Taoism Books - Page 3

A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Text of Principles, Craft, Skill and S

Miyamoto Musashi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 116 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This classic book of strategy is now available on cd
Miyamoto Musashi was renowned in his own time as an invincible warrior, a master artisan, an author, and philosopher. Today, his philosophy is still revered by the Japanese and used as a guide for daily decision-making—and business strategy. He wrote A Book of Five Rings not only as a thesis on doing battle, but also as a way to approach and live all aspects of life—“any situation where plans and tactics are used.” When A Book of Five Rings first appeared on North American bookshelves in 1974, its message took the business community by storm. It provided insight into the then-emerging Japanese influence and offered a new way to think about business. It instantly became a vital tool for assured success and has remained so ever since.The principles in this work are as true today as they were over 300 years ago, and are as valid for business negotiations as for hand-to-hand combat. Based in the principles of Zen and advocating a hands-on approach to mastering the skills for winning, A Book of Five Rings is very likely the most perceptive guide to strategy ever written.

Awaken Healing Energy Through Tao

Mantak Chia

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Read "Taoist Yoga:: Alchemy and Immortality" instead, or also! 1 out of 5 stars.
16 of 21 people found this review helpful.

If you want to understand what Taoist meditation is all about, and help yourself avoid the many dangerous obstacles of this very unique and wonderful - yet very serious - practice, you should at least read the book i suggested, as well. I can see people are deriving some benefit from Chia's book, but just from reading the table of contents and the first few pages, I can honestly recommend that you should study the methods of cultivating essential nature and eternal life from an immortal master of the advanced training methods, which Chia speaks of in the sample. The benefits you will derive from Charles Luk's translation of "The methods of cultivating essential nature and eternal life," called "Taoist Yoga..." will far surpass anything you will attain from Chia's, and incidentally help you avoid the many potential problems that can develop in this type of spiritual training. There are also some misconceptions about Taoist meditation in Chia's book that I can see right off the bat, and if you take my word, and check out Luk's book, you will at least be able to practice Chia's more effectively, and less dangerous! Take this sincere advice from someone who hasn't read but the first few pages of Chia's book, but who has actual first hand experience with the TRUE (complete, as opposed to Chia's incomplete) mechanisms of the generative force, vitality, spirit, the microcosmic orbit, and the original cavity of spirit, etc., etc., etc.. One thing I can't tell from the book is whether the whole method is based on turning back the flow of generative fluid, which is what real Taoist meditation is based on. One definite gross misconception that is readily available to view in the sample of Chia's is that Taoist meditation is not dependent on stopping the flux of thoughts in your mind while practicing. If you are TRULY SERIOUS about spiritual growth, progress, and prolonging and enjoying your life, then you must obtain and study Luk's book (AT LEAST as a companion to this one), which also warns against taking advice from the wrong guide, on numerous occasions. If you are NOT serious about attaining the many wonderful benefits that this advanced training method can give, I suggest you not practice Tao Yoga at all, and focus on something less serious for now. Those are my sincerest words, and I stand by them. I feel a responsibility to at least tell you my perspective, so you can make a more intelligent, wise decision.

Editorial Review:

This unique and comprehensive book reveals the Taoist secret of circulating Chi, the generative life force, through the acupuncture meridians of the body. Illustrated with detailed diagrams that aid the development of a powerful energetic flow, for psychological and spiritual health and balance.

The Te of Piglet

Benjamin Hoff

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Hoff Sounds Like the Biggest Eeyore of Them All... 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Te of Piglet started off innocent enough, why with cute characters and even cuter writing how could this turn out bad? Don't get comfortable just yet! Before I knew it, I was being bombarded by Hoff's complaints about the Western world and its wretched politics. Oh how the West has lost its way--or rather, never knew the way to begin with! This is NOT a spiritually informative book, it is a compilation of Hoff's frustrations with the Western world, in particular, America. He makes it a point to vilify Eeyore who, to my knowledge, was always a lovable, albeit, depressive character. Furthermore, on the one hand, Hoff criticizes China's authoritarian government and on the other, he praises them, saying "these people know something" when referring to the country's tree planting policy. Perhaps it isn't that the Chinese are so wise and forward thinking that they know to instill tree-planting into children's hearts but rather that China has some of the worst desertification problems on this planet and that the Gobi Desert grows by the size of three Englands a year! Don't buy Hoff's political rants either because a few of his opinions are uninformed. Lovers of the Tao of Pooh, be forewarned, this does not deserve to be called its companion book. After I completed the Te of Piglet, I found it hard to take anything from Hoff seriously again. Aside from lacking the spirit of Taoism, the book is just plain disorganized. I am still wondering, "what was the point of all that?"

