Publisher's Synopsis
The Tai Shang Ying Pian, or Lao Tse's Treatise on the Response of the Tao, is a Taoist scripture from the 12th century that has been very influential in China. The Treatise covers thoughts, words, and deeds. It has a simple, practical approach to ethics, lacking any esoteric details. It is all about good deeds. These are rewarded by longevity and health. Lists of deeds, both good and evil, are given in this tract. They focus on crimes, business practices, and other every day actions and events. It represents a turn away from previous Taoism in that it focuses not on meditative practices or self cultivation but on action in the world. Taoism represents a variety of different viewpoints and practices hard to categorize by era or sect. Categorizations are disputed by scholars. The Lushan Sect of Taoism, from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1297 ce) is a Taoist sect representative of the type of Taoism in the treatise, called 'acts and karma Taoism' by Eva Wong. There are few texts that represent this type of Taoism, this being the main one. Most of the others are morality tales that grew up around this Treatise. The lack of scriptures for this current of belief has in no way detracted from its popularity. Mahayana Buddhist viewpoint influenced this scripture. This book was most popular during the Ming dynasty, (1368-1644 ce)
