I And Tao

Presents a new view of the Taoist classic, The Chuang Tzu, through the lens of Buber's translation and his philosophy developed in I and Thou and later works.

Tao Te Ching is a classic Chinese text, probably from around the 6th century BC. While the authorship is still debated, most of the text is attributed to Lao-Tzu ("Old Master"), who was a court record keeper during the Zhou Dynasty. The text is considered an essential element of Taoist philosophy as well as having significant influences on Chinese religions, including Buddhism. This is a classic translation of the book by James Legge. Visit www.ArcManor.com for other, similar books.

A rich, poetic, and socially relevant version of the great spiritual-philosophical classic of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching—from a legendary literary icon Most people know Ursula K. Le Guin for her extraordinary science fiction and fantasy. Fewer know just how pervasive Taoist themes are to so much of her work. And in Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, we are treated to Le Guin’s unique take on Taoist philosophy’s founding classic. Le Guin presents Lao Tzu’s time-honored and astonishingly powerful philosophy like never before. Drawing on a lifetime of contemplation and including extensive personal commentary throughout, she offers an unparalleled window into the text’s awe-inspiring, immediately relatable teachings and their inestimable value for our troubled world. Jargon-free but still faithful to the poetic beauty of the original work, Le Guin’s unique translation is sure to be welcomed by longtime readers of the Tao Te Ching as well as those discovering the text for the first time.

Explores the teachings of Lao Tzu, the philosopher believed to be the inspiring force behind the seminal Taoist work, through a collection of eighty-one inspirational passages that speak to the balance of earth and heaven.

In Tao: The Pathless Path, Osho, one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the twentieth century, comments on five parables from the Leih Tzu, bringing a fresh and contemporary interpretation to the ancient wisdom of Tao. Leih Tzu was a well-known Taoist master in the fourth century B.C., and his sly critiques of a Confucius provide abundant opportunities for the reader to explore the contrasts between the rational and irrational, the male and female, the structured and the spontaneous. “Who Is Really Happy” uses the discovery of a human skull on the roadside to probe into the question of immortality and how misery arises out of the existence of the ego. “A Man Who Knows How to Console Himself” looks beneath the apparent cheerfulness of a wandering monk and asks if there is really a happiness that endures through life’s ups and downs. “No Regrets” is a parable about the difference between the knowledge that is gathered from the outside and the “knowing” that arises from within. “No Rest for the Living” uses a dialogue between a despondent seeker and his master to reveal the limits of philosophy and the crippling consequences of living for the sake of some future goal. “Best Be Still, Best Be Empty” discusses the difference between the path of the will, the via affirmitiva of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, versus the path of the mystic, the via negativa of Buddha and Lao Tzu. Tao: The Pathless Path also features a Q&A section that addresses how Taoist understanding applies to everyday life in concrete, practical terms. Osho challenges readers to examine and break free of the conditioned belief systems and prejudices that limit their capacity to enjoy life in all its richness. He has been described by the Sunday Times of London as one of the “1000 Makers of the 20th Century” and by Sunday Mid-Day (India) as one of the ten people—along with Gandhi, Nehru, and Buddha—who have changed the destiny of India. Since his death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world.

Drawing on ancient and modern sources, "a lucid discussion of Taoism and the Chinese language [that's] profound, reflective, and enlightening." —Boston Globe According to Deepak Chopra, "Watts was a spiritual polymatch, the first and possibly greatest." Watts treats the Chinese philosophy of Tao in much the same way as he did Zen Buddhism in his classic The Way of Zen. Critics agree that this last work stands as a perfect monument to the life and literature of Alan Watts. "Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, . . . Watts begins with scholarship and intellect and proceeds with art and eloquence to the frontiers of the spirit."—Los Angeles Times

"Through competent scholarship, insightful interpretation, and masterful understanding of the present dialogue on hermeneutics, it brings Buber's book on Chuang Tzu into sinology and sinology via this book into the understanding and interpretation of Buber. No one else has ever tackled bringing these three fields—Sinology, Buber scholarship, and comparative mysticism—into meaningful interrelation and dialogue."— Maurice Friedman, author of Martin Buber's Life and Work "The best thing is the depth and breadth of his discussion of hermeneutic issues. Herman is very well read both in theoretical hermeneutics and in sinological literature on the Chuang Tzu, and he has thought carefully through the main methodological issues related to his task. His discussion of the relation between unitive/escapist and 'intraworldly' mysticism in the Chuang Tzu is a great contribution." — Michael LaFargue, University of Massachusetts, Boston "Buber's approach to Taoism is not primarily that of the scholar, but of the practitioner of philosophia perennis. And since Buber holds a prominent place in twentieth-century religious history, his appropriation of the Chuang Tzu is an important subject. Herman, to his credit, has not stood in Buber's path, but has allowed him to speak for himself. "His treatment of textual reconstruction, interpretation, and reception in the hermeneutic chapters adds a great deal to these topics that is valuable quite apart from the specific text he addresses." — David L. Hall