Editorial Review:

In The Te of Piglet, a good deal of Taoist wisdom is revealed through the character and actions of A. A. Milne's Piglet. Piglet herein demonstrates a very important principle of Taoism: The Te-a Chinese word meaning Virtue-of the Small.

Chi Self-Massage: The Taoist Way of Rejuvenation

Mantak Chia

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Energetic massage techniques that dispel negative emotions, relieve stress, and strengthen the senses, internal organs, and nervous system

• Shows how Chi Massage employs one’s own internal energy to promote rejuvenation

• Presents Chi Massage techniques for every organ and bodily system

• Provides a daily practice routine that requires only 5 to 10 minutes to complete

The Western concept of massage primarily concerns muscle manipulation. In the practice of Chi Massage, internal energy, or Chi, is manipulated to strengthen and rejuvenate the sense organs--eyes, ears, nose, tongue, teeth, and skin--and the internal organs. The Taoist techniques in this practice are more than 5,000 years old and, until very recently, were closely guarded secrets passed down from master to student with each master often knowing only a small part of the complete method.

In Chi Self-Massage Master Mantak Chia pieces together the entire system of Chi Massage into a logical routine, revealing the methods used by Taoist masters to maintain their youthfulness. He explains the energetic theory behind Chi Massage and how negative emotions affect the organs and nervous system. By practicing the exercises outlined and following the daily routine that requires only 5 to 10 minutes to complete, readers can strengthen their senses--most notably vision, hearing, and taste--detoxify their internal organs and glands, help control negative emotions, relieve stress and constipation, and improve their complexion, teeth and gums, and overall stamina.

Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon (New Testament Guides for Everyone)

Tom Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

WOW 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Tom Wright is amazing. He changed my Theology in Seminary (in a good way as "N.T." Wright and when he came to speak to Asbury) and now he amazes me with this easy to read and even easier to understand commentary set. I have only bought this one book, but will be saving up (as only a new pastor can) for the entire commentary set. Please find this book. Read page 100-104 about the mind of Christ (Philippians 2.5-11) section and realize how changed your life will be after reading this book. Thank you Tom! and God bless everyone who reads this review. (I hope it encourages you to find it in a librabry or book store, read it, and judge it for yourself)

Editorial Review:

Making use of his true scholar's understanding, yet writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Tom Wright captures the dauntless power of these letters. They were written by Paul while in prison facing the possibility of imminent death, yet burn with undimmed passion. Paul seeks to help direct the growing faith where his influence might prove crucial, and writes a very personal letter to a slave-owner on behalf of a runaway.

The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention

Robert Temple

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Revised, full-color illustrated edition of the multi-award-winning, international bestseller that charts the unparalleled and astounding achievement of ancient China

• Brings to life one hundred Chinese “firsts” in the fields of agriculture, astronomy, engineering, mathematics, medicine, music, technology, and warfare

• Based on the definitive work of the world’s most famous Sinologist, Joseph Needham (1900-1995), author of Science and Civilisation in China

• Organized by field, invention, and discovery for ease of reference

Undisputed masters of invention and discovery for 3,000 years, the ancient Chinese were the first to discover the solar wind and the circulation of the blood and even to isolate sex hormones. From the suspension bridge and the seismograph to deep drilling for natural gas, the iron plough, and the parachute, ancient China’s contributions in the fields of engineering, medicine, technology, mathematics, science, transportation, warfare, and music helped inspire the European agricultural and industrial revolutions.

