In the Shadows of the Dao

In the Shadows of the Dao
Author: Thomas Michael
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2015-09-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1438458991

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Thomas Michael's study of the early history of the Daodejing reveals that the work is grounded in a unique tradition of early Daoism, one unrelated to other early Chinese schools of thought and practice. The text is associated with a tradition of hermits committed to yangsheng, a particular practice of physical cultivation involving techniques of breath circulation in combination with specific bodily movements leading to a physical union with the Dao. Michael explores the ways in which the text systematically anchored these techniques to a Dao-centered worldview. Including a new translation of the Daodejing, In the Shadows of the Dao opens new approaches to understanding the early history of one of the world's great religious texts and great religious traditions.

The Pristine Dao

The Pristine Dao
Author: Thomas Michael
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0791483177

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The Laozi (Daodejing) and the Zhuangzi have long been familiar to Western readers and have served as basic sources of knowledge about early Chinese Daoism. Modern translations and studies of these works have encouraged a perception of Daoism as a mystical philosophy heavy with political implications that advises kings to become one with the Dao. Breaking with this standard approach, The Pristine Dao argues that the Laozi and the Zhuangzi participated in a much wider tradition of metaphysical discourse that included a larger corpus of early Chinese writings. This book demonstrates that early Daoist discourse possessed a distinct, textually constituted coherence and a religious sensibility that starkly differed from the intellectual background of all other traditions of early China, including Confucianism. The author argues that this discourse is best analyzed through its emergence from the mythological imagination of early China, and that it was unified by a set of notions about the Dao that was shared by all of its participants. The author introduces certain categories from the Western religious and philosophical traditions in order to bring out the distinctive qualities constituting this discourse and to encourage its comparison with other religious and philosophical traditions.

The Snatchers

The Snatchers
Author: Kate Cabral-McKeand
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2023-03-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1728377838

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In the first book of the Tree Dwellers trilogy - The Clan, Brill, and his young couriers have returned home from a successful grain-gathering mission at Memmcaro’s grain facility. Their community, known as The Clan, resides high in the hidden canopy of the tallwoods. The couriers stole their way into the corrupt seed conglomerate Memmcaro’s compound, but in doing so, it cost them the lives of their friends. Captain Mullins and his ruthless Rooks run Memmcaro. They control the compound where tainted and rare, untainted grains are stored. Horrific experiments on innocent children snatched from their homes also occur at the complex. Through these experiments, Mullins hopes to develop a serum that can cure the toxic effects of the diseases that affect virtually everyone on the ground. At a different location, Mullins’ nemesis, Civantes, is also conducting cruel experiments on the children. These endeavors have been unsuccessful due to the lack of healthy specimens - until now. Mullins wants to capture the tree dwellers whom he has seen. He wants them for their healthy compositions but also because they blew up his Farm, where battles to the death between men and mutated monsters took place. With the help of friends they have met, the companions must find and destroy Mullins, Civantes, and his deadly mutant men - The Snatchers - before being discovered. With the invaluable help of Mama Kilee’s knowledge, SheShe’s loyalty, and the antics of their pets, Cat and Dog, they must avoid the relentless Demonis, the silent Shivers, and the terrifying Humonsters if they want to live. Their mission is no longer about food. It’s about friendship, hope, and survival; time is running out.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix
Author: Julie C. Dao
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2019-09-17
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1524738344

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This fairy tale retelling lives in a mystical world inspired by the Far East, where the Dragon Lord and the Serpent God battle for control of the earthly realm; it is here that the flawed heroine of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns finally meets her match. An epic fantasy finale to that breathtaking and dazzling story. Princess Jade has grown up in exile, hidden away in a monastery while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules as Empress of Feng Lu. But the empire is in distress and its people are sinking into poverty and despair. Even though Jade doesn't want the crown, she knows she is the only one who can dethrone the Empress and set the world right. Ready to reclaim her place as rightful heir, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all. But will the same darkness that took Xifeng take Jade, too? Or will she find the strength within to save herself, her friends, and her empire? Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with breathtaking pain and beauty, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is filled with dazzling magic, powerful prose, and characters readers won't soon forget. Fans of Stealing Snow, Red Queen, and The Wrath and the Dawn will hungrily devour this page-turning read. Praise for Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix: “There aren’t many authors who could so precisely undo their first book with their second, but it is this clever unweaving that shows Dao’s brilliance and skill. With heart-stopping action and wonderful new characters, this is not a sequel to be missed.” —EK Johnston, #1 New York Times bestselling author “A lush, enchanting tale of magic, myth, and absolute courage. At once gorgeously woven and deliciously gruesome, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is a thrilling end to a series that feels like a classic in its own right.” —Natalie Mae, author of The Kinder Poison “Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the stunning counterpoint to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. A refreshing take on the classic heroine, and an adventure of stories nestled within stories, this is a book fairytale lovers will tuck among their most beloved treasures.” —Emily X.R. Pan, New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After “Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix broke my heart and filled it, all at once. In the process, Julie C. Dao has turned a well-worn tale into something thrilling and new. Ornate, tender, and magical. I could not put this book down.” —Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder “Beautifully written and masterfully told, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix feels at once timeless and entirely new . . . I loved it with my whole heart.” —Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens “Utterly brilliant in every way, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the perfect follow-up to Julie C. Dao’s debut. This is the dark fantasy I've been waiting for, and I can't get enough!” —Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Give the Dark My Love "A grand adventure for fans of fairy tales, fables, and legends coupled with the vibrant history of Chinese dynasties."—Kirkus Reviews * "A top purchase for most fantasy collections." --School Library Journal, starred review

Daoism and Environmental Philosophy

Daoism and Environmental Philosophy
Author: Eric S. Nelson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2020-10-01
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0429678223

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Daoism and Environmental Philosophy explores ethics and the philosophy of nature in the Daodejing, the Zhuangzi, and related texts to elucidate their potential significance in our contemporary environmental crisis. This book traces early Daoist depictions of practices of embodied emptying and forgetting and communicative strategies of undoing the fixations of words, things, and the embodied self. These are aspects of an ethics of embracing plainness and simplicity, nourishing the asymmetrically differentiated yet shared elemental body of life of the myriad things, and being responsively attuned in encountering and responding to things. These critical and transformative dimensions of early Daoism provide exemplary models and insights for cultivating a more expansive ecological ethos, environmental culture of nature, and progressive political ecology. This work will be of interest to students and scholars interested in philosophy, environmental ethics and philosophy, religious studies, and intellectual history.

Prodigal of Martial Dao

Prodigal of Martial Dao
Author: Jin GuChuanQi
Publisher: Funstory
Total Pages: 677
Release: 2020-05-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1649208723

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He was a racketeering little beggar, yet he had inadvertently obtained a strange book on martial arts ... He was a chivalrous young master, but because of his father, he was despised by all martial artists ... The little beggar saved the young master of the rich family, and thus saved the lives of all the people in the world ... [Close]

Transcendence and Non-Naturalism in Early Chinese Thought

Transcendence and Non-Naturalism in Early Chinese Thought
Author: Alexus McLeod
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2020-09-03
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1350082554

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Contemporary scholars of Chinese philosophy often presuppose that early China possessed a naturalistic worldview, devoid of any non-natural concepts, such as transcendence. Challenging this presupposition head-on, Joshua R. Brown and Alexus McLeod argue that non-naturalism and transcendence have a robust and significant place in early Chinese thought. This book reveals that non-naturalist positions can be found in early Chinese texts, in topics including conceptions of the divine, cosmogony, and apophatic philosophy. Moreover, by closely examining a range of early Chinese texts, and providing comparative readings of a number of Western texts and thinkers, the book offers a way of reading early Chinese Philosophy as consistent with the religious philosophy of the East and West, including the Abrahamic and the Brahmanistic religions. Co-written by a philosopher and theologian, this book draws out unique insights into early Chinese thought, highlighting in particular new ways to consider a range of Chinese concepts, including tian, dao, li, and you/wu.

The Contemplative Foundations of Classical Daoism

The Contemplative Foundations of Classical Daoism
Author: Harold D. Roth
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2021-05-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1438482728

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In The Contemplative Foundations of Classical Daoism, Harold D. Roth explores the origins and nature of the Daoist tradition, arguing that its creators and innovators were not abstract philosophers but, rather, mystics engaged in self-exploration and self-cultivation, which in turn provided the insights embodied in such famed works as the Daodejing and Zhuangzi. In this compilation of essays and chapters representing nearly thirty years of scholarship, Roth examines the historical and intellectual origins of Daoism and demonstrates how this distinctive philosophy emerged directly from practices that were essentially contemplative in nature. In the first part of the book, Roth applies text-critical methods to derive the hidden contemplative dimensions of classical Daoism. In the second part, he applies a "contemplative hermeneutic" to explore the relationship between contemplative practices and classical Daoist philosophy and, in so doing, brings early Daoist writings into conversation with contemporary contemplative studies. To this he adds an introduction in which he reflects on the arc and influence on the field of early Chinese thought of this rich vein of scholarship and an afterword in which he applies both interpretive methods to the vexing question of the authorship of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi. The Contemplative Foundations of Classical Daoism brings to fruition the cumulative investigations and observations of a leading figure in the emerging field of contemplative studies as they pertain to a core component of early Chinese thought.

A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing

A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing
Author: Rudolf G. Wagner
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 541
Release: 2003-10-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 079145181X

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Presenting the commentary of the third-century sage Wang Bi, this book provides a Chinese way of reading the Daodejing, one which will surprise Western readers.

Philosophical Enactment and Bodily Cultivation in Early Daoism

Philosophical Enactment and Bodily Cultivation in Early Daoism
Author: Thomas Michael
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2021-08-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1350236675

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In Philosophical Enactment and Bodily Cultivation in Early Daoism, Thomas Michael illuminates the formative early history of the Daodejing and the social, political, religious, and philosophical trends that indelibly marked it. This book centers on the matrix of the Daodejing that harbors a penetrating phenomenology of the Dao together with a rigorous system of bodily cultivation. It traces the historical journey of the text from its earliest oral circulations to its later transcriptions seen in a growing collection of ancient Chinese excavated manuscripts. It examines the ways in which Huang-Lao thinkers from the Han Dynasty transformed the original phenomenology of the Daodejing into a metaphysics that reconfigured its original matrix, and it explores the success of the Wei-Jin Daoist Ge Hong in bringing the matrix back into its original alignment. This book is an important contribution to cross-cultural studies, bringing contemporary Chinese scholarship on Daoism into direct conversation with Western scholarship on Daoism. The book also concludes with a discussion of Martin Heidegger's recognition of the position and value of the Daodejing for the future of comparative philosophy.