching is a book of Chinese philosophical poetry, written sometime between the seventh and the fourth centuries BCE. According to tradition it was written by a quiet librarian named Lao Tzu, and describes a way of life that is free of strife and stress. The principle scripture of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, consisting of just 5,000 Chinese characters, is one of the most sublime, meaningful, and downright practical works of mysticism in the human canon. This new translation by John R. Mabry is simple, poetic, and profound. Cleaving closely to the Chinese text, this translation succeeds in being not only readable and accurate, but beautiful as well.

"The Book of Balance" is a modern, visionary translation of the classic ancient text Tao Teh Ching.

Many of the brightest Chinese minds have used the form of the commentary to open the terse and poetic chapters of the Laozi to their readers and also to develop a philosophy of their own. None has been more sophisticated, philosophically probing, and influential in the endeavor than a young genius of the third century C.E., Wang Bi (126-249). In this book, Rudolf G. Wagner provides a full translation of the Laozi that extracts from Wang Bi's Commentary the manner in which he read the text, as well as a full translation of Wang Bi's Commentary and his essay on the "subtle pointers" of the Laozi. The result is a Chinese reading of the Laozi that will surprise and delight Western readers familiar with some of the many translations of the work.

The classical Triad of the Chinese tradition is Heaven-Man-Earth. Rene Guenon places this ternary in the context of universal metaphysics by identifying Heaven with Essence and Earth with Substance, the mediator between them being Man, whose cosmic function is to embody spirit (Heaven) while simultaneously spiritualizing matter (Earth). Exploring Chinese cosmology further, Guenon sheds light on such archetypal polarities as Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, Solve et Coagula, Celestial and Terrestrial Numbers, the Square and the Compass, the Double Spiral, and the Being and the Environment, while pointing to their synthetic unity in terms of ternaries, such as the Three Worlds, Triple Time, Spiritus, Anima, and Corpus, Sulfur, Mercury and Salt, and God, Man, and Nature. Perhaps more completely than in any other work, Guenon demonstrates in The Great Triad how any integral tradition is both a mirror reflecting universal themes found in all other intact traditions and an entire conceptual cosmos unto itself, unique and incomparable.

A new translation with introduction and commentary. This work is a translation of the celebrated work of the Chinese sage about the simple life. It is relation to our principles of life rather than our common activities that the simple life gains its greatest meaning and value. The simple life is not always the simple way.

Many of the brightest Chinese minds have used the form of the commentary to open the terse and poetic chapters of the Laozi to their readers and also to develop a philosophy of their own. None has been more sophisticated, philosophically probing, and influential in the endeavor than a young genius of the third century C.E., Wang Bi (126-249). In this book, Rudolf G. Wagner provides a full translation of the Laozi that extracts from Wang Bi's Commentary the manner in which he read the text, as well as a full translation of Wang Bi's Commentary and his essay on the "subtle pointers" of the Laozi. The result is a Chinese reading of the Laozi that will surprise and delight Western readers familiar with some of the many translations of the work.

Laotzu was more than likely the first scholar to have a vision of spiritual reality, somewhere around the 6th century B.C. At that time, his visions were a source of ridicule, misunderstanding and ostracism. Included in this volume are the explanation of Tao, according to Laotzu; and a study of his Wu Wei. A short history of Laotzu can be found within as well.

The Penumbra Unbound is the first English language book-length study of the Neo-Taoist thinker Guo Xiang (d. 312 C.E.), commentator on the classic Taoist text, the Zhuangzi. The author explores Guo's philosophy of freedom and spontaneity, explains its coherence and importance, and shows its influence on later Chinese philosophy, particularly Chan Buddhism. The implications of his thought on freedom versus determinism are also considered in comparison to several positions advanced in the history of Western philosophy, notably those of Spinoza, Kant, Schopenhauer, Fichte, and Hegel. Guo's thought reinterprets the classical pronouncements about the Tao so that it in no way signifies any kind of metaphysical absolute underlying appearances, but rather means literally "nothing." This absence of anything beyond appearances is the first premise in Guo's development of a theory of radical freedom, one in which all phenomenal things are "self-so, " creating and transforming themselves without depending on any justification beyond their own temporary being.

