Emphasizing an individual's resolve in matters of leadership, business, health and spiritual practice, this book provides a synthesis of Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian thought while echoing the eastern philosophical perspective that has now become a part of contemporary thinking in the fields of art, science and alternative medicine. This book provides a collection of brief meditative teachings which present a means of coping with daily existence in times of anxiety and uncertainty, founding its principles on the heart as the centre of right-mindedness, consciousness and empowerment.

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.

Understanding Reality (Chinese Wu Chen P'ien) is one of the basic classics of Taoist spiritual alchemy as practiced in the Complete Reality (Ch'uan-chen) school of Taoism. Writing in the year 1841, the Taoist Chu Chung-t'ang described its status within the tradition in these terms: 11 Wei Po-yang of the Eastern Han dynasty (23-220 C.E.) first revealed the celestial mechanism and expounded its esoteric truths, composing the Ts'an T'ung Ch'i ... In the Sung dynasty (960-1279) Chang Tzu-yang composed the Wu Chen P'ien. Both texts are perennial guides to the study of the Tao."

Written during the Golden Age of Chinese philosophy, and composed partly in prose and partly in verse, the Tao Te Ching is the most terse and economical of the world's great religious texts. In a series of short, profound chapters it elucidates the idea of the Tao, or the Way, and of Te - Virtue, or Power - ideas that in their ethical, practical and spiritual dimensions have become essential to the life of China's powerful civilization. The Tao Te Ching has been translated into Western languages more times than any other Chinese work. It speaks of the ineffable in a secular manner and its imagery, drawn from the natural world, transcends time and place. The application of its wisdom to modern times is both instructive and provocative - for the individual, lessons in self-awareness and spontaneity, placing stillness and consciousness of the word around above ceaseless activity; for leaders of society, how to govern with integrity, to perform unobtrusively the task in hand and never to utter words lightly; for both, the futility of striving for personal success. D. C. Lau's classic English version remains a touchstone of accuracy. Informed by the most impressive scholarship this is a translation both for academic study and for general readers who prefer to reflect on the meaning of this ancient text unencumbered by the subjective interpretations and poetic licence of more recent 'inspirational' translations. Sarah Allan's masterly introduction discusses the origins of the work, sheds light on the ambiguities of its language, and places it firmly in its historical and philosophical context. The Everyman edition uses Lau's translation of the Ma Wang Tui manuscripts (discovered in 1973) in the revised 1989 version published by The Chinese University Press. The iconic text is presented uncluttered by explanatory notes. A chronology and glossary are included, together with the translator's informative appendices.

This progressive handbook for Chinese medicine students and practitioners looks at gender, physiology, relationships and sexual attraction from the Chinese medicine perspective. Many standard diagnostic and treatment techniques are gender-based and do not work with clients who identify as LGBT or gender/sex/relationship fluid and so these communities are currently often underserved. Catherine Lumenello accesses the Daoist, Buddhist and Confucianist roots of the medicine and explores the energetic pathways, the Three Treasures and other theories in order to understand the emotional etiology and treatment concerns prevalent within these client groups. The topics covered in the book include transgender issues, asexuality, sex addiction, sexual realignment surgery and polyamory. Incorporating client examples, illustrations, and an assortment of treatment approaches, this book is a radical re-examination of the potential of Chinese medicine.

Chinese Shamanic Tiger Qigong is a uniquely classical practice designed to bolster our health, activate our inner life power, and deepen our spiritual connection to universal energy. This book illustrates the philosophy and cultivating method of the Tiger Qigong form and unlocks the mysterious internal alchemy principle of LaoHu (Shamanic Tiger) Gong. By delving further into Xiang (Daoist symbolism) of Tiger, practitioners will receive greater benefits from studying this book and their own Tiger Qigong practice. Master Wu also shares how each movement in the Tiger Qigong practice relates to the eight extraordinary meridians, twelve organ meridians and twenty four JieQi (seasons). This knowledge will help seasoned practitioners experience new dimensions of their cultivation and sharpen their healing tools.

A study of the traditional metaphysics of the Taoist tradition, with many comparisons made to Western esoteric traditions, such as Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Freemasonry, as well as parallels with Christian and Islamic doctrine.

