Nourishing the Essence of Life

January 1, 2004
A much-published author on spiritual subjects, Wong (Cultivating Stillness; The Shambhala Guide to Taoism) has produced a fascinating, if at times eye-crossing, introduction to three of Taoism's more esoteric texts: the Tao-hsuan p'ien, the Wu-hsuan p'ien, and the Ta'i-hsuan pao-tien. These texts, she advises us, are generally reserved as secret and studied only with a master, and seeing them in translation, with their profusion of essences, techniques, cavities, pearls, and assertions, one can hardly wonder why. Still, whatever one makes of the Tao's focus on control over vapors and fluids, one can hardly argue with the idea of being in harmony with nature. Those interested in complex spiritual disciplines will rejoice in this volume. For most collections.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.