Read more
This book presents for the first time in English a complete translation of the
Expository Commentary to the Daode jing written by the Daoist Cheng Xuanying in the 7th century CE. It includes a thorough introduction by the editor and translator that explores the origins of the commentary and its political and social context.
List of contents
- Introduction
- 1. Cheng Xuanying - Biographical Data
- 2. Context: The Challenges of Being a Daoist in Early Tang Chang'an
- 3. Cheng Xuanying's Expository Commentary and "the Chinese Conquest of Buddhism"
- 4. Conventions of this Book
- Scroll 1
- Preface
- 1. The Dao That Can Be Spoken of as Dao
- 2. All Under Heaven Know
- 3. Do Not Value the Wise
- 4. The Dao Is Empty
- 5. Heaven and Earth
- 6. The Valley Spirit
- 7. Heaven and Earth Are Long Enduring
- 8. The Highest Goodness
- 9. Holding It
- 10. Carry the Souls
- 11. Thirty Spokes
- 12. Five Colors
- 13. Favor and Disgrace
- 14. Looking at It
- 15. Of Ancient Times
- 16. Bringing Emptiness to the Limit
- 17. Taishang18. Great Dao
- 19. Abolish Sagehood
- 20. Abolish Learning
- 21. Great Virtue
- 22. Crooked, Therefore
- 23. Sparing in Words
- 24. He Who Stands on Tiptoe
- 25. There Is a Thing
- 26. Weightiness Is
- 27. Skillfully Acting
- 28. Knowing Masculinity
- 29. Those Who Wish
- 30. [One Who] Takes Dao
- 31. Fine Weapons
- 32. Dao Is Constant
- 33. He Who Knows Other Men
- 34. The Great Dao
- 35. The Great Image
- 36. If You Want to Contain Something
- 37. Dao Is Forever Without Intentional Action
- Scroll 2: The Classic of Virtue
- 38. Superior Virtue
- 39. Formerly
- 40. Returning
- 41. The Person of Highest Capacities
- 42. Dao Generates
- 43. Under Heaven
- 44. Fame or Your Self, Which Is Closer to You?
- 45. Great Accomplishment
- 46. When the World Has Dao
About the author
Friederike Assandri studied Classical Sinology, modern Sinology and Indology at the University of Heidelberg, and Chinese Philosophy at the Universtiy of Nanjing. She holds a PhD from the University of Heidelberg. She has lived for 10 years in China and currently lives in Berlin and holds a research position at the University of Leipzig. Her research focuses on the encounter of Buddhism with Chinese culture, intellectual history, and early medieval Daoism.
Summary
This book presents for the first time in English a complete translation of the Expository Commentary to the Daode jing written by the Daoist Cheng Xuanying in the 7th century CE. It includes a thorough introduction by the editor and translator that explores the origins of the commentary and its political and social context.
Additional text
This is landmark translation, astutely introduced, and greatly contributing to our understanding of Táng Daoism.
