Amazon.com
Like Stephen Mitchell, acclaimed author and poet Ursula K. Le Guin has attempted a nonliteral, poetic rendition of the Tao Te Ching. She brings to it a punctuated grace that can only have been hammered out during long trials of wordsmithing. The wisdom that she finds in the Tao Te Ching is primal, and her spare, undulating phrases speak volumes. By making the text her own, Le Guin avoids such questions as "Is it accurate?" By making it her own, she has made it for us--a new, uncarved block from which we are free to sculpt our own meaning.
Book Description
No other English translation of this greatest of the Chinese classics can match Ursula Le Guin's striking new version. Le Guin, best known for thought-provoking science fiction novels that have helped to transform the genre, has studied the Tao Te Ching for more than forty years. She has consulted the literal translations and worked with Chinese scholars to develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern people, while remaining faithful to the poetic beauty of the work. Avoiding scholarly interpretations and esoteric Taoist insights, she has revealed the Tao Te Ching 's immediate relevance and power, its depth and refreshing humor, in a way that shows better than ever before why it has been so much loved for more than 2,500 years. Included are Le Guin's own personal commentary and notes on the text. This new version is sure to be welcomed by the many readers of the Tao Te Ching as well as those coming to the text for the first time.
Customer Reviews:
A Right Way, a Wrong Way, free will .......2007-02-19
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Tao Te Ching , roughly translatable as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see below), is a Chinese classic text. According to tradition, it was written around 600 BCE by the Taoist sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, "Old Master"), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court. A careful reading of the text, however, suggests that it is a compilation of maxims sharing similar themes. The text's authenticity, authorship, and date of composition or compilation are still debated.
( Jesus said, I am The Way, The Truth, The Life. Now go read the first few lines of John. It says, In the beginning, was the word, and the word was with God. )
Jesus is the word, and has been here since the beginning, so that makes him the one and only God.
This Te CHing, how many around the world are following this today>? hardly any, I bet its less than 1% in the USA. While Christianity is worldwide.
Enough said.
Le Guin's renditon, like "Crystal Blue Persuasion".......2007-02-12
What makes this version of the Tao te Ching so unique is that LeGuin has taken the 8 translations that seemed most cogent to her and synthesized them into a very compelling rendition. She spells this out in the Notes section.
This rendering opens up the poetic and philosophical horizons whereby Lao Tzu's original vision is now made manifestly accessible for us in the 21st Century. If the Old Guy was around today, he would approve of how Ursula LeGuin has disseminated his thoughts.
Only a writer of the purest "water" can take something cryptic and render the latent truths it contains in such a way that the value becomes accessible: "In my obscurity/is my value" (p. 90). Ursula LeGuin has done us all a great service in the writing of this book. Infinite thanks . . .
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
The Way is The Way.......2006-03-11
Even though the information seems a bit short. That is the Way. This little books sums it up most pleasantly. You get a chance to think on the pieces and the writer/translator does not insult your intelligence with mundane information. She allows the reader to make their own assessment. I do recommend this book as one for travel and pondering. A great way to empty your mind.
Not a translation at all...........2005-04-11
If she had a genuine interest in translating the Tao Te Ching one would think that Ursula LeGuin would have learned Chinese and studied the Tao Te Ching in depth. She has done neither, and the "translation" shows this, making some very horrible distortions of the original text that are indeed well written, but have nothing to do with Taoism.
The Way of Being. Outstanding Book.......2004-04-22
Ursula K. Le Guin did a remarkable job in bringing us her translation of this magnificent book that will lift your heart, bring more understanding to your mind, free your ego from its grip on your life, and bring your soul peace from the ancient and extraordinary verses in this book.
This is one book that would bring harmony to anyone, when taken into the depths of consciousness. It will show you the way of being. It will help you live with what IS, and that alone will help free you from pain.
Highly recommended for its profound truth, and the extraordinary difference this truth can make in your life. Deserves 10 Stars.
