Chuangtsu: Inner Chapters, a Companion to Tao Te Ching [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Chungliang Al Huang (Narrator), Gia-Fu Feng (Translator), Jane English (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

Little is known of the life of this ancient Chinese sage, but his wisdom and laughter reach across the centuries to speak directly to people's lives today. Chuang Tsu saw through the illusory nature of this world, anticipating Zen Buddhism with its emphasis on the power of emptiness. With soaring fantasy and sometimes not so gentle humor, Chuang Tsu addresses anyone seeking enlightenment in the midst of all the problems of life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(The new photographs added to the 1997 edition of Chuang Tsu) are more skillfully crafted and more sensual. Rippled sand suggeste creased moist skin, Feng's face sleeps glistening among the ferns. Retreating waves caress each other. Twisted branches jut out into the sky. Shrubs grow from dunes like brushy hairs. The images are more dynamic, more engaging than (Jane English's) earlier illustrations." -- Express Books, September 1997

"This present volume is indeed a gift to all lovers of Chuang Tsu and anyone else who would like a taste of this wild, irascible and astonishing sage. the oversize pages, with their calligraphy and Jane English's haunting nature photography, draw us into the work in a relaxed and easy way so that before we know it, we are inside the world of Chuang Tsu." -- The Empty Vessel, Winter 1997

A gift to lovers of Chuang Tsu and anyone else liking a taste of this wild, irrascible and astonishing sage. -- The Empty Vessel, Winter 1997 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Chinese (translation)
Original Language: Chinese --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Literature; Abridged edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574532715
• ISBN-13: 978-1574532715
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,869,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?, March 3, 2003

By 

"ancientskyman" (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters (Paperback)

While the Tao Te Ching is considered to be the foundation work of Taoism, I find the Chuang Tsu to be much more accessible. At over 2000 years old, this book addresses the human condition in a way that holds meaning even today. It is filled with tales that entertain on the surface while lodging deeply into your consciousness to chip away at your cultural conditioning. Save yourself a trip across the world looking for a guru . . . buy this book instead and take it along for a hike in natural surroundings. When you settle down in a comfortable spot, read the Chuang Tsu and see if it doesn't speak to you.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wise, funny and irreverent philosopher, December 19, 2002

By 

Lleu Christopher "www.liminalworlds.com" (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters (Paperback)

Next to Lao Tsu, who wrote the Tao Teh Ching (at least its attributed to him), Chuang Tsu is probably the best known Taoist. This audiobook is based on the translation of his writings by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. The narrator, Chungliang Al Huang, is a well known tai chi teacher and contemporary writer on Taoism. Born in China, he speaks with an accent, but his English is easily understood. He prefaces each passage with some of the original Chinese, which gives the listener a certain flavor of the language. At the end of the book, he explains some of the difficulties in translation. Chinese characters, for example, are not simply letters or words but also images, so it's not a simple matter to translate them into other languages. Chuang Tsu was an irreverent and humorous character. He teaches with stories and anecdotes, similar to some Zen stories (Zen was greatly influenced by Taoism). Some of the meanings are quite obscure; it's best to simply read (or listen) and not try to understand everything logically. As Chuang Tsu says, "When there is questioning, there is something beyond the question. Why is this? The sage keeps his wisdom to himself while ordinary men flaunt their knowledge in loud discussion. So I say, `Those who dispute do not see.'" For those who are interested in learning more about Chuang Tsu, I'd recommend getting both the book and this abridged audiotape.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As needed today as when it was written, August 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters (Paperback)

As a reader of the original translation by Gia-Fu Feng since publication in 1974, I can offer that this book is an enlightened, fulfilling and wholly heartening look at the times and spiritualism both Chuang Tsu and we live in. I recommend it highly for those whose spirit looks beyond our contemporary travails and limited perspective.