Daoism and Ecology: Ways within a Cosmic Landscape

Other books in this series have already addressed the relation of ecology to Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, and Hinduism. This installment, penned mostly by academics in various departments of American universities, features 28 contributions, some of which look at specific Daoist writings like the Scripture of Great Peace and the Scripture of Unconscious Unification . Other offerings examine Daoism through contemporary trends as fengshui, deep ecology, wilderness, and environmental ethics. Ursula K. LeGuin (she translated the Tao Te Ching ) garners special attention: one essay is devoted to her, and the epilogue is written by her. In the latter, she brings ecology and the translation of Daoist texts together: "You feel toward them (Daoist texts] as the ecologist does toward a river or a desert: this is not to be abused, and if we use it we should do so very mindfully." Distributed by Harvard University Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Until now, no single work has been devoted to both a scholarly understanding of the complexities of the Daoist tradition and a critical exploration of its contribution to recent environmental concerns. The authors in this volume consider the intersection of Daoism and ecology, looking at the theoretical and historical implications associated with a Daoist approach to the environment. They also analyze perspectives found in Daoist religious texts and within the larger Chinese cultural context in order to delineate key issues found in the classical texts. Through these analyses, they assess the applicability of modern-day Daoist thought and practice in China and the West, with respect to the contemporary ecological situation.