Just as Christianity has its Vatican in Rome, modern Daoism boasts of a unique center of religious authority and administration: the Temple of the White Clouds (Baiyun guan) in Beijing, seat of the general headquarters of the Chinese Daoist Association. This temple complex in Beijing, called by Dr Esposito "modern Daoism's Vatican," houses the grave of the mythical founder of Daoism's Quanzhen tradition and celebrates the patriarchs of its Longmen ("Dragon Gate") branch as his legitimate heirs. Monica Esposito describes in this book how Daoist masters and historiographers in China, much like their Catholic counterparts in Europe, invented a glorious patriarchal lineage as well as a system of ordination designed to perpetuate orthodox transmission and central control. They also created a kind of New Testament: a new canonical collection of scriptures entitled "The Gist of the Daoist Canon" (Daozang jiyao). It contains hundreds of texts including the Daoist classic The Secret of the Golden Flower which achieved fame through the commentary by Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. A classic study on the invention of religious traditions, the four parts of Creative Daoism describe in detail the construction of the Daoist Vatican's lineage of patriarchs, system of ordination, canon of sacred scriptures, and doctrine of universal salvation.

The Ethical Foundations of Early Daoism: Zhuangzi's Unique Moral Vision presents a comprehensive study of the normative dimensions of early Daoism in general and the classic text Zhuangzi in particular. Lee argues that our inclination to view Daoism as an amoral tradition stems from Orientalist assumptions about Daoism as well as our received assumptions about the nature of morality. By enlarging the scope of morality, Lee suggests that early Daoist texts like the Zhuangzi can be read as works of moral philosophy that speak to specifically moral concerns in ethics, government, and society. Lee casts the moral imperative of the Zhuangzi as an ethics of attunement to the Way and develops this thesis in the context of friendship, government, death, and human flourishing.

The Art of War is the collection of leadership and military strategies composed by the esteemed Chinese general, Sun Tzu. Divided into 13 distinct chapters, each category gives clarity and voice to varying subjects pertaining to the intricacies of war and wartime strategy. Having inspired generations of readers,The Art of War continues to be perceived as a kind of spiritual lighthouse for all those seeking sage leadership advice. Though Sun Tzu's expertise was considered to be professing wartime strategy, the principals enumerated within the text extend far beyond the logistics of a battlefield. Having lived during the Warring States Period, Sun Tzu understood conflict and political strife. Sun Tzu, using the culmination of decades worth of knowledge inspired generations of leaders with his words. His insight was not wasted on the bloodshed of lives lost in battle, yet it was composed into beautifully succinct proverbs and adages that make up the whole of The Art of War. Perhaps his most well-known axiom is, "Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat." With proverbs as popular as the one above, the entirety of his work is composed of this level of insight. As pertinent as it was when it was written over 2,000 year ago, The Art of War is a true work of philosophical mastery. With eye-catching new covers and a professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Art of War is both modern and readable.

A number of features mark this book apart from others. There is simply no book currently available on Daoism (Taoism) written primarily from a psychological perspective, covering topics on Laozi's sociopolitical and psychological thoughts and their points of contact with Western psychology, particularly that of Carl Jung. The book comprises an in-depth introduction and a considered translation of Laozi's classic on virtue and the Dao (Way). The introduction covers Daoism as the counterculture in China and beyond; the originality and distinctiveness of Laozi's thoughts; the classic's influence and contemporary relevance to life in the 21st century; and insights on bilingualism that the author gained in the process of translation. The book contains the very first English translation of the Beida Laozi (Peking University Laozi), in which the chapters on virtue precede those on the Dao. Accordingly, the classic is renamed The Classic of Virtue and the Dao. The author has given his best to honor both accuracy and poetic beauty by paying great attention to diction, clarity, and economy of expression. The Classic of Virtue and the Dao is one of the most creative and thought-provoking texts of antiquity. All of the 77 chapters of the classic are categorized into 13 thematic groups, each of which begins with an introduction. This would make it easier for the reader to grasp its major viewpoints and concepts, such as virtue, humility, and selflessness. Titles for individual chapters, as well as comments and notes, have also been added.

