Chinese Books - Page 12

The Book of Mencius (Wisdom of the East)

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La Importancia De Vivir / Importance of Living (Best Seller) (Spanish Edition)

Lin Yutang

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I Ching: The Classic Chinese Oracle of Change : The First Complete Translation With Concordance

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Chinese Oricular Classic... from a Western Perspective. 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

3 1/2 Stars for this translation.
This translation of the I-Ching (Yi Jing), a 3000+ year old Chinese divination system, offers more than the ever-so-common literal translation of the famous Chinese text that many of the modern translations boil down to, which is good, and bad.

Karcher has relied upon his knowledge of Jung's psychoanalytical methods, and understanding of how the human mind functions, to reveal the I-Ching as a solid and effective psychological tool to unlocking one's own insights. This translation was written to help the individual to connect with his or her inner-self, unlock the creative and reasoning abilities of the mind, and find answers locked deep within. I'll get to my issue with this in a minute.

The material covered in the Chapters includes:

PART I
Introduction to the I-Ching
- What is the I-Ching
- The Name of the Book
- What is Divination
- Origin, History and Development of the Classic of I,
Using the I-Ching
- This Translation
- Questioning the Oracle
- Getting Answers
- Reading the Response
- Keywords: Traps for Tao
- Encounters with the Oracle
The Global System
- Divination and Traditional Science
- The Time Cycle
- Yin & Yang: Struction and Action
- Yin & Yang: Choice and Change
- The Five Transformative Moments
- The Trigram Cycle

PART II:
A Quick Guide to the Oracle
- Hexagram Texts and their Functions
- Orthography and Punctuation
A List of the Hexagrams
- The Section of the Hexagrams
The Hexagrams 1 to 64

PART III
Concordance
Further Reading
A Key to the Hexagrams

Karcher's approach to the I-Ching has its advantages in that it explains the I-Ching with an understanding of how the mind, itself, works, which may be very helpful for the analytical-minded.

My issue with this translation is that it is handled from a Western psychological approach, which, in my honest opinion, takes away from the Chinese *philosophy* behind it, and reduces the open-ended, free-flowing nature of the work that allows for multiple-interpretations. So, this is a reasonably good translation, but not a great one.

If you are looking for a *logical* approach to understanding the I-Ching, this text certainly wouldn't hurt! It may do well for you. BUT, I would recommend using this text along with another that provides a solid understanding of the Chinese philosophy and thought behind the I-Ching (something sadly lacking in many Western Translations).

"The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation" by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang is probably the best English translation of the I-Ching available, as it was written by someone who not only truly understands the culture and philosophy of the Chinese Taoists (he's a Taoist from China himself), but has gone to the effort to kept the open-ended feeling and multiple-interpretation nature of the work in tact.

Best of luck to you.

Editorial Review:

This first complete translation of a 3,000-year-old Chinese divination system includes imagery and material previously unavailable to Westerners. The spirit of this unique translation is both very old and radically new--a modern psychological approach that truly bridges East and West.

The Religious Thought of Chu Hsi

Julia Ching

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Editorial Review:

Recognized as one of the greatest philosophers in classical China, Chu Hsi (1130-1200) is especially known in the West through translations of one of his many works, the Chin-su Lu. Julia Ching, a noted scholar of Neo-Confucian thought, provides the first book-length examination of Chu-Hsi's religious thought, based on extensive reading in both primary and secondary sources.

Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy

Zhang Dainian

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

An invaluable source for students of East Asian philosophy 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Of all the reference books I own, this one rarely makes its way back to the bookshelf. Divided into 64 sections, this book traces the evolution of some of the frequently discussed concepts in Chinese philosophical tradition.

The strength of this book lies in tracing the history of each concept, from its original meaning to the new connotations gained over the course of its evolution. The erudition of the original author, Professor Zhang Dainian, shows through especially in his awareness of obscure but nonetheless very important sources written by philosophers often overlooked by modern scholars.

