{"title":"Series: Translations from the Asian Classics","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslations from the Asian Classics\u003c\/strong\u003e opens a window to rich literary traditions across Asia, inviting readers to explore timeless stories, poetry, and philosophy through expertly rendered English versions. This collection celebrates the enduring power of classic Asian voices, offering insights into diverse cultures and artistic expressions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether drawn to profound reflections, mythic tales, or poetic elegance, readers will find works that resonate beyond their original languages. These translations balance fidelity with accessibility, making revered texts approachable for contemporary audiences eager to connect with Asia’s literary heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-original-meaning-of-the-yijing-by-xi-zhu-9780231216609","title":"The Original Meaning of the Yijing","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Yijing\u003c\/em\u003e (I Ching), or Scripture of Change, is traditionally considered the first and most profound of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual based on trigrams and hexagrams, by the beginning of the first millennium it had acquired written explanations and a series of appendices attributed to Confucius, which transformed it into a work of wisdom literature as well as divination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the centuries, hundreds of commentaries were written on it, but for the past thousand years, one of the most influential has been that of Zhu Xi (1130–1200), who synthesized the major interpretive approaches to the text and integrated it into his system of moral self-cultivation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph A. Adler's translation of the \u003cem\u003eYijing\u003c\/em\u003e includes for the first time in any Western language Zhu Xi's commentary in full. Adler explores Zhu Xi's interpretation of the text and situates it in the context of his overall theoretical system. Zhu Xi held that the \u003cem\u003eYijing\u003c\/em\u003e was originally composed for the purpose of divination by the mythic sage Fuxi, who intended to create a system to aid decision making. The text's meaning, therefore, could not be captured by a single commentator; it would emerge for each person through the process of divination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis translation makes available to the English-language audience a crucial text in the history of Chinese religion and philosophy, with an introduction and translator's notes that explain its intellectual and historical context.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46868898414828,"sku":"9780231216609","price":125.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/e83980f042161f07f6c572722cf79587.jpg?v=1759788765"},{"product_id":"lust-commerce-and-corruption-9780231182775","title":"Lust, Commerce, and Corruption","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1816, Japan had recovered from the famines of the 1780s and moved beyond the political reforms of the 1790s. Despite persistent economic and social stresses, the country seemed headed for a new period of growth. The idea that the shogunate would not last forever was far from anyone's mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet, in that year, an anonymous samurai produced a scathing critique of Edo society. Writing as Buyo Inshi, \"a retired gentleman of Edo,\" he expressed in \u003ci\u003eAn Account of What I Have Seen and Heard\u003c\/i\u003e a profound despair with the state of the realm. Seeing decay wherever he turned, Buyo feared the world would soon descend into war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn his anecdotes, Buyo shows a sometimes surprising familiarity with the shadier aspects of Edo life. He speaks of the corruption of samurai officials; the suffering of the poor in villages and cities; the operation of brothels; the dealings of blind moneylenders; the selling and buying of temple abbotships; and the dubious strategies seen in law courts. Perhaps it was the frankness of his account that made him prefer to stay anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA team of Edo specialists undertook the original translation of Buyo's work. This abridged edition streamlines this translation for classroom use, preserving the scope and emphasis of Buyo's argument while eliminating repetitions and diversions. It also retains the introductory essay that situates the work within Edo society and history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000677646572,"sku":"9780231182775","price":70.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7884453482270.jpg?v=1763295717"},{"product_id":"quelling-the-demons-revolt-by-guanzhong-luo-9780231183079","title":"Quelling the Demons' Revolt","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this Ming-era novel, historical narrative, raucous humour, and the supernatural are interwoven to tell the tale of an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Song dynasty. A poor young girl meets an old woman who gives her a magic book that allows her to create rice and money. Her father, terrified that his daughter's demonic nature might be discovered, marries her off. Forced to flee, she and others with supernatural abilities find themselves in the midst of a grotesque version of a historical uprising, in which facts are intermingled with slapstick humour and wild fictions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAttributed to the writer Luo Guanzhong, \u003cem\u003eQuelling the Demons' Revolt\u003c\/em\u003e is centred on the events of the rebellion led by Wang Ze in 1047–48. But it is a distorted, humorous version, in which Wang Ze's lieutenants