Book Description
A masterpiece of practical philosophy, this is the manual composed by Lao Tzu for China's rulers to help them enhance interpersonal relationships and cultivate the enduring qualities of leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Of the few books you must own, this is one of them .......2007-03-16
I bought an older edition of this book years ago, and its time I pay tribute to the author for his remarkable work. Like many others, I have read several versions of the Tao Te Ching, and I think R L Wing's The Tao of Power is definitely the best, quite simply because his commentaries and explanations are easy to understand yet sharp and to the point. Wing's commentaries are so good that the reader will be inclined to read them first, before going through the original text of the Tao Te Ching.
Quite frankly, I think Wing's interpretation of this Chinese classic should be required reading at every school.
I also have Wing's other book - The Art of Strategy, which is Sunzi's Art of War, again nothing but praise. I've been searching more of Wing's books over the years, I sincerely hope he keeps up his excellent work and release more books.
WOW!.......2007-02-16
I bought this book not knowig what to expect. I just did a lookup on Leadership and it came up. Then I thought, what not.
What I found was the Tao! A philosophy that is life changing; I recommended this wonderful translation by R.L. Wing to anyone who wants to see truth. It is the best translation that I have read of the Tao Te Ch'ing.
To Start My Day It Is Great.......2007-02-03
It is a perfect read for getting ready for work. Gives me a sense of calm and purpose.
Change the way you look at the world.......2006-03-14
The author of Tao Te Ching can never be found out with a hundred percent surety. But what is said is important not the one who said it. Tao Te Ching is basically a book that has great philosophical depth. Only religious books like "Bhagavad Geeta", "The Bible", "The Quran", "The Dhammapada" come close to Tao Te Ching. I personally feel The Bhagavad Geeta comes closest to this work. It is always a good idea to read these books in comparison.When you read the books in comparison, you will understand what the books are saying. What is clear in one book may not be clear in the other or vice-versa. Or you might find it easier to understand in another book. For example, there is a line in Tao Te Ching That says "Act without action." It needs great insight to explain that line. The Bhagavad Geeta speaks of acting without expecting reward. It should be understood that Lord Krishna or whoever wrote the Geeta is not talking about philanthropy. It is to act from a state where the one who is acting does not exist but the action goes through him. And since the actual "actor" does not exist he is not worried about the result or reward. I request you to read the books, "Tao Te Ching" { R.L. Wing's version is very good.} The Bhagavad Geeta { Paramahansa Yogananda's Translation is very good } & Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Penguin Books). I am sure you will never regret buying these books and if you read them properly they will change the way you look at the world.
An old friend.......2001-08-03
I honestly can't say I've read many books that "changed my life" but I can't help saying that when I talk about this book. I'll spare you from any details about my personal life, but when I first read "The Tao of Power" ten years ago, it had a profound affect on me. At some points it seemed to state obsevations that I myself had recently made. At other times it seemed to answer many of the questions that had been consuming my waking hours. I can't say for sure that it was this book that forced me to change the direction of my life, but it will always be attached to many of the better decisions I made during that period.
I've bought and read many copies of the Tao te Ching over the years, but this translation reamins my favorite. It's well organized, easy to read, and has the best footnotes and translations available. Mr. Wing reduces his own comments to notes at the bottom of each page, leaving more room for illustrations and calligraphy. To me this shows his respect for the asthetics of the work itself.
Most other translations spend too much time in thesis and not enough time showing the beauty and power of the work. One of the beauties is it's simplicity. An individual could spend years deciphering this work, and many have, but I prefer to draw my own conclusions. R.L. Wing offers insights and explanation without forcing many of his own beliefs on the reader. Granted he does try to show practical day to day applications, but it's subtle enough to be forgiven.
I will always have a fondness for this book that extends past "a good read". Undoubtedly, most of you won't feel the same way I do, but if you manage to get a fraction of what I got from it, it will be worth your while.
