Thomas Cleary

2 series 5 books in order

Thomas Cleary holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.

Known for
Classics of Buddhism and Zen, The Taoist Classics

Series by Thomas Cleary

Classics of Buddhism and Zen

5 books in order · 2001–2005

  1. Cover of Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume One

    Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume One

    2001 · Thomas Cleary

    Volume One of Classics of Buddhism and Zen contains teachings predominantly from the Chinese Zen (Chan) tradition, including the writings of revered…

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  2. Cover of Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Two

    Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Two

    2001 · Translated by Thomas Cleary

    Volume Two of Classics of Buddhism and Zen contains teachings predominantly from the Japanese Zen tradition including the writings of Dogen, the…

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  3. Cover of Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Three

    Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Three

    2001 · Translated by Thomas Cleary

    Volume Three of Classics of Buddhism and Zen contains translations of works by the key figures of Zen, including the Japanese master Dogen; Chinul,…

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  4. Cover of Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Four

    Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Four

    2001 · Translated by Thomas Cleary

    Volume Four of Classics of Buddhism and Zen features several essential works on the practice of Zen koans, including a complete translation of…

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  5. Cover of Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Five

    Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume Five

    2005 · Thomas Cleary

    Volume Five of Classics of Buddhism and Zen represents the broad spectrum of Cleary's interest in Buddhism—from Buddhist yoga and the Chinese…

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The Taoist Classics

4 books in order · 1999–2003

  1. Cover of The Taoist Classics (Volume 1)

    The Taoist Classics (Volume 1)

    1999 · Translated by Thomas Cleary

    This collection of translated texts includes: • Tao Te Ching: Cleary's original translations of the great classic of Taoism, accompanied by his…

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  2. Cover of The Taoist Classics (Volume 2)

    The Taoist Classics (Volume 2)

    2003 · Thomas Cleary

    This collection of translated texts includes: • Understanding Reality: A Taoist Alchemical Classic: A tenth-century text on the principles of inner…

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  3. Cover of The Taoist Classics (Volume 3)

    The Taoist Classics (Volume 3)

    2003 · Thomas Cleary

    This collection of translated texts includes: • Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook: An extraordinarily rich and diverse collection of…

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  4. Cover of The Taoist Classics, Volume Four

    The Taoist Classics, Volume Four

    2003 · Thomas Cleary

    This collection of Taoist texts includes: • The Taoist I Ching: The classic "Book of Change" illuminated by the commentary of the eighteenth- and…

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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Thomas Cleary written?

We list 5 books by Thomas Cleary across 2 series, published between 1999–2005 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Thomas Cleary's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Classics of Buddhism and Zen, Volume One.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Thomas Cleary's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Book descriptions, author biographies, award records and review quotes on this page are courtesy of Penguin Random House.