show up as a comical peddler and a mysterious Daoist priest, and a celebrated warrior appears despite having died many years earlier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRather than fantastic adventures and supernatural marvels, the author points to human vanities and fixations as well as social injustice, warning of the vulnerability of any pursuit of order in a world plagued by demonic forces as well as mundane corruption. Although the story takes place long before the era in which it was written, ultimately \u003cem\u003eQuelling the Demons' Revolt\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of the Ming dynasty in Song masquerade, presciently warning of the dynasty's downfall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel is divided into chapters, but in many ways, it is an arrangement of self-contained stories that draw on vernacular storytelling. This translation offers English-speaking readers a spirited example of social critique combined with caustic humour from the era of Luo Guanzhong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072647512300,"sku":"9780231183079","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7887493482270.jpg?v=1765122994"},{"product_id":"the-kojiki-by-no-yasumaro-o-9780231163897","title":"The Kojiki","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJapan's oldest surviving narrative, the eighth-century \u003cem\u003eKojiki\u003c\/em\u003e, chronicles the mythical origins of its islands and their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs that have helped to shape the modern nation's views of its ancient past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGustav Heldt's engaging new translation of this revered classic aims to make the \u003cem\u003eKojiki\u003c\/em\u003e accessible to contemporary readers while staying true to the distinctively dramatic and evocative appeal of the original's language. It conveys the rhythms that structure the \u003cem\u003eKojiki\u003c\/em\u003e's animated style of storytelling and translates the names of its many people and places to clarify their significance within the narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn introduction, glossaries, maps, and bibliographies offer a wealth of additional information about Japan's earliest extant record of its history, literature, and religion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47432947466476,"sku":"9780231163897","price":60.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231163897.jpg?v=1774766019"},{"product_id":"the-fragrant-companions-by-li-yu-9780231206297","title":"The Fragrant Companions","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo young gentry women meet by chance at a nunnery in Yangzhou, where they fall in love at first sight. After they exchange poetry and recognise each other's literary talents, their emotional bond deepens. They conduct a mock wedding ceremony at the nunnery and hatch a plan to spend the rest of their lives together. Their schemes are stymied by a series of obstacles, but in the end, the two women find an unlikely resolution—a ménage-à-trois marriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fragrant Companions\u003c\/em\u003e is the most significant work of literature that portrays female same-sex love in the entire premodern Chinese tradition. Written in 1651 by Li Yu, one of the most inventive and irreverent literary figures of seventeenth-century China, this play is at once an unconventional romantic comedy, a barbed satire, and a sympathetic portrayal of love between women. It offers a sensitive portrait of the two women's passion for each other, depicts their intellectual pursuits and resourcefulness, and celebrates their partial triumph over social convention. At the same time, Li caustically mocks the imperial examination system and deflates the idealised image of the male scholar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fragrant Companions\u003c\/em\u003e is both an indispensable source for students and scholars of gender and sexuality in premodern China and a compelling work of literature for all readers interested in China's rich theatrical traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47464322892012,"sku":"9780231206297","price":66.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231206297-the-fragrant-companions.jpg?v=1775047474"},{"product_id":"the-book-of-swindles-by-yingyu-zhang-9780231178631","title":"The Book of Swindles","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an age of deception. Con men ply the roadways. Bogus alchemists pretend to turn one piece of silver into three. Devious nuns entice young women into adultery. Sorcerers use charmed talismans for mind control and murder. A pair of dubious monks extorts money from a powerful official and then spends it on whoring. A rich student tries to bribe the chief examiner, only to hand his money to an imposter. A eunuch kidnaps boys and consumes their \"essence\" in an attempt to regrow his penis. These are just a few of the entertaining and surprising tales to be found in this seventeenth-century work, said to be the earliest Chinese collection of swindle stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Book of Swindles\u003c\/em\u003e, compiled by an obscure writer from southern China, presents a fascinating tableau of criminal ingenuity. The flourishing economy of the late Ming period created overnight fortunes for merchants—and gave rise to a host of smooth operators, charlatans, forgers, and imposters seeking to siphon off some of the new wealth. \u003cem\u003eThe Book of Swindles\u003c\/em\u003e, which was ostensibly written as a manual for self-protection in this shifting and unstable world, also offers an expert guide to the art of deception. Each story comes with commentary by the author, Zhang Yingyu, who expounds a moral lesson while also speaking as a connoisseur of the swindle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis volume, which contains annotated translations of just over half of the eighty-odd stories in Zhang's original collection, provides a wealth of detail on social life during the late Ming and offers words of warning for a world in peril.