This book questions whether temples and Daoism are two independent aspects of modern Chinese religion or if they are indissolubly linked. It presents a useful analysis as to how modern history has changed the structure and organization of religious and social life in China, and the role that Daoism plays in this. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining historical research and fieldwork, this book focuses on urban centers in China, as this is where sociopolitical changes came earliest and affected religious life to the greatest extent and also where the largest central Daoist temples were and are located. It compares case studies from central, eastern, and southern China with published evidence and research on other Chinese cities. Contributors examine how Daoism interacted with traditional urban social, cultural, and commercial institutions and pays close attention to how it dealt with processes of state expansion, commercialization, migration, and urban development in modern times. This book also analyses the evolution of urban religious life in modern China, particularly the ways in which temple communities, lay urbanites, and professional Daoists interact with one another. A solid ethnography that presents an abundance of new historical information, this book will be of interest to academics in the field of Asian studies, Daoist studies, Asian religions, and modern China.

Ratified by the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993 and expanded in 2018, "Towards a Global Ethic (An Initial Declaration)," or the Global Ethic, expresses the minimal set of principles shared by people-religious or not. Though it is a secular document, the Global Ethic emerged after months of collaborative, interreligious dialogue dedicated to identifying a common ethical framework. This volume tests and contests the claim that the Global Ethic's ethical directives can be found in the world's religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions. The book features essays by scholars of religion who grapple with the practical implications of the Global Ethic's directives when applied to issues like women's rights, displaced peoples, income and wealth inequality, India's caste system, and more. The scholars explore their respective religious traditions' ethical response to one or more of these issues and compares them to the ethical response elaborated by the Global Ethic. The traditions included are Hinduism, Engaged Buddhism, Shi'i Islam, Sunni Islam, Confucianism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Indigenous African Religions, and Human Rights. To highlight the complexities within traditions, most essays are followed by a brief response by an expert in the same tradition. Multi-Religious Perspectives on a Global Ethic is of special interest to advanced students and scholars whose work focuses on the religious traditions listed above, on comparative religion, religious ethics, comparative ethics, and common morality.

With a focus on Asian traditions, this book examines varieties of thought and self-transformative practice that do not fit neatly on one side or another of the standard Western division between philosophy and religion. It contains chapters by experts on Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Hindu and Jain philosophies, as well as ancient Greek philosophy and recent contemplative and spiritual movements. The volume also problematizes the notion of a Western philosophical canon distinguished by rationality in contrast to a religious Eastern "other". These original essays creatively lay the groundwork needed to rethink dominant historical and conceptual categories from a wider perspective to arrive at a deeper, more plural and global understanding of the diverse nature of both philosophy and religion. The volume will be of keen interest to scholars and students in the Philosophy of Religion, Asian and Comparative Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Daoism is a global religious and cultural phenomenon characterized by multiculturalism and ethnic diversity. "Daoism: A Guide for the Perplexed" offers a clear and thorough survey of this ancient and modern religious tradition. The book includes an overview of Daoist history, including key individuals and movements, translations of primary Daoist texts, and discussions of key dimensions of Daoist religiosity, covering primary concerns and defining characteristics of the religion.Specifically designed to meet the needs of students and general readers seeking a thorough understanding of the religion, this book is the ideal guide to studying and understanding Daoism as a lived and living religious community.

