Taoist Tales by Raymond van Over [FIRST PRINTING / 1973]

Taoist Tales by Raymond van Over

FIRST EDITION / FIRST PRINTING [1973] MENTOR BOOKS / NAL

Rare mass market paperback exclusive.  Book is in excellent condition;  minor shelf wear to cover and tanning.   Beautiful copy!

This volume offers carefully selected translations of the finest of Taoist literature.  It is a collection designed to dissolve all barriers between East and West, to reveal an artistry of universal power and a vision of existence whose relevance is timeless...

Though Taoism flourished in China for almost 1500 years, once recently has the West begun to appreciate its unique character and entrancing possibilities.  Dramatic exaples of this awakening are the current interest in the Taoist I Ching, with its illumination and exploration of chance and change beyond the narrow borders of reason; the study of Zen, and the ritualistic martial arts of the Orient -- Kung Fu, jujitsu, and karate-- with also find their source in Taoist philosophy.

Those are but a few elements of the vast legacy of Taoism.  Compelling fiction, witty and sharply pointed parables and anecdotes, mind-expanding koans, and lyric poetry of unrivaled beauty were all produced under the influence of a school of thought that has exercised special appeal to the creative mind of man.