Average customer rating:
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Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao: Unlocking the Hidden Power of the Tarot Using the Ancient Secrets of the Tao Te Ching
Diane Morgan
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
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The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals
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The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination
ASIN: 0312312210 |
Book Description
A blend of Western traditions and Eastern Taoist principles, Diane Morgan's Tarot guide offers a clear, insightful reading -using the standard Rider Waite deck-suitable for beginners or experts. Applying the principles of yin and yang and using the Tao Te Ching as a framework, the book offers card-reading guidelines as well as meditations for deeper understanding. For Tarot enthusiasts looking for a fresh twist and anyone interested in Taoist principles, this book will inform and enlighten.
Book Description
Arthur Waley’s brilliant and definitive translation of one of the foremost of all mystical books, Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, has become a modern classic in its own right. Unlike previous translations, it is founded not on the medieval commentaries but on a close study of all the early Chinese literature, and it provides a singular example of authoritative scholarship skillfully blended with brilliant, precise writing. In his introduction, Dr. Waley gives an extensive scholarly account of Chinese thought down to the end of the third century B.C. Here, the author presents a full picture of Chinese prehistory, early philosophy, and literature, showing the original, lofty conception of Taoism before the gradual corruption through the course of centuries, tracing this conflict of philosophies and its background of politics.
Customer Reviews:
A right Way, A wrong way, and the power of it .......2007-02-19
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Tao Te Ching , roughly translatable as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see below), is a Chinese classic text. According to tradition, it was written around 600 BCE by the Taoist sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, "Old Master"), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court. A careful reading of the text, however, suggests that it is a compilation of maxims sharing similar themes. The text's authenticity, authorship, and date of composition or compilation are still debated.
( Jesus said, I am The Way, The Truth, The Life. Now go read the first few lines of John. It says, In the beginning, was the word, and the word was with God. )
Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the "power" of God.
Jesus is the word, and has been here since the beginning, so that makes him the one and only God.
This Te CHing, how many around the world are following this today>? hardly any. While Christianity is worldwide.
Enough said.
A splendid scholarly translation of the Tao Te Ching.......2006-09-13
Arthur Waley's scholarship is impeccable. He, I believe, correctly categorizes a translation of the Tao Te Ching as either conforming to the original times in which it was written or as representing current language and thought that is to be applied to one's life today. His translation is of the former type. I think both types of translation are important. I would call his type the scholarly type and the latter type a mystical type of translation. I sense that Arthur Waley was not a mystic, but took great care in trying to uncover the original sense of the works that he translated. Whereas, someone like Alan Watts would be able to wander back and forth between the scholarly and the mystical. Arthur Waley's translation of the Tao Te Ching is very good and also definitely worth reading for his notes and commentaries.
The Tao Te Ching in the context of Chinese thought.......2003-11-20
Arthur Waley's "The Way And Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching And Its Place In Chinese Thought," as the title states, is a translation and commentary on the Tao Te Ching in the context of Chinese philosophy and thought. With this said, I would like to warn you that if you are looking for a good, readable translation of the Tao Te Ching with emphasis on the philosophical and "spiritual" aspect of the work, then I would recommend looking elsewhere such as Stephen Mitchell or R.B. Blankey's translations. Arthur Waley's book is better suited for readers who are interested in Chinese philosophy and the "Taoist" role in it. In his introduction, Arthur Waley gives a rather detailed report on the evolution of Chinese religious practice and philosophy. He addresses the early days of Chinese religious practice of sacrifice and ritual, many of the great Chinese thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, Mo Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Sung Tzu, and other schools of philosophy such as Quietism, Hedonism, the Realists, and "Taoism." While I find all of the information here useful and interesting, I found it trailed off from the subject of the Tao Te Ching. If it had been a book about Chinese philosophy only then you would hear no complaints from me but I feel as though Arthur Waley wanders off the subject at hand. Arthur Waley goes on to discuss what little is known about the history of the Tao Te Ching and Lao Tzu. The translation of the Tao Te Ching itself is very literal and wordy, loosing the beauty and free flowing nature of other translations. Each chapter is followed by a short commentary and a series of commentary, usually discussing the meaning of the Chinese words and its relation to other Chinese philosophy.
