SQUARE INCH PRESS
Square Inch Press 方寸書社 (SIP; est. 2022) is the publishing branch of the Daoist Foundation.
The Square Inch (fāngcùn 方寸) refers to a subtle space within the heart, specifically associated with original spirit (yuánshén 元神). The term first appears in the third-century CE Huángtíng jīng 黃庭經 (Scripture on the Yellow Court). Square Inch thus invokes the Daoist subtle body, including the Yellow Court itself and the Nine Palaces in the head.
As one of the few Daoist presses, aspiring to create a similar cultural space as Snow Lion or Wisdom Publications in Buddhism and Paulist Press in Christianity, Square Inch Press publishes tradition-based Daoist books with a Daoist aesthetics and material culture. Priority is given to work that otherwise would not be published. As written transmissions of enduring value, rooted in embodied Daoist being and expression, all SIP titles are published in hardcover-only editions, without future paperback or electronic formats. We currently are focusing on work being conducted by the senior teachers of the Daoist Foundation, but we hope eventually to publish books by other members of our Daoist community.
The inaugural title of Square Inch Press, Entering Stillness: A Guide to Daoist Practice 入靜指南 by Louis Komjathy 康思奇, Ph.D., CSO and Kate Townsend 唐鄉恩, L.Ac., EAMP, CSO, was released on July 1, 2022.* We are offering a complimentary copy to anyone who donates $63 or more to the Daoist Foundation. When making this contribution, please put “for Entering Stillness” in the subject line and include your preferred mailing address. (Please add $10 for overseas orders)
Our second title is the three-volume Twentieth Anniversary Edition (TAE) of Louis Komjathy’s classic Handbooks for Daoist Practice 修道手冊, which was thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded.
We are offering the entire three-volume set for $144. When making this contribution, please put “for Handbooks” in the subject line and include your preferred mailing address. (Please add $10 for overseas orders). Alternatively, a check or money order may be sent to the Daoist Foundation. This publication is the focus of our ongoing remote Daoist Scripture Study meetings.
Our third publication is Louis Komjathy’s long-awaited Dàodé jīng 道德經: A Contextual, Contemplative, and Annotated Bilingual Translation, which is the first contemplative translation rooted in a Daoist scholar-practitioner approach. The book was released on May 5, 2023. We are offering a complimentary copy to anyone who donates $72 or more to the Daoist Foundation. When making this contribution, please put “for Daode jing” in the subject line and include your preferred mailing address. (Please add $10 for overseas orders). The book was the focus of our 2023 Daoist Studies Summer Seminar. We also are developing a future, ongoing “Introduction to the Dàodé jīng” seminar.
Our most recent title is Dàodé jīng 道德經: A Daoist Contemplative Translation. This is an abridged, “pocket” edition of Louis Komjathy’s landmark Dàodé jīng 道德經: A Contextual, Contemplative, and Annotated Bilingual Translation. The book was released on January 1, 2024. As we are offering it at cost in order to make it more affordable and accessible, it will need to be ordered through Amazon commerce platforms.
Our next planned book is the Bàopǔzǐ nèipiān 抱朴子內篇 (Inner Chapters of Master Embracing Simplicity): An Annotated Translation of Gé Hóng‘s 葛洪 (283-343) Masterwork by the Daoist Translation Committee 道教翻譯學會 (DTC). Tentatively planned for release in December of 2025, this most likely will be a two-volume set. It also will be the first title in our newly established Daoist Translation Series (DTS), which is under the editorial direction of Dr. Louis Komjathy 康思奇.
This will be followed by Louis Komjathy’s Daoist commentaries on the Dàodé jīng 道德經 (Scripture on the Dao and Inner Power) and Zhuāngzǐ 莊子 (Book of Master Zhuang), which most likely will be published in early 2026. These will be the first titles in our newly established Daoist Commentary Series (DCS), which aims to provide tradition-based guidance rooted in lived/living Daoist practice-realization. The second title will tentatively be the focus of our 2026 Daoist Studies Summer Seminar.
Please email us if you would like to order multiple copies of any of our titles at a reduced rate. We also work with individuals and communities in situations of need.
*We are grateful to all of the individuals who supported our fundraising campaign to establish Square Inch Press.
