Aphorisms of Ancient China

Aphoristic literature has deep roots in the classical culture of China. Eastern philosophy is generally characterized by the precision of form, encapsulating thought in a kind of crystal that shimmers with multicolored facets of meanings, images, situations, and points of view. The picturesque, poetically paradoxical Daoist koans, the boundless unsaid of Buddhist parables, and the legacy of Confucian scholars presented in the form of straightforward, concise sayings represent not only vivid examples of aphorism but also lie at the foundation of the wealthiest complex of spiritual and moral truths of Ancient China. This edition includes complete texts and fragments of literary monuments of Ancient China: "The Gate without a Door" by Wumen, "The Taste of Roots" by Hong Zicheng, and "Transparent Shadows of Dreams" by Zhang Chao, excerpts from the collection "The Tablets of the Azure Cliff" and other works.