I thought it was well worth reading for the information and insight I got from the information on Chinese philosophy but I felt it had little to do with the message of the "Tao Te Ching" other than the political chapters of the book. The translation would make me not want to read it again. I think out of all the "spiritual" texts I've read, the Tao Te Ching is the hardest to analyze and make concentrate since it goes against the whole message of the book. I think it is better just to find a good translation of it and just read it for what it is.
By a translator of genius with much to teach us all........2001-05-11
The full title of the present book is: 'THE WAY AND ITS POWER - A Study of the TAO TE CHING and Its Place in Chinese Thought by ARTHUR WALEY. The book, which was first published in 1934 and has often been reprinted, besides containing a study of the historical and intellectual background, also contains a complete translation of the Tao Te Ching.
Waley, who was one of the great Sinologists of the twentieth century, is perhaps better known to most as a translator of Chinese poetry. His 'Translations from the Chinese,' the book which contains, among other treasures, the marvelous poems of T'ao Ch'ien, Po Chu-I, and Wang Wei, has been reissued many times. And although we have seen other excellent translations of Chinese poetry from writers such as A. C. Graham, Kenneth Rexroth, and Gary Snyder, none of them have had the impact of Waley. Chinese poetry, for most, is and always will mean Arthur Waley. His influence has been overwhelming.
I would attribute his enormous success to two things. In the first place, there is the very special quality of his English, a quality impossible to describe. In the second place, Waley was a master at evoking an atmosphere, a feeling tone, that strikes one as authentically Chinese. So good was he at this that one sometimes gets the feeling, as one does when reading the poems of Emily Dickinson (whose mind had a very Chinese cast), that they must have been Chinese souls who had somehow strayed and ended up reincarnating in Western bodies.
The particular beauty of Waley's style, a style which despite its age still strikes one as modern, will also be found at work in the present book. The book falls into two parts. The first gives us a 100-page Introduction which covers such topics as The Hedonists, Quietism, The Language Crisis, The Realists, The Mystic Basis of Realism, The Tao Te Ching, The Sheng, The Literary Methods of the Book, and the Author. Then follow six Appendices which treat of such matters as Authorship in Early China, Foreign Influence, Taoist Yoga, Text and Commentaries, etc. Then comes the translation itself, after which Waley rounds out the book with some Additional Notes and an Index.
Waley's translations of each Chapter of the Tao Te Ching are followed either by a Paraphrase, a brief Commentary, or, in most cases, simply a few footnotes. The notes are brief, practical, and invariably helpful, and are designed to assist both the general reader and those with access to the Chinese text to arrive at a better understanding of the text. Waley's approach, in other words, has a distinctly old-world and British feel, and is designed to appeal, not to the pedant or technical specialist, but to gentlemen and gentlemen scholars, and ladies also, who are seriously interested in understanding the thought of Lao Tzu. Chapter XLIII gives us a good example of Waley's style and basic procedure. Here it is, slightly modified since it should be set out as verse:
"What is of all things most yielding / Can overwhelm that which is of all things most hard. / Being substanceless it can enter even where there is no space; / That is how I know the value of action that is actionless. / But that there can be teaching without words, / Value in action that is actionless, / Few indeed can understand."
Readers are referred to the book itself for Waley's two brief informative notes on these lines.
Waley, who mastered both Chinese and Japanese, but who wisely refused to visit the East for obvious reasons, was undoubtedly something of a genius, and he has much to teach us all. His edition can be recommended with confidence to anyone who is looking for a study of Ancient Chinese thought along with an uncluttered, authoritative, and readable version of the Tao Te Ching.
