Best taoism books according to redditors
We found 127 Reddit comments discussing the best taoism books. We ranked the 43 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 127 Reddit comments discussing the best taoism books. We ranked the 43 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Here's some further reading!
The best and most academically accepted translation of the Dao De Jing
Here, A.C. Graham is an intensely clever and erudite Sinologist - Disupters is definitely a "classic" in the literature of early Eastern philosophy.
Great book on a lesser known section of the Zhuangzi, which Roth shows to be the origin of meditative practice in Daoism. Roth is also my Prof!
A great translation by the same A.C. Graham of most of the chapters of the Zhuangzi. The Zhuangzi, different from the Laozi, uses narratives and short essays in deeply stratified, humorous, and incredibly profound ways well ahead of its time.
Source: I've been studying contemplative practices, cultural anthropology, and Chinese philosophy for most of my undergrad
A few that come to mind:
Yes, read up on zuowang:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuowang
In particular, Livia Kohn's study of the topic and Sima Chengzhen's renowned text Zuowanglun is worth a read:
http://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Oblivion-Heart-Daoist-Meditation/dp/1931483167/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449767361
Another famous work, albeit a little mysterious in some regards, is the Secret of the Golden Flower:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Golden_Flower
http://www.thesecretofthegoldenflower.com/
Finally, there's these two videos by an author on Daoist works, Louis Komjathy, that might be of interest for you, the first being a practical instruction on Daoist meditation and the second being a lecture on Daoist meditation:
https://vimeo.com/59304511
https://vimeo.com/23601671
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West
There are various film adaptions either with that title or something to do with a "Monkey King".
This one is Taoist but I think you would find it interesting and entertaining too.
https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Novel-China/dp/1590301765
If you're interested in this connection, you should probably read The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism by Fritjof Capra.
Daoism is wonderful, but in the West, it's even more common to find New Age ideas among self-proclaimed Daoists who have read the Dao De Jing and called it a day than it is to find Westerners misrepresenting the dharma. Many think it's simply about doing whatever you want or "going with the flow", paying no mind to the thousands of years of philosophical development. To fully grasp it, you absolutely must spend time around hereditary Daoists from places like China, or at least read about them. There is a big difference in how historical Daoists have practiced versus what people on the internet do.
I would stay away from books like the Tao of Pooh, or anything similarly named The Tao of [X] personally. They might be entertaining, but they are often not correct. For a beginner, I would instead recommend Seven Taoist Masters, translated by Eva Wong. It's a narrative, but it introduces many of the core ideas of a significant number of Daoists and requires less interpretation than do things like the DDJ.
For some information on Daoist practice in China, there are the Daoism chapters in The Souls of China by the journalist Ian Johnson.
Finally, if you are interested in something a little more dry and historical, take a look at Early Daoist Scriptures, which goes into many ideas that internet Daoists won't discuss. Things like spirit bureaucracy and mediation between realms.
Don't let yourself fall into the trap that many others do when approaching it, which is to arrogantly assume you know everything after reading a single book and are now in tune with the universe. Daoist ideas are just as rich as the Buddhist canon and the Western world desperately needs a more nuanced understanding of it.
Reading the most excellent A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong and working on many short (5 minute-ish) periods of zhan zhuang daily. Multiple short sessions seems to be more beneficial for me than one longer one, the latter of which I also have more resistance to actually doing.
How about his own personal translation of the DDJ?
https://www.amazon.com/Dao-Jing-Philosophical-Roger-Ames-ebook/dp/B003JPW0EW
Awesome question! I hope more people come to answer it. I'd like more sources myself. I know of two sources that might be useful though.
http://chinahistorypodcast.com/china-history-podcast-050-daoism-part-1-2
A student of Chinese history, Laszlo Mongtomery, involved in the region, runs a solid podcast about a lot of the widespread of Chinese history. He's done a couple episodes on Daoism. I do not think he completely covers all the nuance of topics, but it is hard to blame him for that, and he does a great job of giving historical summaries.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0812695631
A generally solid book that covers some of the history of Daoism, though it mostly focuses on the philosophy and meaning in Daoism and Daoist short stories.
That's all I have right now, but it is a start. You could probably find a lot of daoism sprinkled in the big books about general Chinese history. Of course those things often read drier than the desert and feel just as unending. Hope it helped.
First of all, can I just say how much I love giving and receiving book recommendations? I was a religious studies major in college (and was even a T.A. in the World Religions class) so, this is right up my alley. So, I'm just going to take a seat in front of my book cases...
General:
Christianity:
Judaism:
Islam:
Buddhism:
Taoism:
Atheism:
Zhuangzi. The Burton Watson translation is good, or the Victor Mair translation, titled Wandering on the Way.
