Synopses & Reviews
The only English translation of John Blofeldand#8217;s memoirs as a Westerner living in China prior to the Communist Revolution andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Paints an intimate portrait of the grace and refinement of ancient Chinese civilization andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Originally written in Chinese for Chinese readers, revealing a rare glimpse of Blofeldand#8217;s private Chinese side and uncensored views andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; The last book by the great English sinologist, translator of the I Ching and author of andlt;Iandgt;Taoist Mystery and Magicandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The reveries and remembrances contained in the travel diaries of John Blofeld cover every aspect of his life in China--from visits to opium dens and sing-song houses to sojourns in the Buddhist monasteries and Taoist hermitages of Chinaand#8217;s sacred mountains. Here is a vivid glimpse of and#8220;oldand#8221; China as it existed in elegance and grace for three thousand years before Chinaand#8217;s Communist Revolution. Originally written in Chinese for a Chinese audience, Blofeldand#8217;s travel diary reveals a rare, uncensored view of pre-communist China to which few westerners have been exposed.
Review
andquot;This is John Blofeldand#8217;s intimate and heartfelt personal account of a life spent in the old China we have all heard and dreamt about, but which is gone forever. As such it should be savored as a first-class treasure, for it is like a long-lost gem recovered for the world to appreciate. What makes John Blofeldand#8217;s memoir so uniquely special is the man himself, who, as international traveler, sinologist, translator, and scholar embodied the perfect balance of Yin and Yang; an ideal synthesis of the meeting of East and West.andquot;
Review
andquot;The discovery of a missing manuscript of Mozart could not bring greater joy than John Blofeld's memoir of his journey through a China that is barely visible nowadays but brought to life once more in this most welcome translation. To read this book is to travel again with this marvelous man on the path he walked so well: the path of the translator, the path of the pilgrim, the path of a stranger in a strange land. The bodhisattvas must be singing.andquot;
Review
"When all is said and done, we owe Daniel Reid a great debt for translating this wonderful travel journal. . . . although 'mystic' appears in the title, this is not really a magical mystical tour and you won't get any tidbits about finding your bliss, so to speak. You basically find what a well lived life can be like."
Review
"It is fitting that Daniel Reid, whose writings have done so much to bring profound dimensions of Chinese medical, scientific, spiritual, and meditative wisdom to English language readers, has translated this book."
Review
" The book is not, strictly speaking, a history of the 1930s and 1940s in China, but for readers looking to gain a deeper understanding of that period, the book will prove quite valuable. It will also be useful to those wishing a deeper understanding of pre-communist Chinese religion and culture, as well as to casual readers who are simply seeking an engaging informative book about China during its early republican period."
Review
"A vivid portrait of this lost land . . . of interest to any Chinese history enthusiast."
Review
"The book reads like a charming account from a long-forgotten era, and that is precisely what it is. Blofeld gives a detailed and scintillating portrait of ancient China, still extant when he lived there--a culture that was highly stratified and regimented, and included the virtues of always welcoming 'guests from afar' such as Blofeld himself, who made a comfortable niche for himself by being the perfect visitor."