Drawing on evidence from a wide range of classical Chinese texts, this book argues that xingershangxue, the study of "beyond form", constitutes the core argument and intellectual foundation of Daoist philosophy. The author presents Daoist xingershangxue as a typical concept of metaphysics distinct from that of the natural philosophy and metaphysics of ancient Greece since it focusses on understanding the world beyond perceivable objects and phenomena as well as names that are definable in their social, political, or moral structures. In comparison with other philosophical traditions in the East and West, the book discusses the ideas of dao, de, and "spontaneously self-so", which shows Daoist xingershangxue's theoretical tendency to transcendence. The author explains the differences between Daoist philosophy and ancient Greek philosophy and proposes that Daoist philosophy is the study of xingershangxue in nature, providing a valuable resource for scholars interested in Chinese philosophy, Daoism, and comparative philosophy.

Bringing the Dao to life for readers of all generations Fables entertain us, enlighten us, and guide us. We recognize ourselves in the characters, be they emperors, village children, or singing frogs. They help us see our own weaknesses, our strengths, and the many possibilities. Their lessons transcend time and culture, touching what it really means to be alive. Whoever we are, wherever we're going, these short tales help us along the path-the Way. Some offer a moral compass. Some illustrate the dangers in human folly. Others just make us laugh. In this collection of fables, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming shares the stories that have influenced him most as a teacher, a partent, martial artist and lifelong student of the Dao. These fables bring the Dao to life for readers of all generations. The Dao in Action will inspire young readers to refine their character. Older readers will smile and recognize moments of truth. This collection is for anyone who would like to explore the enduring lessons of virtue and wisdom. These lean, concise fables illustrate balance, the duality of yin and yang, always shifting, always in correction. They help us laugh at our human predicaments-and maybe even at ourselves. We can all use some reflection and inspiration from time to time.

Much as the modern Western world is concerned with diets, health, and anti-aging remedies, many early medieval Chinese Daoists also actively sought to improve their health and increase their longevity through specialized ascetic dietary practices. Focusing on a fifth-century manual of herbal-based, immortality-oriented recipes-the Lingbao Wufuxu (The Preface to the Five Lingbao Talismans of Numinous Treasure)-Shawn Arthur investigates the diets, their ingredients, and their expected range of natural and supernatural benefits. Analyzing the ways that early Daoists systematically synthesized religion, Chinese medicine, and cosmological correlative logic, this study offers new understandings of important Daoist ideas regarding the body's composition and mutability, health and disease, grain avoidance (bigu) diets, the parasitic Three Worms, interacting with the spirit realm, and immortality. This work also employs a range of cross-disciplinary scientific and medical research to analyze the healing properties of Daoist self-cultivation diets and to consider some natural explanations for better understanding Daoist asceticism and its underlying world view.

This monograph takes an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to 20th and 21st -century Canadian Daoist poetry, fiction and criticism in comparative, innovative and engaging ways. Of particular interest are the authors' refreshing insights into such holistic and topical issues as the globalization of concepts of the Dao, the Yin/Yang, the Heaven-Earth-Humanity triad, the Four Greats, Five Phases, Non-action and so on, as expressed in Canadian literature and criticism - which produces Canadian-constructed Daoist poetics, ethics and aesthetics. Readers will come to understand and appreciate the social and ecological significance of, formal innovations, moral sensitivity, aesthetic principles and ideological complexity in Canadian-Daoist works.

This is the first English-language book on the philosophy of Ji Kang. Moreover, it offers the first systematic treatment of his philosophy, thus filling a significant gap in English-language scholarship on early medieval Chinese literature and philosophy. David Chai brings to light Ji Kang's Neo-Daoist heritage and explores the themes in his writings that were derived from classical Daoism, most notably the need for humanity to return to a more harmonious co-existence with Nature to further our own self-understanding. His analysis is unique in that it balances translation and annotation with expositing the creative philosophizing of Neo-Daoism. Chai analyzes the entirety of Ji Kang's essays, exploring his philosophical reflections on music, aesthetics, ethics, self-cultivation, and fate. Reading Ji Kang/s Essays will be of interest to scholars and students of Chinese philosophy and literature. It offers the first comprehensive philosophical examination of a heretofore neglected figure in Neo-Daoism.

Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking explores a radical new conception of business and management. It is grounded on the reconnection of humans with nature as the new competitive advantage for living organizations and entrepreneurs that aspire to regenerate the economy and drive a positive impact on the planet, in the context of the Anthropocene. Organizations today struggle in finding a balance between maximizing profits and generating value for their stakeholders, the environment and the society at large. This happens in a paradigm shift characterized by unprecedented levels of exponential change and the emergence of disruptive technologies. Adaptability, thus, is becoming the new business imperative. How can, then, entrepreneurs and organizations constantly adapt and, at the same time, design the sustainable futures they'd like? This book uniquely explores the benefits of applying Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking to sustainable management. Grounded in Taoist and Zen Buddhist philosophies, it offers a modern scientific perspective fundamentally based on the concepts of bio-logical adaptability and lifefulness amidst complexity and constant change. The book introduces the new concept of the Gaia organization as a living organism that consciously helps perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet. It is subject to the natural laws of transformation and the principles of oneness, emptiness, impermanence, balance, self-regulation and harmonization. Readers will find applied Eastern systems theories such as the Yin-Yang and the Five Elements operationalized through practical methodologies and tools such as T-Qualia and the Zen Business model. They are aimed at guiding Gaia organizations and entrepreneurs in leading sustainable transformations and qualifying economic growth. The book offers a vital toolkit for purpose-driven practitioners, management researchers, students, social entrepreneurs, evaluators and change-makers to reinvent, create and mindfully manage sustainable and agile organizations that drive systemic transformation.

This volume examines several theoretical concerns of embodiment in the context of Asian religious practice. Looking at both subtle and spatial bodies, it explores how both types of embodiment are engaged as sites for transformation, transaction and transgression. Collectively bridging ancient and modern conceptualizations of embodiment in religious practice, the book offers a complex mapping of how body is defined. It revisits more traditional, mystical religious systems, including Hindu Tantra and Yoga, Tibetan Buddhism, Bon, Chinese Daoism and Persian Sufism and distinctively juxtaposes these inquiries alongside analyses of racial, gendered, and colonized bodies. Such a multifaceted subject requires a diverse approach, and so perspectives from phenomenology and neuroscience as well as critical race theory and feminist theology are utilised to create more precise analytical tools for the scholarly engagement of embodied religious epistemologies. This a nuanced and interdisciplinary exploration of the myriad issues around bodies within religion. As such it will be a key resource for any scholar of Religious Studies, Asian Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, and Gender Studies.

This book interprets the Tao Te Ching from the perspective of personal cultivation. The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu is regarded as one of the greatest books of wisdom ever written in history, but few can grasp what it says in entirety. Embedded in each of its 5,000 Chinese characters are highly profound messages. Master Sim Pooh Ho is a Tai Chi Master and the leader of a Tai Chi lineage that traces back centuries. In his book Decoding the Tao Te Ching, he combines the ancestral teachings of Tai Chi with his practice and provides readers with unique insights into Lao Tzu's ancient book.The Tao Te Ching is difficult to comprehend because many of the concepts it introduces are elusive. What is Tao and Te, being and non-being or yin and yang? The concepts, however, are discernible in Tai Chi because they are what make the practice work. Decoding the Tao Te Ching is written in a simple manner by a Tai Chi master, and translated in an accessible way by his senior disciple Tekson TEO, thus making it an enlightening read to all English readers interested in this topic.

