Chinese Bound Mini – serie

“Zen is not effort. Effort is tension, effort is work, effort is to achieve something. Zen is not something to achieve. Just relax, relax so deeply that you become a revelation to yourself.” – Zen proverb “Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese chán, meaning “meditation”. Rather than representing a particular ethic or set of beliefs, Zen Buddhism – as practiced in Japan since the 12th century – is a discipline that seeks to reveal profound insight into the nature of things through thought, experience and meditation, passing on wisdom from master to disciple, rather than through reliance on formal doctrine and ideas. Zen emphasizes rigorous self-restraint, the practice of meditation, and perceiving the true nature of reality through mindfulness. This insight can be expressed in daily life through acts of kindness towards others. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Zen Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from Zen masters such as Bankei Yōtaku, Matsuo Bashō, and the Buddha, on topics as wide-ranging as discovering purpose, maintaining concentration, mindfulness, tranquility, learning, kindness and finding joy.

Ancient Chinese culture has a been a rich source of wisdom for many millennia. Chinese Wisdom provides a concise insight into the ideas of great Chinese thinkers, arranged thematically. Living in the 5th century BCE, great teacher Confucius laid the foundations for an outlook and way of life that focused on correct behaviour, humaneness and respect for one’s elders, precepts that are deeply embedded across East Asian countries to this day. His disciple, Meng Ke, outlined new ideas for rulers which provided the basis of Chinese political culture for many centuries afterwards. Laozi, the founder of Taoism and author of the Tao Te Ching, wrote about the Tao, or the Way – the correct way of living attainable to all and which links all things. Sun Tzu’s Art of War provides advice on how to overcome and outwit an opponent (the basic tenets of which are often applied to business strategy today), while Zhu Xi taught the advantages of meditation as a method for self-knowledge and self-cultivation. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Chinese Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from Chinese thinkers through the ages, on topics as wide- ranging as filial piety, love, clear thinking, work, business, war and family.

'If their encampment seems open to attack, then it is a trap.' – Sun Tzu You don’t have to be a soldier to seek wisdom from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. This classic Chinese text is commonly applied today to corporate strategy and used by anyone who thinks that daily life – whether that’s dealing with your boss, a salesperson, your landlord – can be a battle. In the introduction, translator James Trapp outlines the life and times of Sun Tzu, and examines the enduring significance of his wisdom. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Art of War Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from Sun Tzu, on such topics as laying plans, attacking by stratagem, weaponry, terrain and the use of spies.

He who boasts of what he will do, succeeds in nothing. – Tao Te ChingNo understanding of Chinese civilization is possible without a grasp of Taoism, the philosophy that has shaped not just Chinese spirituality but also art, science and politics. And it was in the Tao Te Ching, written around 300BC, that the fundamental beliefs of Taoism were first gathered by the sage Laozi. This short book went on to influence Chinese philosophy, religion and politics for thousands of years afterwards. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Tao Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from key Taoist figures, with advice on how to live a simple, peaceful and harmonious life, and how to rid oneself of desires and free society of institutions that promote greed.

“What is Life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”— Black Elk, Oglala Sioux Founded on stories and myths told orally, the wisdom of Native American peoples has been passed down through generations, revealing the origins of a tribe, chronicling the heroes who fought the gods, showing how to reach Wakan-Taka(the Great Spirit), exploring the nature of the True Peace and reflecting on the changing landscape with the arrival of European settlers. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Native American Wisdom offers more than 80 thought-provoking proverbs on the spirit world, family, fathers and sons, animals and plants, and the changing seasons, in the words of the people who have inhabited the North American continent for thousands of years – the Iroquois, Algonquin, Cheyenne, Hopi, Dakota and Sioux – to name a few. Many quotes are from well-known Native American leaders, such as the Blackfoot warrior Crowfoot, the legendary Apache leader Geronimo, and famous Oglala Lakota medicine man Black Elk.

Every country has its proverbs, sayings passed down from generation to generation that impart wisdom and tell truths, and ancient Egypt is no exception. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Ancient Egyptian Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from one of the greatest and longest-lasting civilizations of antiquity. Throughout this collection we discover advice and guidance that we might find relevant today. Interspersed with this wide-ranging wisdom are wonderful phrases more specific to Egyptian life, landscape and the world and cosmos as they knew it. There was danger all around in those ancient times. ‘A crocodile does not die of worry, it dies of hunger.’ ‘A scorpion in the sandal teaches quickly.’ Whether you are an enthusiast of ancient civilizations, a seeker of spiritual truths, or simply a curious mind, ancient Egyptian life and mythology has something to offer everyone. It is an invitation to step into the realm of gods and mortals, prophecies and cosmic order, and discover the enduring wisdom of an ancient culture that continues to resonate with us today.

‘Be like the headland on which the waves continually break. It stands firm and about it the boiling waters sink to sleep.’ —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.3Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in ancient Athens in the 3rd century BC. It is an outlook that teaches self-control, acceptance of fate, virtue over pleasure, and focusing only on what you can control, not external events. Embraced by Roman emperors as well as cognitive behavioral therapists and business leaders today, Stoicism has been an influence on thinkers, rulers and politicians throughout the centuries, and is currently undergoing a cultural resurgence. Divided thematically, Stoic Wisdom contains more than 80 quotes from key thinkers, including ancient philosophers such as Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, Diogenes of Babylon, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, as well as more modern adherents of the Stoic way of life, including Michel de Montaigne, Rudyard Kipling, Friedrich Nietzsche and William B. Irvine. This compact collection will give the reader many emotional and practical tools for living a better life.

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”—Henry David Thoreau Few pastimes are more emblematic of mankind’s connection to nature and the great outdoors than fishing. A fishing trip can involve a simple afternoon’s trip down to a local river or pond, or deep forays into national parks and wilderness areas for days or weeks on end. Both bring man closer to nature, creating space and time for reflection and meditation. In Fishing Wisdom, wise, witty and offbeat quotes from the great and famous explore how fishing can become a metaphor for life. Famous contributors include the philosophers Henry David Thoreau and Søren Kierkegaard, writers Ernest Hemingway and Ted Hughes, and US presidents Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Fishing Wisdom offers more than 80 fishing-themed quotes to inspire, provoke and amuse.