Review
"This is John Blofelds intimate and heartfelt personal account of a life spent in the old China we have all heard and dreamt about, but which is gone forever. As such it should be savored as a first-class treasure, for it is like a long-lost gem recovered for the world to appreciate. What makes John Blofelds memoir so uniquely special is the man himself, who, as international traveler, sinologist, translator, and scholar embodied the perfect balance of Yin and Yang; an ideal synthesis of the meeting of East and West." < b=""> Chungliang Al Huang <> , author of < i=""> Embrace Tiger, <> < i=""> Return To Mountain <> and founder of the Living Tao Foundation
Review
"The discovery of a missing manuscript of Mozart could not bring greater joy than John Blofeld's memoir of his journey through a China that is barely visible nowadays but brought to life once more in this most welcome translation. To read this book is to travel again with this marvelous man on the path he walked so well: the path of the translator, the path of the pilgrim, the path of a stranger in a strange land. The bodhisattvas must be singing." < b=""> Bill Porter <> (Red Pine), translator and editor of < i=""> The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain <>
Review
"When all is said and done, we owe Daniel Reid a great debt for translating this wonderful travel journal. . . . although 'mystic' appears in the title, this is not really a magical mystical tour and you won't get any tidbits about finding your bliss, so to speak. You basically find what a well lived life can be like." < b=""> Robert Figler, Ph.D. <> , < i=""> Journal of Asian Martial Arts <> , < p=""> Vol. 17 No. 3
Review
"It is fitting that Daniel Reid, whose writings have done so much to bring profound dimensions of Chinese medical, scientific, spiritual, and meditative wisdom to English language readers, has translated this book." < b=""> Reg Little <> , < i=""> New Dawn <> , No. 110, Sep/Oct 2008
Review
" The book is not, strictly speaking, a history of the 1930s and 1940s in China, but for readers looking to gain a deeper understanding of that period, the book will prove quite valuable. It will also be useful to those wishing a deeper understanding of pre-communist Chinese religion and culture, as well as to casual readers who are simply seeking an engaging informative book about China during its early republican period." < b=""> Elizabeth Redkey <> , < i=""> MultiCultural Review <> , Vol. 17, No. 4, Winter 2008
Review
"A vivid portrait of this lost land . . . of interest to any Chinese history enthusiast." < i=""> The Midwest Book Review <> , Aug 2008
Review
"The book reads like a charming account from a long-forgotten era, and that is precisely what it is. Blofeld gives a detailed and scintillating portrait of ancient China, still extant when he lived there--a culture that was highly stratified and regimented, and included the virtues of always welcoming 'guests from afar' such as Blofeld himself, who made a comfortable niche for himself by being the perfect visitor." < i=""> Curled Up <> < i=""> with a Good Book <> , June 2008
Synopsis
This translation of John Blofeld's memoirs as a Westerner living in pre-Communist Revolution China paints an intimate portrait of ancient Chinese civilization. Originally written in Chinese for Chinese readers, Blofeld's travel diary reveals a rare uncensored view of the culture of "old" China.
Synopsis
The only English translation of John Blofelds memoirs as a Westerner living in China prior to the Communist Revolution
• Paints an intimate portrait of the grace and refinement of ancient Chinese civilization
• Originally written in Chinese for Chinese readers, revealing a rare glimpse of Blofelds private Chinese side and uncensored views
• The last book by the great English sinologist, translator of the I Ching and author of Taoist Mystery and Magic
The reveries and remembrances contained in the travel diaries of John Blofeld cover every aspect of his life in China--from visits to opium dens and sing-song houses to sojourns in the Buddhist monasteries and Taoist hermitages of Chinas sacred mountains. Here is a vivid glimpse of “old” China as it existed in elegance and grace for three thousand years before Chinas Communist Revolution. Originally written in Chinese for a Chinese audience, Blofelds travel diary reveals a rare, uncensored view of pre-communist China to which few westerners have been exposed.
About the Author
John Blofeld (1913-1987) was an eminent sinologist and humanist who authored numerous books on Buddhism and Taoism, including The Zen Teachings of Huang Po, Taoist Mystery and Magic, My Journey in Mystic China, and a translation of the I Ching, the Book of Changes. He lived in China from 1932 until 1949 when the Communist Revolution forced him to relocate to Thailand, where he remained for the rest of his life.Daniel Reid has a Master’s degree in Chinese language and civilization, and he studied Taoist practices in Taiwan for 16 years and in Thailand for 10 before moving to Australia in 1999. He is the author of several books, including The Tao of Health, Sex & Longevity and The Complete Book of Chinese Health & Healing, and the translator of My Journey in Mystic China, John Blofeld's autobiographical account of his years spent in pre-Communist China.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Translatorand#8217;s Preface: A Friend from Afarandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A Note on the Translationandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Translatorand#8217;s Introduction: The Wheel of Lifeandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Foreword by Huang Li-sung: My Lifelong Friendship with John Blofeldandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Foreword by Chungliang Al Huang: Old Puand#8217;s Travel Diaryandlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Authorand#8217;s Preface: My Ideal Shangri-laandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; My Preordained Destiny to Tread the Land of the Dragonandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Place I Love Most of All--Pekingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Roaming the Famous Mountains and Monasteries of Northern Chinaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Studying Zen and Seeking the Tao While Wandering in the Southwestandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;5andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Travels in Szechuan on My Second Sojourn in Chinaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Exotic Encounters in Southern Chinaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Souls from Distant Lands Fulfill Their Distant Destinies