Here, Taoist practitioner Eva Wong offers a colorful treatment of the history and evolution of Taoism, told through traditional teaching tales. These tales, which Wong first heard as a child growing up in Hong Kong, are gleaned from the local storytellers and the uncensored chronicles known as yeshi--the wild history of China, not monitored by the official imperial scholars and historians. The stories are by turns mysterious and intriguing, passionate and violent, and they are peppered with colorful characters, including hermits, politicians, social activists, revolutionaries, scholars, scientists, and mystics. Arranged chronologically from prehistory through the early twentieth century, these stories introduce the schools in the Taoist lineages, and capture the defeats and victories of Taoism, its periods of decadence and decay, and its renewal, maturation, and spiritual triumph. Wong puts these stories into context, and shows that Taoism is a dynamic spiritual tradition, constantly changing--and being influenced by--history.

In "Holding Yin, Embracing Yang," Eva Wong presents translations of three key texts containing the highest teachings of the Eastern and Western schools of Taoist internal alchemy--the discipline of cultivating health, longevity, and immortality by transforming the energetic structures of body and mind. The texts are primarily concerned with meditation, breathing practices, and sexual yoga with a partner--all as means for developing within ourselves the same life-giving energy that sustains and nourishes the universe. The texts in this collection offer a clear view of the physical, mental, and spiritual methods of Taoist practice, showing why they are important and how these methods all can work together in the cultivation of mental peace, radiant health, and longevity. This collection will provide inspiration and the essential foundation necessary to begin Taoist practice under the guidance of a teacher. The three classics translated here are: "Treatise on the Mysterious Orifice "by Xuanweilun (sixteenth century), "Discussion on the Cavity of the Tao" by Daojiaotan (nineteenth century), and "Secret Teachings on the Three Wheels "by Sanjubizhi (nineteenth century). Included is an introduction in which Wong discusses the various schools of internal alchemy, as well as their main practices.

The way of the Tao is one of peace -- of serenity, meditation and inner contentment. For centuries the followers of the Tao have drawn strength from its great wisdom, its faith in the laws of the universe, and its rare gift of turning the negative into the positive.

Although the origins of Taoism lie long ago in the mists of time, its philosophy of contemplative calm is more relevant, in today's busy world, than ever before. Bringing the wisdom of the great Taoist thinkers into the twenty-first century, this exquisite little volume contains some of their most profound words, offering insight and advice on a wide variety of different areas.

For those who seek comfort, inspiration or simply refuge from the chaos of modern life, this wealth of spiritual enlightenment will be treasured as a timeless keepsake forever.

The "Chuang Tzu " has been translated into English numerous times, but never with the freshness, accessibility, and accuracy of this remarkable rendering. Here the immediacy of Chuang Tzu's language is restored in a idiom that is both completely fresh and true to the original text. This unique collaboration between one of America's premier poet-translators and a leading Chinese scholar presents the so-called "Inner Chapters" of the text, along with important selections from other chapters thought to have been written by Chuang Tzu's disciples.

A classic Chinese text on Taoist meditation, this work has inspired many Ch'i-kung (Qigong) techniques for attaining health, happiness, and long life. The book describes the use of meditation in circulating energy, the role of breath, and the conservation of procreative energy. It is one of the few Taoist treatises to describe the landmarks of spiritual development and document the process of spiritual development from start to finish.

The ancient Chinese regarded the written word as a transformative force able to move heaven and earth and unite the reader with the source of all things, the Tao. The power of writing, especially poetry, is celebrated here in four short texts that present both practical instruction and spiritual insight. 10 b&w calligraphies.

A sensible and compassionate book that will help those involved in any form of therapy make the best possible use of their time, effort, and money. "A fascinating blend of Eastern spirituality, Western psychotherapy, feminist consciousness, and real caring."--Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade 35 black-and-white photographs.

This is the amazing story of how noted economist, professor, and Texas "oil man" John Walter for twenty-five years lived a secret life as an initiate into shamanic vision in South America and the miraculous healing practice of Panda Lee in Texas: Taoist contemplative, friend of Chou En Lai, Qi Gong master, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Told in a dramatic and lively style, the book is full of startling "magical" incidents -- truly impacting like Casteneda's famous "Don Juan" books. At the same time it contributes to the subject of the applicability of Oriental Medicine in Western culture.

Composed more than 2,000 years ago, the Dao de Jing (Tao Te Ching) set forth an alternative vision of reality in a world torn apart by violence and betrayal. Second only to the Bible, this timeless classic is one of the world's most revered inspirational books. Daoism advocates a full understanding of the wonders hidden in the ordinary. Now in this luminous new translation, based on recently discovered ancient bamboo scrolls, Chinese scholars Ames and Hall bring the timeless wisdom of the Dao de Jing into our contemporary world. Eschewing philosophical dogma, the Dao de Jing sets forth a series of maxims that outline a new perspective on reality and invites listeners to embark on a regimen of self-transformation--the attainment of personal excellence that flows from the world and back into it.

In the first book to systematically deal with Daoism (Taoism) from a rhetorical perspective, author Setven C. Combs advances the idea that the works of Daoist (Taoist) sages Laozi (Lao Tzu), zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), and Sunzi (Sun Tzu) can be fused into a coherent rhetorical genre, which can then form a methodology for rhetorical criticism. This notion of Daoist rhetoric enables critics to examine discourse from new vantage points with novel processes and concepts that honor the creativity and complexity of human communication. Combs also critically examines four contemporary films--""The Tao of Steve, A Bug's Life, Antz, and Shrek--"to amplify rhetorical Daoism, to indicate clear differences between Western and Daoist values, and to offer fresh perspectives on individuals and social action. This book argues that Daoism provides a lens for viewing limitations of current Western rhetorical theorizing, positioning Daoist rhetoric as a potent critical perspective in the contemporary, postmodern world.

Great Perfection tells the story of the Ba of Sichuan and of the Li family in particular. Engaging the most recent scholarship in Western, Chinese, and Japanese languages (including archaeological and ethnic publications), the study begins in the mists of prehistory, traces the early history, of the Ba, chronicles the rise of the Daoist faith and their role in it, then sets forth in detail a chronicle of the state of Great Perfection -- the kingdom they built in an attempt to realize the Daoist utopia.

This unique, highly contextualized translation of the Laozi is based on the earliest known edition of the work, Text A of the Mawangdui Laozi, written before 202 BCE. No other editions are comparable to this text in its antiquity. Hongkyung Kim also incorporates the recent archaeological discovery of Laozi-related documents disentombed in 1993 in Guodian, seeing these documents as proto-materials for compilation of the Laozi and revealing clues for disentangling the work from complicated exegetical contentions. Kim makes extensive use of Chinese commentaries on the Laozi and also examines the classic Chinese texts closely associated with the formation of the work to illuminate the intellectual and historical context of Laozi s philosophy.
Kim offers several original and thought-provoking arguments on the Laozi, including that the work was compiled during the Qin, which has traditionally been viewed as typical of Legalist states, and that the Laozi should be recognized as a syncretic text before being labeled a Daoist one."

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.