The Essential Tao; An Initiation Into the Heart of Taoism Through the Authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang-Tzu by Cleary, Thomas F. (translator, editor) - 1991

[San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991. First edition (stated). Hardcover. Extremely gentle wear to spine foot, extremely mild rubbing to corners, bright pages, binding is tight, sunned DJ spine, else Near Fine(+) in Near Fine(+) DJ.. Octavo in brown-green DJ, 168 pages ; 21 cm. This is Thomas Cleary's translation of two classic Chinese books describing the essential philosophy and practice of Tao, written long ago as maps of the Way: Tao Te Ching and Chuang-tzu. Cleary's bold new translations restore, as no other translations have yet done, the remarkable power and mind-opening distinctiveness of the original Chinese. Composed in China over two thousand years ago and widely regarded as classics of world literature as well as honored for their practical wisdom, the Tao Te Ching and Chuang-tzu cover a wide range of subjects, from politics and economy to psychology and mysticism, from strategies for managing stress and maintaining health to ways to strengthen one's consciousness in a turbulent world. Together, these texts present the philosophical and practical core of classical Taoism while making Taoism's teachings more accessible than ever before to the western reader. "Few of the world's great books have achieved the perennial currency of these writings. Countless readers have found endless fascination and enlightenment in the pregnant aphorisms and fantastic allegories of these ancient classics. Over the centuries the Tao Te Ching in particular has inspired many social and spiritual movements as well as a vast body of exegetical literature." At one time, state colleges of mysticism were established by the Chinese government for the study of the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching, and individuals who had mastered it were sought as advisers by people of all classes, from emperors to peasants. Even when the Taoist canon was torched by order of the Mongol ruler of China in 1280, the Tao Te Ching alone was spared destruction. Here is wonderful, insightful reading, richly enhanced by Cleary's introduction and commentary. Contents: Tao Te Ching --; Chuang-tzu --; On the Historical Background of Taoism, Tao Te Ching, and Chuang-tzu. Taoism, Spirituality.