'The Tao of Joy Every Day' contains Taoist sayings, wisdom, and stories all designed to bring awareness and understanding of what makes our lives meaningful, especially in a world that seems hurried and crazed.

This is one of Osho's "classics", although previously little known. He brings his unique perception to the world of Tao, and offers his penetrating and illuminating comments on these original sutras- the wonderful stories of the Taoist mystic, Chuang Tzu. As always, his inspirational anecdotes and stories illustrate the points he makes - about the spiritual search, love, acceptance and true peace and happiness. With wonderfully irreverent humour, Osho sets out to pierce our disguises, shatter our illusions, cure our addictions and demonstrate the self-limiting and often tragic folly of taking ourselves too seriously.

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu is one of the most widely read and deeply cherished books in the world, a work many consider the wisest book ever written. In his introduction, translator Brian Browne Walker says, 'It is less a book than a living, breathing angel.' Brian Browne Walker's is one of the few modern English versions to be translated directly from the original Chinese. In his translation, Walker stays close to the direct literal accuracy of the Chinese characters while producing a modern, exceptionally clear version that has the ring and voice of Lao Tzu, a man who may or may not have been a single individual. 'I have come to think of Lao Tzu less as a man who once lived,' Walker writes, 'and more as a song that plays, eternal and abiding.'

The Te of Piglet . . . in which a good deal of Taoist wisdom is revealed through the character and actions of A. A. Milne's Piglet. Piglet? Yes, Piglet. For the better than impulsive Tigger? or the gloomy Eeyore? or the intellectual Owl? or even the lovable Pooh? Piglet herein demonstrates a very important principle of Taoism: The Te--a Chinese word meaning Virtue--of the Small.

"Of ways you may speak, / but not the Perennial Way; / By names you may name, / but not the Perennial Name." So begins the best-loved of all the classical books of China and the most universally popular, the Daodejing or Classic of the Way and Life-Force. Laozi's 2,500 year-old masterpiece is a work that defies definition. The dominant image is of the Way, the mysterious path through the whole cosmos modeled on the great Silver River or Milky Way that traverses the heavens. A life-giving stream, the Way gives rise to all things and holds them in her motherly embrace. It enables the individual, and society as a whole, to find balance, to let go of useless grasping, and to live in harmony with the great unchanging laws that govern the universe and all its inhabitants. This new translation draws on the latest archaeological finds and brings out the word play and poetry of the original. Straightforward commentary accompanies the text, and the introduction provides helpful historical and interpretative context.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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.

What Is Taoism? traces, in nontechnical language, the history of the development of this often baffling doctrine. Creel shows that there has not been one "Taoism," but at least three, in some respects incompatible and often antagonistic. In eight closely related papers, Creel explicates the widely used concepts he originally introduced of "contemplative Taoism," "purposive Taoism," and "Hsien Taoism." He also discusses Shen Pu-hai, a political philosopher of the fourth century B.C.; the curious interplay between Confucianism, Taoism, and "Legalism" in the second century B.C.; and the role of the horse in Chinese history.

This work presents the classic Taoist text translated using the original Chinese script from Lao Tzu's time, and illustrated with 17th-century artwork.

Steve Coutinho explores in detail the fundamental concepts of Daoist thought as represented in three early texts: the Laozi, the Zhuangzi, and the Liezi. Readers interested in philosophy yet unfamiliar with Daoism will gain a comprehensive understanding of these works from this analysis, and readers fascinated by ancient China who also wish to grasp its philosophical foundations will appreciate the clarity and depth of Coutinho's explanations. Coutinho writes a volume for all readers, whether or not they have a background in philosophy or Chinese studies. A work of comparative philosophy, this volume also integrates the concepts and methods of contemporary philosophical discourse into a discussion of early Chinese thought. The resulting dialogue relates ancient Chinese thought to contemporary philosophical issues and uses modern Western ideas and approaches to throw new interpretive light on classical texts. Rather than function as historical curiosities, these works act as living philosophies in conversation with contemporary thought and experience. Coutinho respects the multiplicity of Daoist philosophies while also revealing a distinctive philosophical sensibility, and he provides clear explanations of these complex texts without resorting to oversimplification.