Catherine Despeux’s book Taoism and Self Knowledge is a study of the Internal Alchemical text "Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection." It begins with an analysis of pictographic and symbolic representation of the body in early Taoism after which the author examines different extant versions of the "Chart" as it was transmitted among Quanzhen groups in the Qing dynasty. The book is comprised of four main parts: the principal parts of the body and their nomenclature in Internal Alchemy, the spirits in the human body, and the alchemical processes and procedures used in thunder rituals and self-cultivation. This is a revised, expanded edition of the original French edition Taoïsme et connaissance de soi. La carte de la culture de la perfection (Xiuzhen tu) Paris, 2012.

Taoist techniques that can quiet your mind so you can discover your true self in the wisdom of the heart • Teaches that the Tao is the flow of nature, the effortless middle path of self-discovery • Shows how to quiet the monkey mind (the ego) and listen within for your inner voice • Fosters a connection to the Tao through diet, exercise, livelihood, and sexuality Taoists say that we must learn to observe with the mind and think with the heart. In the West we get caught up in the “monkey mind” of our ego. We think we can control our individual destinies by swimming upstream against the current, but we are mistaken. When we learn to quiet the monkey mind with meditation practices, we are able to go beyond the linear thinking of the upper brain and connect to the multidimensional thinking of supreme consciousness in the heart center. In Living in the Tao, Master Mantak Chia and William Wei present techniques to help us learn to move beyond the limits of time and space to connect with the universal truth within--without striving. Living in the Tao is effortless. Just as a small seed grows into a mighty tree with a little water and a little sunshine every day, a few minutes of Taoist practice each day can transform your life into one of peace and joy.

"Help! I need somebody--but is it a guru or a shrink?" In response to this dilemma, the philosopher Jacob Needleman arranged a lecture series at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, in the hope of clarifying both the distinctions and the interrelations between these two paths of self-knowledge, psychotherapy and the ancient spiritual disciplines. This book is the enriching and often electrifying result. The eight lecturers--psychotherapists interested in the further reaches of self-development and spiritual teachers concerned with helping people live--dispatch the basic question with little ultimate disagreement. The consensus, most concisely expressed by British therapist A. C. Robin Skynner, is that therapy and the sacred traditions lead in quite different, one might say perpendicular, directions: therapy towards integration and functioning on the plane of normal daily life, spiritual discipline towards the far more difficult and demanding ascent into transcendence and self-evolution. But while the confusion of the two can be dangerous, properly understood they can assist and enhance each other." - Kirkus Reviews, 10/15/76.

In this clarion translation of Laotzu's Tao Te Ching, first published in 1919, Goddard brings the complexity and depth of the ancient philosopher's poetry into the English language, his great love for the topic overcoming the necessary shortcomings of translation. There are three concepts that are essential to the Tao Te Ching-Tao, Te, and Wu Wei-that all have complex meanings that cannot be directly translated, but spiritual seekers and those with an interest in philosophy and religion will find Goddard's treatment of Laotzu lyrical and deeply meaningful. American writer DWIGHT GODDARD (1861-1939) studied at a monastery in Kyoto, Japan, for a year and was among the first Westerners to bring Zen Buddhism to the United States. His most famous book is The Buddhist Bible (1938).

In this deeply learned work, Toshihiko Izutsu compares the metaphysical and mystical thought-systems of Sufism and Taoism and discovers that, although historically unrelated, the two share features and patterns which prove fruitful for a transhistorical dialogue. His original and suggestive approach opens new doors in the study of comparative philosophy and mysticism. Izutsu begins with Ibn 'Arabi, analyzing and isolating the major ontological concepts of this most challenging of Islamic thinkers. Then, in the second part of the book, Izutsu turns his attention to an analysis of parallel concepts of two great Taoist thinkers, Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu. Only after laying bare the fundamental structure of each world view does Izutsu embark, in the final section of the book, upon a comparative analysis. Only thus, he argues, can he be sure to avoid easy and superficial comparisons. Izutsu maintains that both the Sufi and Taoist world views are based on two pivots—the Absolute Man and the Perfect Man—with a whole system of oncological thought being developed between these two pivots. Izutsu discusses similarities in these ontological systems and advances the hypothesis that certain patterns of mystical and metaphysical thought may be shared even by systems with no apparent historical connection. This second edition of Sufism and Taoism is the first published in the United States. The original edition, published in English and in Japan, was prized by the few English-speaking scholars who knew of it as a model in the field of comparative philosophy. Making available in English much new material on both sides of its comparison, Sufism and Taoism richly fulfills Izutsu's motivating desire "to open a new vista in the domain of comparative philosophy."

This text offers an opportunity to internalize and directly experience the great wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, a collection of verses authored by the Chinese prophet Lao-tzu. Although just 81 short verses, the Tao encourages readers to change their lives by literally changing the way they think.

• The first book to explain how feng shui developed from the Taoist systems of astrology, yin and yang, and the five elements. • Provides a background on Taoist philosophy to help readers better understand the principles of feng shui and how to use them properly. • Helps readers improve home, business, garden, property, neighborhoods, and much more. The Chinese art of feng shui has become extremely popular in the West, but too often advice on the subject consists of overly simplistic instructions for rearranging one's house without any explanation of the profound philosophical system behind these changes. The ancient Taoists developed feng shui from their understanding of the subtle interplay of energies that make up the universe, and no true mastery of feng shui is possible without a knowledge of Taoism. Taoist Feng Shui provides step-by-step guidelines for improving your home, business, garden, property, and neighborhood using this ancient system of knowledge. In Taoist Feng Shui, Susan Levitt traces the history of feng shui and shows how it is grounded in knowledge of yin and yang and the five Taoist elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, as well as many other principles essential to Taoism. Once a background in Taoism is established, readers can better understand the philosophy behind concepts such as choosing the best colors for each room of the home, room-by-room furniture placement, yin and yang balance, correct lighting, outdoor landscaping, the function of hallways and entrances, and the proper use of mirrors, crystals, fountains, and other feng shui tools. With in-depth examples from the author's private feng shui practice, Taoist Feng Shui can help all readers transform their personal environments to create peace, harmony, health, wealth, and good fortune.