Wisdom of the East

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This page spotlights the books in the series The Wisdom of the East, most of which were published in the first two decades of the twentieth century under the editorship of L. Cranmer-Byng and S.A. Kapadia. We are currently attempting a systematic inventory of the entire series.

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Baha’i

 The Splendour of God
by Eric Hammond [1909]
A collection of profound Baha’i sacred texts.

Buddhism

 The Path of Light
tr. by L.D. Barnett [1909]
A translation of the Bodhicharyavatara of Santideva, a key Mahayana Buddhist text.

 Buddhist Scriptures
by E. J. Thomas [1913]
A short collection of Buddhist scripture, from the Wisdom of the East series.

 Buddhist Psalms
by S. Yamabe and L. Adams Beck [1921]
A key Pure Land text, by the founder of the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan.

 The Buddha’s Way of Virtue
tr. by W.D.C. Wagiswara and K.J. Saunders [1920]
A translation of the Dhammapada, one of the central Buddhist sacred texts.

Confucianism

 The Book of Odes
by L. Cranmer-Byng [1908]
A selection of ancient Chinese poetry from the Shih Ching.

 The Book of Filial Duty
by Ivan Chen [1908]
A translation of the Hsiao Ching, a classic text which defines the web of Confucian social relationships.

 A Feast of Lanterns
by L. Cranmer-Byng [1916]
A collection of classic Chinese poetry.

Egypt

 Ancient Egyptian Legends
Margaret Alice Murray [1920]
A taste of Ancient Egyptian mythology, by the trailblazing scholar Margaret Murray.

 The Burden of Isis
by James Teackle Dennis [1910]
A translation of a set of hymns to the goddess Isis.

Judaism

 The Duties of the Heart
by Rabbi Bachye, tr. by Edwin Collins [1909]
A 12th Century Spanish Rabbi’s systematic treatment of Ethics as a universal.

 The Wisdom of Israel
by Edwin Collins [1910]
A short look at Jewish wisdom literature from the Talmud and Midrash.

 Ancient Jewish Proverbs
by Abraham Cohen [1911]
A treasury of Jewish proverbs from the Mishna and Talmud.

Hinduism

 Brahma-Knowledge
by L.D. Barnett [1911]
A short exposition of the Hindu Vedanta philosophy.

Islam

 The Secret Rose Garden
of Sa’d Ud Din Mahmud Shabistari, Translated by Florence Lederer [1920]

 Sadi’s Scroll of Wisdom
by Sadi, tr. by Arthur N. Wollaston, [1906]
A short collection of Sufi poems on moral themes by the renowned Persian poet.

 The Alchemy of Happiness
by Al-Ghazzali, tr. by Claud Field [1909].

 The Diwan of Zeb-un-Nissa
by Zeb-un-Nissa, translated by Magan Lal and Duncan Westbrook [1913]
Sufi poetry by an accomplished Mughal woman.

 The Bustan of Sadi
by Sadi, tr. by A. Hart Edwards [1911].
A Persian Sufi poet’s legacy of wisdom.

 The Diwan of Abu’l-Ala
tr. by Henry Baerlein [1911]
A delighful selection of poems by a 10th century Syrian rationalist philosopher.

 The Religion of the Koran
by Arthur N. Wollaston [1911]
A short introduction to Islam with topical quotes from the Qur’an.

 Arabian Wisdom
by John Wortabet [1913]
Islamic wisdom literature from the Quran, Hadith and traditional proverbs.

Shinto/Japan

 Master Singers of Japan
By Clara A. Walsh, [1914]
An anthology of the classical Japanese poets.

Sikhism

 The Religion of the Sikhs
by Dorothy Field [1914]
A short guide to the Sikh religion.

Taoism

 Yang Chu’s Garden of Pleasure
translated by Anton Forke [1912]

 The Sayings of Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu, tr. by Lionel Giles [1905]
A clear English rendering of the Tao te Ching by one of the best Chinese translators.

 Musings of a Chinese Mystic
Chuang Tzu, tr. by Lionel Giles [1909]
A short collection of texts featuring the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu.

Zoroastrianism

 The Teachings of Zoroaster
S.A. Kapadia, [1909]
A collection of Zoroastrian texts.