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471731507436,"sku":"9780231178631","price":98.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231178631-the-book-of-swindles.jpg?v=1775251226"},{"product_id":"the-lotus-sutra-9780231081610","title":"The Lotus Sutra","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince its appearance in China in the third century, \u003cem\u003eThe Lotus Sutra\u003c\/em\u003e has been regarded as one of the most illustrious scriptures in the Mahayana Buddhist canon. The object of intense veneration among generations of Buddhists in China, Korea, Japan, and other parts of the world, it has had a profound impact on the great works of Japanese and Chinese literature, attracting more commentary than any other Buddhist scripture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Watson notes in the introduction to his remarkable translation, \u003cem\u003eThe Lotus Sutra\u003c\/em\u003e is not so much an integral work as a collection of religious texts, an anthology of sermons, stories, and devotional manuals, some speaking with particular force to persons of one type or in one set of circumstances, some to those of another type or in other circumstances. This is no doubt why it has had such broad and lasting appeal over the ages and has permeated so deeply into the cultures that have been exposed to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471806611692,"sku":"9780231081610","price":50.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231081610-the-lotus-sutra.jpg?v=1775255983"},{"product_id":"the-pillow-book-of-sei-shonagon-9780231073370","title":"The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon\u003c\/em\u003e is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the eleventh century. Written by a lady of the court at the height of Heian culture, this book enthralls with its lively gossip, witty observations, and subtle impressions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLady Shōnagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Tale of Genji\u003c\/em\u003e, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shōnagon so eloquently relates. Featuring reflections on royal and religious ceremonies, nature, conversation, poetry, and many other subjects, \u003cem\u003eThe Pillow Book\u003c\/em\u003e is an intimate look at the experiences and outlook of the Heian upper class, further enriched by Ivan Morris's extensive notes and critical contextualization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471820505324,"sku":"9780231073370","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/363a00b74cc0ad5eddac09a95d1c7350.jpg?v=1775694508"},{"product_id":"the-vimalakirti-sutra-9780231106573","title":"The Vimalakirti Sutra","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most popular Asian classics for roughly two thousand years, the \u003cem\u003eVimalakirti Sutra\u003c\/em\u003e stands out among the sacred texts of Mahayana Buddhism for its conciseness, its vivid and humorous episodes, its dramatic narratives, and its eloquent exposition of the key doctrine of emptiness or nondualism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike most sutras, its central figure is not a Buddha but a wealthy townsman, who, in his mastery of doctrine and religious practice, epitomizes the ideal lay believer. For this reason, the sutra has held particular significance for men and women of the laity in Buddhist countries of Asia, assuring them that they can reach levels of spiritual attainment fully comparable to those accessible to monks and nuns of the monastic order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTranslator Burton Watson has rendered an English translation from the popular Chinese version produced in 406 C.E. by the Central Asian scholar-monk Kumarajiva, which is widely acknowledged to be the most felicitous of the various Chinese translations of the sutra (the Sanskrit original of which was lost long ago) and is the form in which it has had the greatest influence in China, Japan, and other countries of East Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWatson's illuminating introduction discusses the background of the sutra, its place in the development of Buddhist thought, and the profundities of its principal doctrine: emptiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471849210092,"sku":"9780231106573","price":111.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/328649a42aa1d45f8f98df477364e30d.jpg?v=1775693817"},{"product_id":"zhuangzi-9780231123877","title":"Zhuangzi","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e (Sayings of Master Zhuang) is one of the foundational texts of the Chinese philosophical tradition and the cornerstone of Daoist thought. The earliest and most influential commentary on \u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e is that of Guo Xiang (265–312), who also edited the text into the thirty-three-chapter version known ever since. Guo's commentary enriches readings of \u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e, offering keen insights into the meaning and significance of its pithy but often ambiguous aphorisms, narratives, and parables.