Buy this book if you're interested in Tao........2000-10-27
This is the definitive book on the Tao Te Ching. It's audience is the well-educated, not necessarily in Chinese thinking, but in general. It's very indepth and not good for a casual read. But if you wish to know about the Tao Te Ching, I mean, REALLY know about the Tao Te Ching, this is the book for you. It's given at the college level, as I read it for a class, and I would say without a doubt the best book I've read on the subject.
Book Description
The Tao of Womanhood is for every woman who is searching for both external power and internal peace. It's for the woman who wants to be tough but nice, who wants to take care of things and everyone else but needs to be reminded to look after herself, who feels pulled in too many directions and yearns to live a full, balanced life. It's for the woman who wants to be a strong, proactive leader at work and at home, and lead a life of harmony and inner peace.
A spiritual resource that combines the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching with straightforward advice and illuminating anecdotes, The Tao of Womanhood is a prescriptive, practical road map. Using Taoist principles, teacher and spiritualist Dreher explains how any woman can learn to incorporate calm into her busy modern life by learning how to
- Say "no" without feeling guilty
- Respond without being frantic or reactive
- Seize opportunities
- Summon the strength to change
- Clear the space necessary for continual growth transformation
Calm and reassuring, The Tao of Womanhood imparts the invigorating message to all women -- whether stay-at-home moms or corporate executives -- that leading a balanced and fulfilling life does not mean surrendering peace of mind.
Customer Reviews:
Wow I miss this book.......2002-01-14
This is a wonderful, wonderful book. I'm not quite sure what else to say about it since it has been so long since I last read it. It was a book highly conducive to midnight epiphanies, and really helped frame my search for an effective way to live and understand my life.
Inspirational guide for balancing your life........1998-11-23
Draws upon the Tao Te Ching and the practice of aikido to illustrate a balanced approach to life. Includes chapters on transforming challenge and conflict into harmony, respecting the natural cycles of life, and overcoming feelings of powerlessness in order to find a more active, powerful approach to life. I've been curious about the martial arts and really enjoyed the parallels the author makes between spiritual growth and aikido. Gave me a new perspective on the issue of balance.
Amazon.com
In recent years, visionaries and profiteers alike have attempted to apply the 81 simple but profound poems of the Tao Te Ching to everything from sports training to pet breeding. James Autry, an award-winning author and respected former CEO, and Stephen Mitchell, whose previous work includes the New York Times bestseller Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, have applied these poems in a meaningful way to the world of business. Real Power: Business Lessons from the Tao Te Ching is a stimulating interpretation of this ancient classic that will provide the guidance and inspiration missing from most modern management texts. Addressing contemporary business situations with the wise paradoxes that are the hallmark of Lao-Tzu's 6th-century work (such as "fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill; keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt"), the two propose an ageless approach to the workplace that deals uniquely with various issues of our time like compensation, competition, training, and downsizing. --Howard Rothman END
Book Description
The Tao Te Ching is the world's oldest leadership manual, written, according to legend, by the sage Lao-tzu in the sixth century B.C.E. In this book, premier business consultant James A. Autry and bestselling author and translator Stephen Mitchell present a modern-day guide to business leadership drawing on the age-old lessons of the Tao Te Ching. With simple, evocative essays, commenting on a selection from the Tao Te Ching, they show how its elegant wisdom can transform the workplace from a source of stress into a source of creativity and joy--and make work, at any level of the corporate ladder, more fulfilling than ever before.
Customer Reviews:
Tao Te Ching made simple.......2006-08-05
Of course everyone has heard of Tao Te Ching. But applying ancient wisdom has never been made more simple than in this book. Lessons are highlighted by parts from Tao Te Ching and then applied to various business situations. Leader or not, this book will help anyone in all aspects of live: letting go, making piece with everyone - even one's enemy, achieving harmony thru non-competition, knowing when to step back. Lessons seem to be very simple but their wisdom goes beyond words. This a is management book that should be mandatory for anyone and everyone wanting to learn about business and best means or running sucessful, strong and harmonious group or organization.
This is the best management book I have ever read.......2003-03-29
I could see some that might dismiss it as just a collection of catchy phrases, trendy euphemisms, and anecdotal and unscientific blathering. But I felt that this book described the kind of management style I will try to emulate in my life. Instead of `creating' the environment through sheer force of will and a desire for control and domination, it focuses on letting order create itself organically. I loved the detached but focused approach the book describes. Short little passages made this book something I picked up from time to time and really thought about the different passages. While the Taoism is not something I accept completely, learning to appreciate the gentle, detached, and innate wisdom of things was something I enjoyed thinking about. The many descriptions of how NOT to do things were the so close to experiences I have had in with bad management that I found myself totally engrossed in this book. The solutions given were so logically and eloquently presented that I could not help but take the words in with a deep sense of satisfaction. This book was a source of confirmation for me. For so long I have had so many bad managers, and seen so many bad practices in organizations, that I was wondering if I was just a complainer. But this book was right with my experiences. It described things so purely for me that I felt justified and inspired to continue in my path as I head off to business school and enter the world of management more on the other side of things. In any event, as I wrote above, this book captured the kind of management style I want to cultivate more than any of all the management books and articles I've read and I recommend it highly. I will keep this book on my desk for as long as it holds together.
This is the best management book I have ever read.......2003-03-29
I could see some that might dismiss it as just a collection of catchy phrases, trendy euphemisms, and anecdotal and unscientific blathering. But I felt that this book described the kind of management style I will try to emulate in my life. Instead of `creating' the environment through sheer force of will and a desire for control and domination, it focuses on letting order create itself organically. I loved the detached but focused approach the book describes. Short little passages made this book something I picked up from time to time and really thought about the different passages. While the Taoism is not something I accept completely, learning to appreciate the gentle, detached, and innate wisdom of things was something I enjoyed thinking about. The many descriptions of how NOT to do things were the so close to experiences I have had in with bad management that I found myself totally engrossed in this book. The solutions given were so logically and eloquently presented that I could not help but take the words in with a deep sense of satisfaction. This book was a source of confirmation for me. For so long I have had so many bad managers, and seen so many bad practices in organizations, that I was wondering if I was just a complainer. But this book was right with my experiences. It described things so purely for me that I felt justified and inspired to continue in my path as I head off to business school and enter the world of management more on the other side of things. In any event, as I wrote above, this book captured the kind of management style I want to cultivate more than any of all the management books and articles I've read and I recommend it highly. I will keep this book on my desk for as long as it holds together.
5 stars or 1 star, depends on who you are and what you want.......2003-01-12
I should be the eighth person who wrote a review for this book. The seven reviewers before me had really extreme opinion on it. Five 5 stars and two 1 star. You seldom find that on Amazon. Anyway, I read and found all of them honest and personal/subjective account of the reviewers' perception/experience.
As a Chinese, I assure you that Tao Te Ching would be voted as one of the ten greatest books of our culture. It touches every part of our daily life and so the application of its principles on business/life/love is popular in the eastern world (similar to Sun Tzu's Art of War). Mitchell's translation is the best I read so far (though so little). Autry's intrepretation of it matches those of the mainstream Chinese and Japanese scholars.
So, if you buy in TQM, Theory Y/Z and self actualization kind of stuff, read this book and you will gain something. Otherwise, spend your money and time elsewhere.
Excellent Book!.......2000-04-26
This book provides practical applications for one of the the great religious books. The book very calming and provides great values and peace.