Daoism does not get hung up on these western "existence" questions. Read Raymond Smullian's chapter "Does the Tao Exist" in his book The Tao is Silent.
edit: actually read chapters 3 ("Does the Tao Exist?") and 4 ("Yes, But does the Tao Exist?").
So I read #21... "Never stray from the Way" and the article's analysis of the meaning of this precept was "The way is your path. Your mission through life. You need to spend your life finding the beginning of your path. Then, the rest of your life walking as far as your feet will carry you."
This is an entirely inaccurate analysis of the precept. He was talking about "The Way" as described in Taoism.
https://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-taoist-influence-on-japanese-martial-arts-by-dota/
Check out that article.
If you are further interested let me recommend The Tao Te Ching as translated by Redpine. (It has many commentaries on each passage that help you understand the material.) Additionally and perhaps more important is the Chuang Tzu by Zhuangzhi. Here is a decent copy with commentary;
https://www.amazon.com/Zhuangzi-Essential-Selections-Traditional-Commentaries/dp/0872209113/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524947461&sr=1-24&keywords=Chuang+Tzu
It's very important to get editions with commentary because many of the concepts are very difficult to understand without the commentary explaining it owing to differences in language, culture, and time period.
Here is a quote from the Chung Tzu;
The Empty Boat:
Who can free himself of achievement and fame,
Then descend and be lost
Amidst the masses of men?
He will flow like Tao, unseen…
He will go about like life itself.
With no name and no home
Simple is he, without.
To all appearances he is a fool.
His steps leave no trace.
He has no power.
He achieves nothing.
He has no reputation.
Since he judges no one,
No one judges him.
Such is the perfect man.
His boat is empty.
— Chung Tzu
Daoism has been great for me. Maybe you'll like it too?
Check out:
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.
The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan
I've only just begun to go down the long rabbit hole of Ceremonial, but as far as Chaos or magnetizing money and work to you through the Law of Attraction, I can speak to that.
I've come to realize one of the major goals of the world's esoteric traditions is the flowering of the spinal force--all the prayer, fasting, meditation, Qi-gong, yoga, and even weirder or unlikelier practices such as sex magick and concentrating on Tarot cards can all be used to transmute and move excess sexual energy into a spiritual vitality that enlivens the physical and spiritual bodies. With enough of that vitality ("Qi," "Prana," etc.), multiple chakras can be charged and your auric space filled to the extent where you more fully exist in the physical, astral, and thought planes, more easily moving thoughts from their archetypal origin, through the astral, and into the physical.
Keep a journal where you admit your mistakes and give thanks for what you have. Challenge yourself to do acts of charity and to chant and fast and memorize scriptures or wise sayings. Write down what you want in detail, maybe even keeping a vision board. If you have a romantic partner, cuddle with him or her attentively. If not, then your best bet is probably an exercise such as the Northern Star Qi-gong found here:
https://www.amazon.com/Scholar-Warrior-Introduction-Everyday-Life/dp/0062502328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538854753&sr=8-1&keywords=scholar+warrior
Another source for a visualization exercise meant to accomplish the same (along with an excellent description of how the spinal force works in general) can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/Magdalen-Manuscript-Alchemies-Horus-Magic/dp/193103205X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538855051&sr=8-1&keywords=the+magdeline+manuscript
Funny enough, I mainly remember him for eastern philosophy -- specifically The Tao is Silent, which I really enjoyed in my teen years.
I like these types of quasi-historical/legendary books for the same reason that the Arthurian and Norse stories are so compelling, they're grounded in a kernel of truth.
https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Novel-China/dp/1590301765
The Tao of Physics Is a good one describing the parallels.
I appreciate your skepticism as I believe we all should be skeptics until we are proven otherwise.
I also believed for a very long time that the semen retention thing was bunk. Then it just so happened that I didn't ejaculate for an extended period (for reasons unrelated to Daoism) while still wanting to have sex, and noticed an unmistakable increase in attention span, concentration, and cognitive speed/power. It wasn't just a little bit, either; I'm talking about an increase such that others noticed too. I haven't done it again, but I no longer believe that this stuff about jing is totally baseless. One could think of very good evolutionary reasons why we (and other animals) might have developed a cognitive "bump" that only activates itself in males who desire sex but don't get to engage in it very often.
Anyway, that aside, no one's going to say that you're somehow deeply un-Daoist by not practicing semen retention. It's a practice that developed alongside other Daoist practices, some of which you would probably get something out of if it's the psychological and mental dimensions of Daoism that attract you. So don't throw out the baby with the esoteric bath water.
Also, these things (philosophical and "esoteric" or religious Daoism) cannot be easily separated. You mentioned the Yijing; it's a Bronze age divination manual dependent on cleromancy. Sounds pretty unscientific, right? Well, it is. But it's also the root of traditional Chinese philosophy, of which Daoism is just one branch. You can see the debt Laozi owes to the Yijing all throughout the Daodejing; here is a good example of how one can never fully appreciate the Daodejing without understanding the Yijing. The Daodejing is also clearly indebted to another "religious" Daoist text, the Neiye, which looks very much like a meditation manual with esoteric and mystical elements. The point is, trying to pull apart religious and philosophical Daoism is like explaining a joke or dissecting a frog; you can do it, but it just won't be the same thing afterward.
I have this book, it's great. On page 89, when it references the exact location of the lower elixir field being 1.2 -1.5 inches below the navel, do not take this point for granted and don't make assumptions on its location. Study this point carefully.
If you are into these kind of stories, I suggest reading Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master, by Deng Ming Dao. The stories and historical references are fantastic.
Since you are on the Daoist sub, I'll suggest your friend to research Quan Zhen Daoism one of the two majors schools of Daoism. One of its core tenants is "Three Teachings are One" refering to Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism mainly focusing on Daoism. But there aren't too many English resources on post Warring states Daoism but here's a really good book on Quan Zhen Daoism
https://www.amazon.com/Teachings-Practices-Quanzhen-Philosophy-Paperback/dp/0791460460
Also Chan Buddhism is heavily influenced by Daoism so he should look into that as well.
Eva Wong's Seven Taoist Masters is a great translation of Daoist folk novel from China.
Keep in mind that at that time, nobody was going around saying "I am a Taoist" or "I am part of the Confucian school" etc, because these distinctions were created by later generations as a way to categorize these philosophies. So you can find elements of Taoism in Confucianism, Legalism, or The Art of War. The ideas are more mixed together earlier than they came to be now. This book does a good job of describing that sort of concept.
You are a gullible and uncritical thinker because your opinion that the Tao of Physics presents a good argument implies your lack of critical thinking skills and familiarity with physics. I care not one whit about your spiritual education or your path of personal liberation, which as far as I am concerned, are completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. There is no interest in the topic because your response to any criticism is to go read the book, instead of specifically delineating the points which should, in theory, buttress your argument.
You also engage in ad hominem attacks the moment you get even mildly frustrated. It is incredibly insulting for you accuse Mitchellofire of being in high school, which also implies that high schoolers aren't critical thinkers, and mocking his most beautiful experience as his lost virginity behind the bleachers. You also accuse everyone here, myself included, of being "Bill Maher dick riders," mostly for disagreeing with you. You have made the mistake of assuming qualities about those who disagree with you that are simply untrue. That is why you are an ass.
What is Tao - Alan Watts
If you are looking to combat a rising sense of confusion in practicing chaotic magic and attempting to reach your best self, I cannot recommend Mair's translation of the Chuang Tzu (https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Way-Chuang-Tzu/dp/082482038X)
No book has better encapsulated the way to let go and just be....
Yo I think I know a book that maybe will help!
Here: "http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Shinto-Japans-Spiritual-Heart/dp/1568364377/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453875725&sr=8-2&keywords=shinto". It's called "The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart." It goes way deep into the philosophy of Shinto. I too noticed many similarities between Taoism and Shinto, in particular a reverence for Nature and naturalness as well as a belief in a single spiritual force or power (like Ch'i) that variously manifests as all the phenomena in the universe. There's also a surprisingly similar emphasis on meditation. I would totally check it out if I were you! Also, there's another book you may be interested in! It's called "Original Tao" and it's a modern translation and commentary of an ancient Taoist text (possibly pre-Lao Tzu) which deals heavily with both the concepts of Tao and Ch'i (and their unity, as both can be seen as the basis of all phenomena). I say this because, for me, Ch'i bridges the concepts of God/Spirit and Tao. Ch'i is related to consciousness, the afterlife and vitality, like Spirit, but like the Tao it is the basis of all existence. As someone interested in comparison religions, you may find that useful.
Here's the amazon link: "http://www.amazon.com/Original-Tao-Foundations-Mysticism-Translations/dp/0231115652"
Good luck on your spiritual studies!!
I'm not sure what you've read thus far, but the three most important books in the Daoist canon are, in generally agreed upon order:
> been mostly ignored in this forum
Mostly maybe, but not entirely. I purchased Original Tao last week on your recommendation. But I haven’t even cracked it open yet. I have done a little research on Daoist meditation online. I don’t have a ton of reading time but that’s high on my list.
The Tao is Silent by Raymond M Smullyan. I don't know much about Eastern philosophy, but based on that except it looks very interesting and relevant.
i don't know about answering your questions directly, but this book might be of use to you: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Tao-Foundations-Mysticism-Translations/dp/0231115652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549060546&sr=8-1&keywords=nei+yeh
Mountains! Well this is my area. As I wrote elsewhere here, Mountains are an absolutely core element of Daoism. The mountain men were absorbed/co-opted by the Daoists, who took on the mantle of the classic mountain ascetics. Buddhists had their share, and in fact many mountains were shared spaces by both Daoists and Buddhists (and remain so today).
Mountains were key elements in general chinese cosmology - they are the organs of the earth, they generate life-giving Qi - a metaphor for the minerals and water that pour out of the mountains. These qualities were enumerated and well understood by Daoists as they began developing mountain practice in the 4th-5th centuries. Mountains formed the basis of several major and minor sects, who all have a primary (and secondary and tertiary, etc) mountain. For the Shangqing Sect that was Mt. Mao.
But as I also wrote elsewhere in the AMA, mountains are a key part of all daoist practice, as one does not only ascend physical mountains, but also ascends internal mountains.
Add into this that the mountains house the cave heavens (洞天), and you have both the heights and the depths of the earth locked into Daoist geo-cosmology. The cave heavens were also real and imagined spaces. A daoist might physically travel into a cave below a mountain, but more often the daoist would simply discover the cave heaven within themselves, in meditation. The cave heavens were putatively connected to each other, forming a sacred geographical web across the entire landscape of imperial China. The mainlines of the web were between the 5 sacred peaks, the 10 greater cave heavens and the great mountains of the west, Kunlun and the east, Penglai.
For common people, the physical mountains were places they would take annual pilgrimages to, a practice that millions undergo to this day at Mount Tai, the sacred peak of the East.
But the mountains of Daoism also might enter a person's home, when a Daoist priest is called to perform a ritual at the home. There a miniature mountain is constructed by the Daoist - this kind of microcosmic sacred geography is described in detail in Rolf Stein's The World in Miniature.
That's all I have right now, I hope it is helpful.
Uhm to be honest I don't know any good resource, and I don't know much about that either.
The details might vary some depending on the context, my experience comes from Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Nei Gong. This Nei Gong book explains some of it, although it might not be easy for beginners.
It's nice as a confirmation of your own practice, but not so much as a learning resource. Kind of like the Tao Te Ching :p
I got this version of Zhuangzi that has a lot of added traditional commentary, along with good explanations of words like “Tao” and “Virtue” plus a lot of other stuff. I’ve only made it through the first chapter, since it’s a bit of a tough read, but it’s worth it.
This is the version I got: Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries (Hackett Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872209113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PbUBCbH8QN404
The Tao of Pooh wasn’t at all bad, it was actually pretty enjoyable :) if you’re not very familiar with the concepts of Wu Wei and the Uncarved Block, then it’s a great way to learn about those.
I recommend Wandering on the Way, it is a translation of the Zhuangzi and talks a lot about philosophical perspective. Also I recommend thinking, if you think you are a philosopher, and thinking is never a bad hobby.
You've made some excellent points. I don't read the metaphysical aspects as literal either, but as metaphors. (Although in a sense, the mind-body-energy interplay of Shen-Jing-Qi is being validated by modern science. This isn't to say that all references to Shen-Jing-Qi are correct.)
When I first read this text, which I do believe is the Harold Roth translation, my main takeaway was a newfound appreciation for the term De (Te). I actively seek out the word in other Taoist texts and read it with a new understanding. I'm going to quote from this website, but I would also recommend reading more about Roth's interpretations in Original Tao: Inward Training (Nei-yeh) and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism.
On De (Te): "One meaning could be: follow the path of an upright heart, perhaps our innate nature. The Chinese, Taoists in particular, believe that we are born pure and then corrupted in the process of growing up. Through self-cultivation practices, we attempt to return to te, our natural virtue.
In contrast to the traditional meaning that 'virtue' is innate, fixed and determined from birth, the Nei-yeh regularly implies that we strengthen te by exercising self-restraint. Further it is possible to interpret hsin, our heart-mind, to mean our innate inclinations, including our emotional tendencies.
Under this perspective, the ideogram suggests that te is the process of rectifying hsin in order to shape and regulate our innate tendencies. This shaping could include engaging in self-cultivation practices rather than becoming a victim of our emotions and desires. Te is the action, i.e. daily practices, of aligning hsin, i.e. making the heart-mind upright.
Both Tao and te include radicals that indicate an ongoing process rather than a state of being. Tao, as the Way of ideal self-cultivation practices, includes regularly exercising te, our self-restraint muscle, to shape our innate tendencies, hsin, in order to remain on the Path.
For fun, let’s take this journey yet one more step. According to the traditional view, te is an innate state that is developed through acts of cultivation etc. The inner power (te) developed in this fashion could be likened to charisma. The power of the person’s aura automatically harmonizes the surrounding world. The individual who possesses this charisma orders the world without doing anything (the essence of the Taoist concept of wu-wei, non-action within action).
Could te be both an innate state and a process? If so, the te process of restraint contributes to the te state of inner power. Te both enables and is enabled by the journey of being on course, Tao. From this perspective, te is both the state of ‘inner power’ that arises from the process of self-control and the process of self-control that gives rise to the state of inner power/charisma."
Hmm, I find Taoism to have slightly better books. Zen Buddhism and Taoism share a lot of things, but they're not the same.
Any book on Zen Koans will be awesome, especially if you understand that the point of a koan isn't to have an answer, but to provoke thought.
As for Taosim, Tao Te Ching is the obvious choice, but also check out "The Tao is Silent" and (no joke) "The Tao of Pooh"
Edit: Moving geographically West, I'd also highly recommend The Enchiridion and The Discourses by Epictetus, and The Meditiations by Marcus Aurelius. The Stoics have a lot in common with traditional Asian religions such as Taosim, Confucionism, and Buddhism when it comes to the ways they think.
Deng Ming Dao's Chronicle of the Dao is an excellent read.
Philip J. Ivanhoe's translation is very good, and it looks like there are some good translations online. However, I would warn you that although the language is simple, it isn't easy to understand the book without some context. It's worth studying, because even though the book is ancient it
has interesting ideas about how to live a natural life in a civilized society.
I recommend Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi for some context on who wrote the Laozi and why.
Ooh, and I just found a cool site that includes several translations, a good way to get various opinions on the text.
If you're looking for more of a story, [Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master] (https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190) is an amazing trilogy that anyone interested in the subject should read:
For the first time in one volume—an extraordinary spiritual odyssey of the making of the Taoist master Kwan Saihung. Born into a wealthy family in a remote province of China, Kwan defies his parents' wishes and enters into the rigorous and mysterious discipline of Taoist practice. Renamed "Little Butterfly" by his Taoist masters, he survives the upheaval of the Japanese occupation, and the later the Chinese Revolution, all the while becoming adept in the Taoist arts. Eventually his inner and outer journey lead him to America, where he becomes a Golden Gloves boxer and martial arts instructor.
Part adventure, part parable, Chronicles of Tao travels through a labyrinth of enigmatic Taoist practice, marital arts discipline, and international adventure.
No problem at all.
The texts I have are Moss Roberts' translation of the Daodejing, Ziporyn's translation of Zhuangzi, and then Ivanhoe and Van Norden's Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy.
The Ivanhoe/Van Norden book has the Daodejing and other works in it so it's probably not worth the money until you've gone through the Daodejing maybe (and want to compare translations), but if you're mostly just interested in the Zhuangzi strain of Daoism the Zhuangzi texts are probably more than enough. Though confusing, they're not quite as abstract as the Daodejing itself (and the commentary in Ziporyn's text helps a lot).
http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Jing-Book-Way-Laozi/dp/0520242211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301237538&sr=1-1 and
http://www.amazon.com/Zhuangzi-Essential-Selections-Traditional-Commentaries/dp/0872209113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301237406&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Readings-Classical-Chinese-Philosophy-Ivanhoe/dp/0872207803/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301237612&sr=1-1
For people that already have a daoist energy practice, I highly recommend reading Damo Mitchell's A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong. It is by far the most comprehensive text I've seen so far
There's also a section within it where it goes in depth with zhan zhuang/the wuji posture and highlights important pieces and theory, which I think most other texts don't bother to explain
Issues:
You would like to read - The Tao Of Physics
The author is talking about a psychological process that occurs subconsciously that, once understood, explains how well our actions (thoughts and reasons for action) rest in accordance with the nature of reality. For instance; in Buddhism "grasping" for sense objects or mental objects is a false way of attaining true happiness. We act under the assumption that if we could just attain enough (fame, fortune, praise, pleasure) we would be happy and content; sad fact is that no matter how much you attain, you will eventually lose it forever.
You can see also that it takes a certain kind of arrogance to pretend to be free of control from natural laws, and act rationally as a free agent, yet secretly know (instinctively) to be doomed to grow old and die and to perish from this earthly existence.
This is our real predicament. Earthly death is the end of all sense experience regardless of your belief in an afterlife; if its in some ethereal world that's not physical, well then, your not receiving physical sense impressions and therefore my original statement would be true. So no matter what religion you abide by, the fact that you will perish from this earthly existence and be without a body is TRUE.
You can see easily how well certain religious beliefs actually accomplish facing this fact courageously and with poise and dignity, without cowardice and a multitude of palliatives that can block access to the mind about adjacent perspectives on existence.
*Buddhism never lays claim to absolute values from either lay people or wise yogis. Buddhism simply states a (as if coming from a scientist) truth in the sentence, "all is impermanent". Buddhist teachers then tells us that to follow this line of thought to it's natural logical end is to be convinced of the imperative to live as though the statement is alive every day, and all the time (of course it takes many years practicing meditation).
I believe the psychological "research" conducted in the form of Buddhist practice and philosophy should be treated as invaluable to the rethinking of old western philosophic problems. Invaluable because it shares with us a perspective of the world that, once acknowledged, it's truth "value" beautifully and logically compliment adjacent perspectives and truth systems. Yes truth is subjective, but accepting this leads to a conjecture about the interacting of two truth groups.
There is good old John Chang, in the Magus of Java books. While John Chang is an interesting dude, don't expect anything practical from the books.
Chronicles of Tao is fiction, but an entertaining story. His writing is esoterically accurate in that he draws from other teachers. For example, the different planes described in Astral Dynamics are things he sees while in deep meditation. This absolutely blew my mind at the time until I read a little more about the guy who the books is about. Now I've come to the conclusion that he draws from other authors and teachers.
The author Hua Ching Ni writes a lot of books. He has an acupuncture school in Los Angeles called Yo San University. Some of his stuff is pretty esoteric, but not much practical instruction.
It's definitely worth it to learn some TCM theory.
I honestly haven't come across any good qigong books. I took a class with one of this guy's students, it had a good breadth of standard stances. The book would probably make a good introduction. I'm pretty sure that book is available online somewhere if you are willing to violate copyright laws.
I read a pdf of this book on Taoist Sorcery. It gave some insight to some of the esoteric spirit petitioning crazyness. A lot of ritual and burning of yellow paper.
Other than that it is a lot of meeting different teachers, learning their practices, then going home and working on that stuff. You shouldn't need to keep paying someone in order to keep practicing.
My favourite short non-fiction book (about 240 pages) is definitely The Tao is Silent.
[Task] Looking for Textbook. This is it Thus Spoke Laozi. Will pay 3$ for either pdf, .mobi, or .epub
Hey, I know I'm late, but I really recommend this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570624577/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1406661606&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
It's a lot more flowery and less of a literal translation, but I hear it captures the tone and style of the original much better than strictly literal translations.
Peaceful Warrior is a book about a college student who meets a master and learns the philosophical side of Kung Fu.
I have not yet read Scholar Warrior yet but its a book about applying Kung Fu to everyday life.
Here is good book on Chinese acupuncture, which is a very useful skill that can be used to either hurt or heal another person
I really like Chronicles of Tao. It's presented somewhat as a memoir but reads like fiction. True or false, I feel like it's a good read that deals directly with Taoism. If nothing else I love fantasizing about all the mountaintop temples in China.
https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=57593958193&hvadid=274693974231&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9031146&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15573932695288763874&hvtargid=kwd-323677046594&keywords=chronicles+of+tao&qid=1555740422&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Wow, huge URL, sorry.... but anyway that's the 3 books in one, or you can get the individual books as I suspect this one is abridged. Read the chronicles twice but on reading the individual books I feel there were moments not contained in the all in one, even though I want to say it claims to be unabridged. Kwan Sai Hung, the protagonist will stick with you... As will Grandmaster and Hua mountain in general... A truly luscious read.
[Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master] (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190)
I was in my "season of growth" and the read hit me all kinds in the right places. Not to take away from the great books listed here: the most informative or moving text will do nothing if you are not ready for the message.
Hmmm. seems I got preachy.
Apologies. Read on!
-asu
Upvote for mentioning Smullyan - I haven't thought of him in awhile. The Tao is Silen is a fun philosophical read.
The problem is that the Dao De Jing and other Daoist texts are not simple things to read. I would say that, yes, what Dao is is perfectly explained by the Dao De Jing, but only if you know how to read it. There are plenty of secondary sources out there providing commentary and alternate translations (because these things are never so straightforward) on the Dao De Jing. Personally, I would recommend the following two translations on the Dao De Jing, this one by Roger Ames and this one by Hans-Georg Moeller. Also, if you want a close reading of what Dao is I recommend you pick up Daoism Explained, also by Hans-Georg Moeller, a lot of which is freely available to read on Google Books. For the specific question you posted here, I would recommend reading section "The Wheel--An Image of the Dao" which begins on page 27 of Daoism Explained and is one of the sections freely available in the last link I provided. I hope this helps.
Edit: Just wanted to add that I've read a lot of books by different translators and commentators of Daoism, but Hans-Georg Moeller is by far my favorite for both clarity and correctness.
Beyond the obvious choices, Watts' The Book, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, Huxley's Doors of Perception, Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience, and of course Fear and Loathing (all of these should be on the list without question; they’re classics), here are a some others from a few different perspectives:
From a Secular Contemporary Perspective
Godel Escher Bach by Douglass Hofstadter -- This is a classic for anyone, but man is it food for psychedelic thought. It's a giant book, but even just reading the dialogues in between chapters is worth it.
The Mind’s Eye edited by Douglass Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett – This is an anthology with a bunch of great essays and short fictional works on the self.
From an Eastern Religious Perspective
The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan -- This is a very fun and amusing exploration of Taoist thought from one of the best living logicians (he's 94 and still writing logic books!).
Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani – This one is a bit dense, but it is full of some of the most exciting philosophical and theological thought I’ve ever come across. Nishitani, an Eastern Buddhist brings together thought from Buddhist thinkers, Christian mystics, and the existentialists like Neitzsche and Heidegger to try to bridge some of the philosophical gaps between the east and the west.
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (and Garfield's translation/commentary is very good as well) -- This is the classic work from Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the millennium and is arguably the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself.
From a Western Religious Perspective
I and Thou by Martin Buber – Buber wouldn’t approve of this book being on this list, but it’s a profound book, and there’s not much quite like it. Buber is a mystical Jewish Philosopher who argues, in beautiful and poetic prose, that we get glimpses of the Divine from interpersonal moments with others which transcend what he calls “I-it” experience.
The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – this is an old book (from the 1500s) and it is very steeped in Christian language, so it might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is perhaps the seminal work of medieval Christian mysticism.
From an Existentialist Perspective
Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre – Not for the light of heart, this existential novel talks about existential nausea a strange perception of the absurdity of existence.
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – a classic essay that discusses the struggle one faces in a world inherently devoid of meaning.
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I’ll add more if I think of anything else that needs to be thrown in there!
Seven Taoist Masters is a great and entertaining read: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590301765
Sounds like a great place to start, I would also suggest reading Chuang-Tzu as a good followup to the TTC as well as picking up another copy of the TTC by a different translator. There is also a recommended reading list in the sidebar. The books are not overly expensive but there are free ebooks available in places if you'd rather save the money.
Edit: Also, because it has helped me so much, I would recommend trying some breathing meditation.
You might enjoy this
The western view of knowledge is not all there is. You are right about the big bang, but your mode of thinking isn't correct (you aren't wrong, but there is another way of looking at things, which I'm trying to get at). I was vague because that's all I can be. What is the biggest question there is? Why does the universe exist? As opposed to just not existing? Why, as opposed to why not?
I think this book is relevant to this:
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Anniversary/dp/1570625190
Oh man, I could recommend so many.
Kung Fu and Taoism:
The Making of a Butterfly is one of my favorite books. It is about a white kid who starts learning Kung Fu out of a Chinese master's basement back in the 70s, well before Kung Fu was popularized in the West.
Chronicles of Tao by Deng Ming Dao is excellent, a narrative perspective of how Taoism intertwines with the life of a Kung Fu practitioner.
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly is an entertaining and illuminating story that disseminates a lot of the mysticism surrounding the Shaolin Temple.
The Crocodile and the Crane is a fun fictional book that is basically about Tai Chi saving the world from a zombie apocalypse.
My next goal is to tackle The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Of course, I highly recommend the Tao Te Ching and the Art of War as well.
Buddhism: I highly recommend anything Thich Nhat Hanh. Anger and Peace is Every Step are two of my favorites.
Karate and Japanese Arts:
Moving Toward Stillness by Dave Lowry is one of my favorite books, taken from his columns in Black Belt Magazine over the years. A really excellent study on Japanese arts and philosophy.
Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings by Kenji Tokitsu is wonderful. It includes the Book of Five Rings as well as some of Musashi's other works, including many of his paintings.
The 47 Ronin, by John Allyn, a dramatization of the Genroku Ako Incident, is still quite poignant in 2016.
Here are some that haven't been recommended:
Yang is very scientific. Deng is practical, some of his other books are more spiritual and one chronicles his master's life and more like a crazy novel. Frantzis is also quite practical and most informative regarding martial arts. All three have classic understanding of Chinese medicine, haven't come across any new age BS in their writing.
Each author has other books that you should look into.
For less metaphysics, and more physics, I highly recommend The Tao Of Physics
No anger here! Just deep love for Chuang Tzu. ❤️ I highly recommend you find a good translation and experience this sublime work yourself. There is no substitute. ETA this is my favorite, FWIW
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Chuang-Tzu-Sam-Hamill/dp/1570624577/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?keywords=chuang+tzu&qid=1563981579&s=gateway&sr=8-12
but of course opinions vary.
I have always been partial to Wandering on the Way, Victor Mair's quite good, rather droll translation of the Zhuangzi. I actually wound up quoting parts of it in a novella I wrote.
I'm glad you found some sense of solace in my story and advise. And i gladly read your rant. Which i dont see as a rant because it was well thought out and and informative. I also know what you mean about the codependency and your life being put on hold until she contacts youNow that being said where do i begin....I think i will first adress your priorities and goals, then the tao te ching, then i will bring it all together.
what i meant that in true love the one you love is more important than your goals but not more important than yourself. When i say you must love the other more than your goals what i mean by that is. Is the goals that dont make you, a better version of yourself, you can cast aside for your beloved. For example if training to win a gold medal is getting in the way of your relationship. Cast aside your attempt at glory, it will do you no good. If training to be a better healthier more loving calm version of yourself gets in the way of your relationship. Try and work the relationship around it. Because something you do which betters yourself should never get in the way of your relationship.
Regarding the tao te ching specifically. What i got from it was a sense of calmness and a philsophy which will allow me to better myself while bettering the world around me. that being said "the eternal tao is not the tao which can be spoken"...tao translates somewhat as "the way". One can interpret this as meaning the advice telling you how to do things can never be the advice for all situations. That being said. Everytime one reads the entire tao te ching in its entirety (its about an hour long read) one can sort of feel the tao rather than know it mentally. (There is a difference). Now regardining chi gong, chi gong is based off of daoism which comes mostly from the tao te ching and another book written by Lao Tzu's disciple. All these teachings will make one a better person. But one must practice them on a daily basis. Kind of like how one must eat everyday to maintain the body. One must practice things everyday which maintains the mind.
To draw this all together. That which is good for you and makes you a happier productive person that spreads happiness to others, is also good for the world. I will give you a few bits of advice if you want to go down the taoist path (i mean the philosophy more than the religion. i dont practice the distorted religion that sprouted from it).
6.Yeah i really dont know what else to say i have said a lot. not sure if you want more of my story and personal journey. Because as bad as your situation sounds. I have been in your boat and gotten back together with a girl, and the situation im in right now is even worse but im pretty sure in the future at sometime i can get back with the woman i love the most in the world, of the woman i've met if i improve myself.
Links 1.(the tao te ching) http://www.taoism.net/ttc/complete.htm
\2.The only good chi gong i found online. Very simple. focus on your breathing while you do it every morning. Your habits make you who you are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-E9vJFAj98
3. books to read. Embryonic breathing http://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Meditation-Embryonic-Yang-Jwing-Ming/dp/1886969736
4. the 7 taoist masters. http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590301765
last piece of advice is just to reiterate. your habits make you who you are. not your accomplishments.
Good luck (: Let me know if theres anything more you want me to tell you or share. Or if you have any questions (:
oh also the girl i got back with...she came back to me. in my opinion its ok to talk to the mutual friend but not to your ex. until your ex acts like she wants to talk to you. but if you havent gotten yourself together to the point where you feel you can live without her, maybe not as happy as with her, but still happy. Just tell her you are working on yourself, and you dont feel ready to talk.
this one
but seriously, you want taoism, you should read zhuangzi. it actually is a very good counterpoint to nietzsche. though i wouldn't call it necessarily more positive, i also wouldn't call nietzche negative.
nietzche believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you gotta start somewhere, start with your ability to affect the world around you (will-to-power), combine that with context, and forge your own path.
zhuangzi believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you can step back and look at all the different ways to approach situations, people, life and death. once you've taken stock of the context and the options, choose the path that makes the most sense and don't be afraid to change your mind.
neither are really negative, but because they start skirting with absolute relativism they get misunderstood as though they just stayed in that abyss the whole time.
imho, z&taomm is only as juvenile as the dao de jing, his ideas on quality are superb, but underdeveloped and underexplained.
pretty oversimplified, but i'm a couple beers in after hiking all day... best i can do
all this being said, zarathustra is more than enough for six days, read for one minute, ponder for two. otherwise it's not making sense or you're making bad assumptions.
Read this book:
Sitting in Oblivion: The Heart of Daoist Meditation
https://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Oblivion-Heart-Daoist-Meditation/dp/1931483167
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Silent-Raymond-M-Smullyan/dp/0060674695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504067045&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+is+silent