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRichard John Lynn's new translation of \u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e is the first to follow Guo's commentary in its interpretive choices. Unlike any previous translation into any language, its guiding principle is how Guo read the text; Lynn renders \u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e in terms of Guo's understanding. This approach allows for the full integration of the text of \u003cem\u003eThe Zhuangzi\u003c\/em\u003e with Guo's commentary. The book also features a translation of Guo's complete interlinear commentary and is annotated throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA critical introduction includes a detailed account of Guo's life and times as well as analysis of his essential contributions to the arcane learning (xuanxue) of the fourth century and the development of Chinese philosophy. Lynn sheds new light on how the Daoist classic, which has often been seen as a timeless book of wisdom, is situated in its historical context, while also considering it as a guide to personal cultivation and self-realisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471996010732,"sku":"9780231123877","price":85.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2ea4561121817e98bda0f7bb76f7a5fb.jpg?v=1775692137"},{"product_id":"kukai-by-kukai-9780231059336","title":"Kūkai","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKūkai\u003c\/em\u003e, more commonly known by the honorific Kobo Daishi, was one of the great characters in the development of Japanese culture. He was active in literature, engineering, calligraphy, and architecture and is represented in this work in terms of his major effort—the introduction of esoteric Buddhism from China, which resulted in the formation of the Shingou sect still active in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEight of his works are presented here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47596752273644,"sku":"9780231059336","price":79.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/43e5ad27b56ff7b25856c5cb986fb319.jpg?v=1777956743"},{"product_id":"the-classic-of-the-way-and-virtue-9780231105811","title":"The Classic of the Way and Virtue","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnglish-language readers can now experience the most influential book of Taoist tradition the way Chinese readers have for centuries. Richard John Lynn's translation includes the essential commentary of the third-century scholar Wang Bi, whose interpretations of this classic helped to define it as a philosophy of life and one of the most significant works in the East Asian tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe text consists of eighty-one short, aphoristic sections presenting a complete view of how the sage rules in accordance with the spontaneous ways of the natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47599286583532,"sku":"9780231105811","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231105811-the-classic-of-the-way-and-virtue.jpg?v=1777974963"},{"product_id":"the-complete-works-of-chuang-tzu-9780231031479","title":"The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Complete Works of Chuang Tzu\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the most justly celebrated texts of the Chinese tradition, impressive for both its bold philosophical imagination and its striking literary style. Accepting the challenge of translating this captivating classic in its entirety, Burton Watson has expertly rendered into English both the profound thought and the literary brilliance of the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47599375974636,"sku":"9780231031479","price":209.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17475717cc1864fdd50e0487dd4328d1.jpg?v=1778023866"},{"product_id":"zhuangzi-basic-writings-by-zhuangzi-9780231129596","title":"Zhuangzi: Basic Writings","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly by understanding Dao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can humankind achieve true happiness and freedom, in both life and death. This is the central tenet of the philosophy espoused by Zhuangzi (369?-286? BC) in the book that bears his name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA leading philosopher of the Daoist strain, Zhuangzi used parable and anecdote, allegory and paradox, to set forth the early ideas of what was to become the Daoist school. Witty and imaginative, enriched by brilliant imagery, and making sportive use of both mythological and historical personages (including even Confucius), \u003cem\u003eZhuangzi: Basic Writings\u003c\/em\u003e is a timeless classic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47601479942380,"sku":"9780231129596","price":52.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/0774df51cbbdcabef9a778a54d1459c8.jpg?v=1778017222"},{"product_id":"lao-tzus-tao-te-ching-by-lao-lao-tzu-9780231118170","title":"Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1993, an astonishing discovery was made at a tomb in Guodian in Hubei province (east central China). Written on strips of bamboo that have miraculously survived intact since 300 B.C., the \"Guodian Laozi,\" is by far the earliest version of the \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e ever unearthed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStudents of ancient Chinese civilization proclaimed the text a decisive breakthrough in the understanding of this famous text: it provides the most conclusive evidence to date that the text was the work of multiple authors and editors over hundreds of years, rather than the achievement of a single individual writing during the time of Confucius.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRobert Henricks now presents the first English translation of the \"bamboo slip Laozi.\" Differing substantially from other versions we have of the text, the Guodian Laozi provides us with clues on how and when the text came into being. As Henricks's translation shows, many chapters are missing in this form of the text, and some chapters remain incomplete. All of this seems to suggest that the \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e was not yet \"complete\" when these slips were copied.