Average customer rating:
- Anthropologist bites off big chunk, chews well
- Long on a priori pronouncements, short on lived experience
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History and Magical Power in a Chinese Community
P. Sangren
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0804713448 |
Customer Reviews:
Anthropologist bites off big chunk, chews well.......2002-05-27
Writing anthropology presents many tactical problems. Your data covers vast expanses of life, you can go in many directions. Should you include ethnographic detail or should you go for the big picture ? Should you try to depict what you want to say through the lives of a few individuals or should you remain general ? Some writers avoid discussion of theory and write descriptive ethnographies, others weave complex webs that connect numerous theories and famous authors of the past, trying to steer a course towards some and away from others. Often anthropologists fall through one of the many cracks that gape along the path towards a successful book, usually by trying to do everything at once. Not so Sangren's interesting work on Taiwan. The description is rich, with excellent maps and photographs, but he strongly connects his work to theory. I would say HISTORY AND MAGICAL POWER... is worth reading, not because the author introduces interesting individuals or amusing descriptions of events, but because he "bounces off" many writers of the older school, i.e. those of structuralist-functionalist ideas such as Dumont, Durkheim, Freedman, Leach, Levi-Strauss, Sahlins, Skinner, and Turner. Though the book was published in 1987, it does not engage in the post-structuralist, literary criticism-based anthropology of these last years. I, for one, find both schools equally challenging.
The writer states that he wants to investigate how categories of thought are reproduced in Chinese institutions and how Chinese institutions reproduce categories of Chinese thought. He consciously rejects the old oppositions of "elite/folk", "text/ritual" or "great tradition/little tradition" saying that all these categories are found in each Chinese institution. He prefers to set up an objectivist perspective, though I am not sure that that is possible. In any case, Sangren then guides the reader through a discussion of the ritual construction of social space, dealing with folk religion, cults and pilgrimages associated with a particular geographic area, south of Taipei and connected ritual actions, bringing in a description of the economic and administrative systems as well. Further on, he connects the concept of yin and yang to ideas of order and disorder, then talks of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, pilgrimage, spirits and social identity. Finally there is a section on the social construction of power.
I admired this book because the author is widely read and does not hesitate to bring in examples from societies outside East Asia, (many anthropologists blinker themselves to one region, even though their training should promote the opposite). I found that the many theoretical issues taken up and points raised were useful for me in my work, though I am very far from a China specialist. I also admired the book because Sangren thinks broadly, makes many interesting connections, and constantly creates sparks that may light a fire in your own, private anthropological thought. If he didn't, ultimately, reach the goal that he aimed at, he came close, he created a book that should be of great interest to China experts and also to anyone interested in relating institutions and culture. This is not a book you can sit down and read for fun. It requires serious thought, but it is well worth your time. I feel it is a shame that such a book remains relatively unknown, while many lesser books attract more attention.
Long on a priori pronouncements, short on lived experience.......2002-04-04
Sangren begins the book with an account of the market town of Ta Ch'i in relation to its cachement area (that is, the area from which people came to market there) from the 18th century onward. He then describes levels of religious participation, including cross-island pilgrimages to the Mazho (Matsu in the old romanizaiton he uses) temple at Peikang. As much as he can, Sangre obscures that his data comes from Taiwan, not from China.
Sangren criticizes overly schematic categorizations of spirits into the traditional tricohotomy gods, ghosts, and ancestors and questions the idea that the pantheons is modeled on an authoritarian central government (either the Kuomingtang dicatorship that ruled Taiwan at the time Sangred did his fieldwork or imperial Chinese governments that never had effective control of Taiwan before ceding the island to Japan in 1895). However, Sangred substitutes an equally a priori and rigidly schematic yin/yang contrasts to various phenomena and generalizes his structural analysis to all of China translating the terms Taiwanese used from Hokkien terms into Beijinghua "Mandarin" throughout. It is obvious that Sangren is far more interested in theorizing about a singular Chinese civilization than in observing and talking to the people he supposesdly was studying (Taiwanese). His work in general is long on theory, short on experience-near ethnography and individuals living in Taiwan.
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