By the 17th century, the complex pictorial language of symbols which encoded its theories and secrets had reached a highpoint of elaboration and sophistication. With the spread of printing, the iconography of alchemy began to flower as never before.

    This book might be called "The Tao of Tao." In 142 brief meditative essays, the author uses simple language and natural imagery to express the essence of the wisdom that holds the key to success in every human endeavor. Liu I-ming (b. 1737) was a Taoist adept and a scholar of Buddhism and Confucianism. He is the author of commentaries on several Taoist classics that have been published in English, including The Taoist I Ching , also translated by Thomas Cleary.