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn his translation, Henricks focuses attention on lines in each of the chapters that vary from readings in other editions. In addition, he shows how the sequence of chapters in this form of the text is totally unrelated to the sequence readers commonly see in the \"standard\" form of the text, i.e., in other translations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere are just a few of the noteworthy features of this new \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eA lucid introduction to the Guodian Laozi, offering background on the archaeological interpretation of the discovery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLine-by-line comparisons of the Guodian Laozi against the Mawangdui and Wang Bi editions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eExtensive notes on each chapter describing the unique elements of the Guodian Laozi in comparison with other versions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTranscriptions for each chapter, noting both the ancient and modern form of the characters in the chapter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAn appendix featuring the official biography of Laozi written by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian of China, as well as Henricks's commentary and notes on this biography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis groundbreaking work will lead to a reassessment of the history and significance of this well-known and critical work, as well as a reevaluation of the role it played in the development of Taoism in early China.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47647941656812,"sku":"9780231118170","price":116.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/51I4vPf4rYL.jpg?v=1779247803"},{"product_id":"lao-tzus-tao-te-ching-by-lao-lao-tzu-9780231118163","title":"Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1993, an astonishing discovery was made at a tomb in Guodian in Hubei province (east central China). Written on strips of bamboo that have miraculously survived intact since 300 B.C., the \"Guodian Laozi\" is by far the earliest version of the \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e ever unearthed. Students of ancient Chinese civilization proclaimed the text a decisive breakthrough in the understanding of this famous text: it provides the most conclusive evidence to date that the text was the work of multiple authors and editors over hundreds of years, rather than the achievement of a single individual writing during the time of Confucius.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRobert Henricks now presents the first English translation of the \"bamboo slip Laozi.\" Differing substantially from other versions we have of the text, the Guodian Laozi provides us with clues on how and when the text came into being. As Henricks's translation shows, many chapters are missing in this form of the text, and some chapters remain incomplete. All of this seems to suggest that the \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e was not yet \"complete\" when these slips were copied. In his translation, Henricks focuses attention on lines in each of the chapters that vary from readings in other editions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, he shows how the sequence of chapters in this form of the text is totally unrelated to the sequence readers commonly see in the \"standard\" form of the text, i.e., in other translations. Here are just a few of the noteworthy features of this new \u003cem\u003eTao Te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eA lucid introduction to the Guodian Laozi, offering background on the archaeological interpretation of the discovery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eLine-by-line comparisons of the Guodian Laozi against the Mawangdui and Wang Bi editions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eExtensive notes on each chapter describing the unique elements of the Guodian Laozi in comparison with other versions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eTranscriptions for each chapter, noting both the ancient and modern form of the characters in the chapter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eAn appendix featuring the official biography of Laozi written by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian of China, as well as Henricks's commentary and notes on this biography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis groundbreaking work will lead to a reassessment of the history and significance of this well-known and critical work as well as a reevaluation of the role it played in the development of Taoism in early China.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47647941787884,"sku":"9780231118163","price":416.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231118163-lao-tzu-s-tao-te-ching.jpg?v=1779245718"},{"product_id":"the-art-of-war-by-sun-zi-9780231133821","title":"The Art of War","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompiled during the Warring States period of 475-221 B.C.E., \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e has had an enormous impact on the development of Chinese military strategy over the past two thousand years and occupies an important place in East Asian intellectual history. It is the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for the planning and conduct of military operations, and while numerous editions of the work exist, Victor Mair's translation is the first to remain true to the original structure and essential style of the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMair's fidelity to the original, along with his insightful commentary and reliance on archaeologically recovered manuscripts, breaks new ground in solving \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e's difficult textual and contextual problems. He confronts complex questions concerning the authorship of the work, asserting that Sun Wu, a supposed strategist of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 B.C.E.) to whom the text is traditionally attributed, never existed. Instead, Mair claims that \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e coalesced over a period of around seventy-five years, from the middle of the fourth century to the first quarter of the third century B.C.E.