Anthology of Daoist Texts: Selections of Key Scriptures, Commentaries, and Other Historical Documents

This ebook is a compilation of what the editor believes are the most important and relevant texts of Daoism (also spelled Taoism) that are currently available in English translation. They include key scriptures and influential commentaries from the Daoist Canon (道藏, Dàozàng) as well as significant early manuscripts and inscriptions that were excavated from ancient sites. In combination with the introductions and notes by the translators, these scriptures present the fundamental spiritual beliefs, key philosophical concepts, basic ethics, and self-cultivation practices of the Daoist religion. This anthology presents these texts organized into four sections along with a bibliography in the appendix. The first two include only texts belonging to “Classical Daoism” and which date to times periods before the arrival of Buddhism to China (and thus before any known influence from Indian religions on Daoism). The third section and fourth sections are composed of scriptures and commentaries which were written after the arrival of Buddhism and are generally considered “Post-Classical” Daoist works.