Best of
Taoism

2015

Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment


Ilchi Lee - 2015
    But Tao cannot fully be explained in words; it can only felt and experienced. Tao is something you live, day by day, moment by moment. It s the omnipresent oneness beyond ephemeral phenomena that expresses itself in everything. New York Times bestselling author Ilchi Lee, an enlightened Tao master from South Korea, has laid out a path to living Tao everyday. Along this path, he guides you to an understanding of the meaning of birth, death, and everything in between, building a foundation for living a complete and whole life. The universal principles contained in "Living Tao: Timeless Principles for Everyday Enlightenment" stem from the Korean practice of Sundo, an ancient tradition of mind-body training, as well as Lee s own life experience. With these tangible principles, Ilchi Lee makes this profound topic simple and accessible. "Living Tao" has an unparalleled depth in its simplicity that anyone can absorb and immediately apply. * 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Winner, Bronze, Body, Mind & Spirit"

The Tao of Happiness


Derek Lin - 2015
    He was the sage who stood apart from all others in Chinese history. He was a unique presence, a great mind like no one before or since. Chuang Tzu quickly distinguished himself and became well known for his deep understanding and sense of humor. His mastery was such that he could explain the Tao with simple stories, and his humor was such that he could see the joy in ordinary things. He taught his students about “carefree wandering”—the path of moving through life with a free and happy heart, regardless of how turbulent the journey might be. It is time for modern readers to join in on the fun. Chuang Tzu’s wisdom is not just for Eastern culture, but for all of humanity. We may not have the instability or the clash of massive armies indicative of Chuang Tzu’s time, but we have a lot of stress and tension in our modern world. Many of us find ourselves fighting little battles on the personal front just to get through the day. We can benefit greatly from Chuang Tzu’s teachings. These parables are presented throughout this book and juxtaposed with the charming and intelligent prose of modern-day Taoist teacher and author Derek Lin. Together, Chuang Tzu and Lin will present you with simple lessons that will have a lasting impact on your life.

ALL IS WELL IN THE GREAT MESS: An Adaptation of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi with Reflections


Scott P. Bradley - 2015
    These chapters are thought to be the work of the 4th Century BCE Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). Although traditionally regarded as a Daoist, his philosophy is in fact quite different from that of other proto-Daoist philosophers of his time and what is generally understood as Daoism today. Most significantly, he eschewed all metaphysical speculation in favor of taking our obvious not-knowing as his irremediable point of departure. Nor did he envision any need for the salvation of the individual, humanity or the cosmos. All is ultimately well by virtue of its being at all and we can, therefore, entrust ourselves to whatever the Mystery “is” and to whatever befalls us in life and in death. The apparent messiness of things (from the human point of view) can thus be playfully wandered in without fear of loss. The vicissitudes of life become the opportunity for our soaring freedom, rather than things that impinge upon it. In this way Zhuangzi’s dao affirms all things and all human interpretations of them. Yet, taking human happiness and flourishing as his highest value, he also suggests a path to its fullest realization and critiques those daos that fail to do so. His analysis of the human experience and his suggested response to it presents a non-religious, though deeply mystical, philosophy of life that is as relevant today as it was more than two millennia ago.Zhuangzi is known for his purposeful ambiguity, playfulness and perplexing irony. This adaptation is an attempt to clarify some of his message and to illuminate the continuity between the many apparently disparate vignettes that make up most of the text. As such, it understands that it is but one possible interpretive exercise and does not believe itself to be definitive. Though the reader will likely find a great deal upon which to ruminate in this adaptation, she or he is also encouraged to grapple with Zhuangzi as found in more literal translations.