The most translated book in the world, next to the Bible, is the Tao Te Ching. Great wisdom can be found on every page. Lao Tzu is believed to have written the text in China in the sixth century BCE. It forms the basis for Taoism, one of the world's great wisdom traditions. In addition to being considered one of the best books ever written, it is also one of the easiest to read. One of the few women to offer a translation is Mears, who seems to add a more intuitive or sensitive touch. She has created a beautifully rendered translation that deserves to be shared and preserved for generations to come.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most influential philosophies in the Eastern world. As relevant now as it was 2,300 years ago, the ageless wisdom of the Tao offers profound guidance and shows readers how to seek contentment. In The Tao, Mark Forstater reinterprets and illuminates these mysterious ancient writings to create a blueprint for daily life.  Through its gentle insights and focus on the eternal harmony of life, The Tao can help readers:

• Unite mind, body, and spirit
• Establish a better way of living
• Reverse destructive habits
• Enjoy a long and healthy life

A contemporary look at a timeless practice that has influenced everything from Feng Shui to acupuncture, The Tao is the essential guide to achieving balance and serenity and experiencing personal transformation.

This collection of Taoist texts includes: "The Taoist I Ching: "The classic "Book of Change" illuminated by the commentary of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Taoist adept Liu I-ming. The first part of the book is the text of "I Ching " proper with Liu's commentary. The second part is Liu's commentary on two additional sections--known as the Overall Image and the Mixed Hexagrams--added to the "I Ching " by earlier commentators, believed to be members of the original Confucian school. In total, the book illuminates the Taoist inner teachings as practiced in the School of Complete Reality. "I Ching Mandalas: " A traditional program of study that enables students of the "I Ching " to achieve a deeper understanding of the meaning of this great classic. "I Ching Mandalas " presents diagrams as tools for whole-brain learning that help the student to visualize patterns and interrelationships among the trigrams and hexagrams of the "I Ching. "

Daoist Identity is an exploration of the various means by which Daoists over the centuries have created an identity for themselves. Using modern sociological studies of identity formation as its foundation, it brings together a representative sample of in-depth analyses by eminent American and Japanese scholars in the field.

The discussion begins with critical examinations of the ways identity was found among the early movements of the Way of Great Peace and the Celestial Masters. The role of sacred texts and literary culture in Daoist identity formation is discussed. The volume then focuses on lineage formation and the increasing role of popular religious practices, such as spirit-writing, in modern Daoism since the Song dynasty. Finally it discusses the Daoist adaptation and reinterpretation of Buddhist rites, such as the feeding of souls in hell and the use of ritual gestures, and the changes made in contemporary Daoism in relation to traditional rites and popular practices.

This book is an entirely new version of the I Ching. It is the result of discovering a totally new way of consulting the oracle. I Ching: The Oracle of the Cosmic Way is a book that shows two layers of text, side by side, one layer being the feudal overlays over the original oracle text, the other showing the 'Cosmic Way' - the Cosmic Principles that are the subject of each hexagram.

The Tao of Sobriety shows how to apply eastern philosophy to enhance recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. With a few simple mental exercises, readers can learn how to quiet "The Committee," those nasty mental voices that undermine serenity and self-esteem. With leaders of the recovery movement enthusiastically endorsing this uniquely helpful book, The Tao of Sobriety is an invaluable addition to the recovery bookshelf.

As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Eva Wong heard and memorized many tales told to her by Hong Kong's finest professional storytellers, by actors on the radio, and by her grandmother. These popular tales of the Taoist immortals were also often dramatized in Chinese operas.

The stories are of famous characters in Chinese history and myth: a hero's battle with the lords of evil, the founder of the Ming dynasty's treacherous betrayal of his friends, a young girl who saves her town by imitating rooster calls. Entertaining and often provocative, these tales usually include a moral. The immortals are role models in Chinese culture, as well as examples of enlightenment. Some of the immortals were healers, some were social activists, some were aristocrats, and some were entrepreneurs. The tales chosen by Eva Wong here are of the best-known immortals among the Chinese. Their names are household words and their stories are told and retold by one generation to the next.