The translation by Edmund Ryden is very readable for the most part. My only wish is the inclusion of the original Chinese graphs below each translation of classical passages cited in this book. No matter how faithful to the original, the peculiarities of classical Chinese does not always communicate through the English translation so I do often find myself reading this book alongside the Chinese original.

Editorial Review:

This book is both a good introduction to Chinese philosophy and an invaluable reference tool for sinologists. Comments by important Chinese thinkers are arranged around sixty-four key concepts to illustrate their meaning and use through twenty-five centuries of Chinese philosophy. This unique guide was prepared by Zhang Dainian, one of China's most famous living philosophers. Zhang reaches back to include concepts in use before the oracle bones (c. 1350-1100 B.C.)-what could be called a philosophical "prehistory." But the focus of the work is those concepts that gained currency in classical Chinese philosophy, especially those whose meanings are deeper and more difficult to grasp. Translated and edited by Edmund Ryden in consultation with the author, the book also includes helpful introductory commentary by Ryden for each section.

Wisdom of the Huainan Masters: A Cornerstone of Chinese Thought (Cornerstone of . . . Series)

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Editorial Review:

A follow-up to The Tao of the Huainan Masters, this philosophical work contains more extracts from the The Masters of Huainan. Originally written more than 2,000 years ago, The Masters of Huainan is a detailed, peacetime elaboration upon the works of classic Tao writers Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu on such issues as government, culture, and civilization. Providing guidance on how individual development, the natural environment, and social dynamics are interconnected, the excerpts focus on the importance of harmony and peace between individuals and the universe and present readers with a guide to self-enhancement that leads to peace of mind and harmony with society and nature.

Imagining Boundaries: Changing Confucian Doctrines, Texts, and Hermeneutics (S U N Y Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture)

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Editorial Review:

Imagining Boundaries explores the mapping of the intellectual tradition of Confucianism in Chinese history. The authors show that the Confucian tradition is not a neatly packaged organic whole in which the constitutive parts fall naturally into place, but rather that it displays the ruptures of all cultural constructions. Accordingly, Confucianism has been configured and reconfigured in time in response to changing intellectual and historical circumstances.

This anthology addresses the constant negotiation of the boundaries of Confucianism within itself and in relation to other intellectual traditions, the fluidity of the Confucian canon, the dialogical relations between text and discourse in establishing boundaries for the Confucian tradition, and the textual and discursive strategies employed in the imagining of boundaries, which expanded or restricted the intellectual space of Confucianism. Rejecting an interpretation of Confucianism as a homogenous master-narrative and worldview, the book uses the variegated histories of Confucianism to interrogate the tradition itself, unpacking and highlighting its complexity and diversity.

The Elements of the I Ching (Elements of Series)

Stephen Karcher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A simple yet detailed version of the i ching 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book has many different aspects of the i ching. It shows the history, meanings of symbols, definitions of ones reading in great detail, and above all a simple version of how to use the i ching. Though many would argue that the i ching is an Asian version of the Ouji board game in the US., one can see by reading this book that the i ching is very different and respected. This book is a good resource for one wanting to know the history and how to use the i ching in a more simple text.

Nietzsche in China (Literature and the Sciences of Man)

Lixin Shao

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Editorial Review:

Nietzsche has been one of the most influential Western thinkers in twentieth-century China. Many prominent cultural and political figures, such as Liang Qichao, Lu Xun, and Mao Zedong, addressed Nietzsche's philosophy. Chinese interpretations of Nietzsche may sometimes sound outlandish, but they reveal their authors' habits of thinking and innermost concerns. Nietzsche in China can be read as an intellectual history of Chinese thought.

Spirit of Nature

David Bell

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Editorial Review:

Spirit of Nature lyrically explores the natural laws at work within ourselves and our world. It offers is a way of healing imbalances using the ancient Chinese Five Element system: Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire.