Description
The Daode jing ("Book of the Dao and Its Virtue") is an essential work in both traditional Chinese culture and world philosophy. The oldest text of philosophical Daoism, and widely venerated among religious Daoist practitioners, it was composed around the middle of the 4th century BCE. Ascribed to a thinker named Laozi, a contemporary of Confucius, the work is based on a set of aphorisms designed to help local lords improve their techniques of government. The most translated book after the Bible, the Daode jing appears in numerous variants and remains highly relevant in the modern world. This guide provides an overview of the text, presenting its historical unfolding, its major concepts, and its contemporary use. It also gives some indication of its essence by citing relevant passages and linking them to the religious practices of traditional Daoism.
About the Author
Livia Kohn, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Religion and East Asian Studies at Boston University. The author or editor of over 40 books, she now lives in Florida, serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, and runs various workshops and conferences.
Reviews
the volume provides accessible and altogether reliable insights in the Daoist tradition and thereby documents one aspect the Daodejing's persuasive power * Barbara Hendrischke, Religious Studies Review *
Kohn's Daode jing has a minimum of specialist jargon, and is written in an approachable style that will make it perfect for anyone interested in Chinese philosophy, religion, medicine, arts, or martial arts. Readers of the Yijing, the Book of Changes, will find this volume helpful for better understanding the breadth of the Yi's cultural roots. * Contemplating the I Ching *
The volume is a succinct one, the main text consists only of 116 pages: but those pages are busy with instructive narrative, data, and illustrations; it is thus a recommended text for all students of comparative and Asian religions. * Lehel Balogh, Hokkaido University, Religious Studies Review *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190689827
Author Livia Kohn
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 272g
Dimensions(mm) 140mm * 208mm * 18mm
About the Author
Livia Kohn, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Religion and East Asian Studies at Boston University. The author or editor of over 40 books, she now lives in Florida, serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, and runs various workshops and conferences.
Reviews
the volume provides accessible and altogether reliable insights in the Daoist tradition and thereby documents one aspect the Daodejing's persuasive power * Barbara Hendrischke, Religious Studies Review *
Kohn's Daode jing has a minimum of specialist jargon, and is written in an approachable style that will make it perfect for anyone interested in Chinese philosophy, religion, medicine, arts, or martial arts. Readers of the Yijing, the Book of Changes, will find this volume helpful for better understanding the breadth of the Yi's cultural roots. * Contemplating the I Ching *
The volume is a succinct one, the main text consists only of 116 pages: but those pages are busy with instructive narrative, data, and illustrations; it is thus a recommended text for all students of comparative and Asian religions. * Lehel Balogh, Hokkaido University, Religious Studies Review *
Book Information
ISBN 9780190689827
Author Livia Kohn
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 272g
Dimensions(mm) 140mm * 208mm * 18mm