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMair also reveals the way \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e reflects historical developments in technological and military strategy in civilizations throughout Eurasia, especially in regards to iron metallurgy. He demonstrates the close link between the philosophy in \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e and Taoism and discusses the reception of the text from the classical period to today. Finally, Mair highlights previously unaddressed stylistic and statistical aspects and includes philological annotations that present new ways of approaching the intellectual and social background of the work. A phenomenal achievement, Mair's comprehensive translation is an indispensable resource for today's students, strategists, and scholars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47648018170092,"sku":"9780231133821","price":64.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231133821-the-art-of-war.jpg?v=1779247656"},{"product_id":"the-art-of-war-by-sun-zi-9780231133838","title":"The Art of War","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompiled during the Warring States period of 475-221 B.C.E., \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e has had an enormous impact on the development of Chinese military strategy over the past two thousand years and occupies an important place in East Asian intellectual history. It is the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for the planning and conduct of military operations, and while numerous editions of the work exist, Victor Mair's translation is the first to remain true to the original structure and essential style of the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMair's fidelity to the original, along with his insightful commentary and reliance on archaeologically recovered manuscripts, breaks new ground in solving \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e's difficult textual and contextual problems. He confronts complex questions concerning the authorship of the work, asserting that Sun Wu, a supposed strategist of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 B.C.E.) to whom the text is traditionally attributed, never existed. Instead, Mair claims that \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e coalesced over a period of around seventy-five years, from the middle of the fourth century to the first quarter of the third century B.C.E.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMair also reveals the way \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e reflects historical developments in technological and military strategy in civilizations throughout Eurasia, especially in regards to iron metallurgy. He demonstrates the close link between the philosophy in \u003cem\u003eThe Art of War\u003c\/em\u003e and Taoism and discusses the reception of the text from the classical period to today. Finally, Mair highlights previously unaddressed stylistic and statistical aspects and includes philological annotations that present new ways of approaching the intellectual and social background of the work. A phenomenal achievement, Mair's comprehensive translation is an indispensable resource for today's students, strategists, and scholars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47648018235628,"sku":"9780231133838","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231133838-the-art-of-war.jpg?v=1779247669"},{"product_id":"the-classic-of-the-way-and-virtue-9780231105804","title":"The Classic of the Way and Virtue","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnglish-language readers can now experience the most influential book of Taoist tradition the way Chinese readers have for centuries. Richard John Lynn's translation includes the essential commentary of the third-century scholar Wang Bi, whose interpretations of this classic helped to define it as a philosophy of life and one of the most significant works in the East Asian tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe text consists of eighty-one short, aphoristic sections presenting a complete view of how the sage rules in accordance with the spontaneous ways of the natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47648020857068,"sku":"9780231105804","price":385.