This book interprets the Tao Te Ching from the perspective of personal cultivation. The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu is regarded as one of the greatest books of wisdom ever written in history, but few can grasp what it says in entirety. Embedded in each of its 5,000 Chinese characters are highly profound messages. Master Sim Pooh Ho is a Tai Chi Master and the leader of a Tai Chi lineage that traces back centuries. In his book Decoding the Tao Te Ching, he combines the ancestral teachings of Tai Chi with his practice and provides readers with unique insights into Lao Tzu's ancient book.The Tao Te Ching is difficult to comprehend because many of the concepts it introduces are elusive. What is Tao and Te, being and non-being or yin and yang? The concepts, however, are discernible in Tai Chi because they are what make the practice work. Decoding the Tao Te Ching is written in a simple manner by a Tai Chi master, and translated in an accessible way by his senior disciple Tekson TEO, thus making it an enlightening read to all English readers interested in this topic.

Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking explores a radical new conception of business and management. It is grounded on the reconnection of humans with nature as the new competitive advantage for living organizations and entrepreneurs that aspire to regenerate the economy and drive a positive impact on the planet, in the context of the Anthropocene. Organizations today struggle in finding a balance between maximizing profits and generating value for their stakeholders, the environment and the society at large. This happens in a paradigm shift characterized by unprecedented levels of exponential change and the emergence of disruptive technologies. Adaptability, thus, is becoming the new business imperative. How can, then, entrepreneurs and organizations constantly adapt and, at the same time, design the sustainable futures they'd like? This book uniquely explores the benefits of applying Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking to sustainable management. Grounded in Taoist and Zen Buddhist philosophies, it offers a modern scientific perspective fundamentally based on the concepts of bio-logical adaptability and lifefulness amidst complexity and constant change. The book introduces the new concept of the Gaia organization as a living organism that consciously helps perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet. It is subject to the natural laws of transformation and the principles of oneness, emptiness, impermanence, balance, self-regulation and harmonization. Readers will find applied Eastern systems theories such as the Yin-Yang and the Five Elements operationalized through practical methodologies and tools such as T-Qualia and the Zen Business model. They are aimed at guiding Gaia organizations and entrepreneurs in leading sustainable transformations and qualifying economic growth. The book offers a vital toolkit for purpose-driven practitioners, management researchers, students, social entrepreneurs, evaluators and change-makers to reinvent, create and mindfully manage sustainable and agile organizations that drive systemic transformation.

A luxury, keep-sake edition of an ancient Chinese scripture

This ancient text, fundamental to Taoism, has become a source of inspiration and guidance for millions in modern society. It's focus on attunement, rather than mindless striving, offers an alternative to command-and-control leadership and a different way of seeing personal success - a position that has led to this ancient Chinese text becoming an internationally bestselling personal development guide. Now the text has been given a makeover and this deluxe, gift edition is set to become the market leader, following in the footsteps of the other bestselling Capstone Classic editions.

Includes: Paints a picture of a person in full attunementIllustrates how fulfillment and peace, without struggle, can deliver to us what we need and desireAn alternative way to view personal successA new introduction by Tom Butler Bowdon, the classic personal development expert

Ratified by the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993 and expanded in 2018, "Towards a Global Ethic (An Initial Declaration)," or the Global Ethic, expresses the minimal set of principles shared by people-religious or not. Though it is a secular document, the Global Ethic emerged after months of collaborative, interreligious dialogue dedicated to identifying a common ethical framework. This volume tests and contests the claim that the Global Ethic's ethical directives can be found in the world's religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions. The book features essays by scholars of religion who grapple with the practical implications of the Global Ethic's directives when applied to issues like women's rights, displaced peoples, income and wealth inequality, India's caste system, and more. The scholars explore their respective religious traditions' ethical response to one or more of these issues and compares them to the ethical response elaborated by the Global Ethic. The traditions included are Hinduism, Engaged Buddhism, Shi'i Islam, Sunni Islam, Confucianism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism, Indigenous African Religions, and Human Rights. To highlight the complexities within traditions, most essays are followed by a brief response by an expert in the same tradition. Multi-Religious Perspectives on a Global Ethic is of special interest to advanced students and scholars whose work focuses on the religious traditions listed above, on comparative religion, religious ethics, comparative ethics, and common morality.