In The Shadows Of The Dao: Laozi, The Sage, And The Daodejing (suny Series In Chinese Philosophy And Culture)

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. 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.