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231105804.jpg?v=1779248210"},{"product_id":"original-tao-by-harold-roth-9780231115650","title":"Original Tao","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRevolutionising received opinion of Taoism's origins in light of historic new discoveries, Harold D. Roth has uncovered China's oldest mystical text—the original expression of Taoist philosophy—and presents it here with a complete translation and commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past twenty-five years, documents recovered from the tombs of China's ancient elite have sparked a revolution in scholarship about early Chinese thought, in particular the origins of Taoist philosophy and religion. In \u003cem\u003eOriginal Tao\u003c\/em\u003e, Harold D. Roth exhumes the seminal text of Taoism—\u003cem\u003eInward Training (Nei-yeh)\u003c\/em\u003e—not from a tomb but from the pages of the \u003cem\u003eKuan Tzu\u003c\/em\u003e, a voluminous text on politics and economics in which this mystical tract had been \"buried\" for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInward Training\u003c\/em\u003e is composed of short poetic verses devoted to the practice of breath meditation, and to the insights about the nature of human beings and the form of the cosmos derived from this practice. In its poetic form and tone, the work closely resembles the \u003cem\u003eTao-te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e; moreover, it clearly evokes Taoism's affinities to other mystical traditions, notably aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism. Roth argues that \u003cem\u003eInward Training\u003c\/em\u003e is the foundational text of early Taoism and traces the book to the mid-fourth century B.C. (the late Warring States period in China).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese verses contain the oldest surviving expressions of a method for mystical \"inner cultivation,\" which Roth identifies as the basis for all early Taoist texts, including the \u003cem\u003eChuang Tzu\u003c\/em\u003e and the world-renowned \u003cem\u003eTao-te Ching\u003c\/em\u003e. With these historic discoveries, he reveals the possibility of a much deeper continuity between early \"philosophical\" Taoism and the later Taoist religion than scholars had previously suspected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOriginal Tao\u003c\/em\u003e contains an elegant and luminous complete translation of the original text. Roth's comprehensive analysis explains what \u003cem\u003eInward Training\u003c\/em\u003e meant to the people who wrote it, how this work came to be \"entombed\" within the \u003cem\u003eKuan Tzu\u003c\/em\u003e, and why the text was largely overlooked after the early Han period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48010604052716,"sku":"9780231115650","price":64.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231115650-original-tao.jpg?v=1785153477"},{"product_id":"the-complete-works-of-zhuangzi-9780231164740","title":"The Complete Works of Zhuangzi","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly by inhabiting Dao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can humankind achieve true happiness and freedom, in both life and death. This is Daoist philosophy's central tenet, espoused by the person—or group of people—known as \u003ci\u003eZhuangzi\u003c\/i\u003e (369?-286? B.C.E.) in a text by the same name. To be free, individuals must discard rigid distinctions between good and bad, right and wrong, and follow a course of action not motivated by gain or striving. When one ceases to judge events as good or bad, man-made suffering disappears and natural suffering is embraced as part of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eZhuangzi\u003c\/i\u003e elucidates this mystical philosophy through humour, parable, and anecdote, deploying non sequitur and even nonsense to illuminate a truth beyond the boundaries of ordinary logic. Boldly imaginative and inventively worded, the \u003ci\u003eZhuangzi\u003c\/i\u003e floats free of its historical period and society, addressing the spiritual nourishment of all people across time. One of the most justly celebrated texts of the Chinese tradition, the \u003ci\u003eZhuangzi\u003c\/i\u003e is read by thousands of English-language scholars each year, yet only in the Wade-Giles romanisation. Burton Watson's pinyin romanisation brings the text in line with how Chinese scholars, and an increasing number of other scholars, read it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"John Wiley and Sons Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48010621223148,"sku":"9780231164740","price":248.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231164740-the-complete-works-of-zhuangzi.jpg?v=1785154548"},{"product_id":"chuang-tzu-9780231105958","title":"Chuang Tzu","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basic writings of \u003cem\u003eChuang Tzu\u003c\/em\u003e have been savoured by Chinese readers for over two thousand years. Burton Watson's lucid and beautiful translation has been loved by generations of readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChuang Tzu (369?-286? B.C.) was a leading philosopher representing the Taoist strain in Chinese thought. Using parable and anecdote, allegory and paradox, he set forth, in the book that bears his name, the early ideas of what was to become the Taoist school. Central to these is the belief that only by understanding Tao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can man achieve true happiness and freedom, in both life and death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChuang Tzu: Basic Writings\u003c\/em\u003e includes the seven \"inner chapters,\" which form the heart of the book, three of the \"outer chapters,\" and one of the \"miscellaneous chapters.\" Watson also provides an introduction, placing the philosopher in relation to Chinese history and thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWitty and imaginative, enriched by brilliant imagery, and making sportive use of both mythological and historical personages (including even Confucius), this timeless classic is sure to appeal to anyone interested in Chinese religion and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50519508680940,"sku":"9780231105958","price":52.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780231105958-chuang-tzu-1.jpg?v=1790160180"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/series-translations-from-the-asian-classics.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}