Since its original publication, The Genius of China has won five literary awards in America and been translated into 43 languages. Its Chinese edition, The Spirit of Chinese Invention, was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education for use in connection with the national secondary curriculum in China. Based on the immense, authoritative scholarship of the late Joseph Needham, the world’s foremost scholar of Chinese science, and including a foreword by him, this revised full-color illustrated edition brings to life the spirit and excitement of the unparalleled achievements of ancient China.

Manual of Zen Buddhism

Daisetz, Teitaro Suzuki, D, T Suzuki

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Setting out 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 31 people found this review helpful.

To find your way home, you must leave the house.

Many have sought the path, as illustrated within this book.

In the west all roads lead to Rome, but not all paths lead to enlightenment...

To hear, we must listen - this book sets out to lend an Eastern voice to the Western ear and express the thoughts behind the words.

Zen Manual 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This was fully intended to be an actual Zen manual, full of liturgy, ritual and explanations. D.T. Suzuki, the preimminent and enthusiastic ordained Japanese Zen Scholar, presents the subject matter as always with perfect confidence and numerous flying sparks.

Good book to have on hand if learning how to perform formal Japanese Zen liturgy or hosting your own sittings.

Editorial Review:

The Manual of Zen Buddhism, written by author and essayist Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, is a work that was instrumental and spreading far eastern philosophy to the west. As stated by the author, the object of this book, is to inform the reader of the various literary materials relating to the monastery life. Foreign students often express their desire to know about what the Zen monk reads before the Buddha in his daily service, where his thoughts move in his leisure hours, and what objects of worship he has in the different quarters of his institution. This work will satisfy their desire.

Tao: The Watercourse Way

Alan Watts, Al Chung-liang Huang

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Master 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book, true to Alan Watts' spirit and style. A perfect choice for a westerner interested in eastern concepts, as are all of Alan's books and lectures. If you've never read Alan Watts, you're missing out on one of the brilliant minds of our time.

Tao The Water Course Way 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was the first book on Taoism that I ever read 30 years ago and it blew me away. I connected so much with this book the Tao. I strongly support this book in a big way.

An excellent introduction, and more, on Zen 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An excellent introduction, and more, on Zen. I've read several books on Zen, and Alan Watts' book was the easiest for me to understand. If you have found Zen difficult, I suggest that you try this book. The illustrations by Al Chung-liang Huang are beautiful and expressive of Zen.

I had to buy it again! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am what you would call a spiritual seeker. I've delved into many different faith traditions. I became interested in Taoism when I was about 15. It was the first philosophy I ever looked into. Since then I've moved on but this book was instrumental in my understanding of the Tao.

I have lent this book to a few of my more "serious" friends and they didn't like it. But I still love Alan Watts wry sense of humor and erudite understanding of the essentials of Taoist practice. I actually lent this book and never got it back, but I liked it so much I had to buy another copy!

The book itself is broken into five sections. Alan even goes so far as to describe the pronunciation of the Wade-Giles system of Chinese.

The introduction talks about the origins of Chinese language and basic Chinese attitudes. He then goes on to explain four of the main tenets of philosophical Taoism, namely Yin-Yang Polarity, Tao, Wu-Wei (Non-Action), and Te (Virtue).

And as an added bonus Al Chung-liang Huang adds his "grass style" Chinese calligraphy of phrases from the book!

This book has shown me how to go in with the whirl and out with the swirl, as Alan so aptly puts it. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Taoism that wants a good Western view of it.

Other books by Watts I'd recommend are "Cloud-hidden Whereabouts Unknown" and "The Wisdom of Insecurity." He definitely has the feel of it--I think others can get it too with his easy-going style.

Editorial Review:

Drawing on ancient and modern sources, Watts treats the Chinese philosophy of Tao in much the same way as he did Zen Buddhism in his classic The Way of Zen. Critics agree that this last work stands as a perfect monument to the life and literature of Alan Watts.

The Way of Chuang Tzu (Shambhala Library)

Thomas Merton

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Deforming the dao 3 out of 5 stars.
15 of 19 people found this review helpful.

There are a plethora of translations of Chinese classics out there, but please know that many of these "translations" are just "re-imaginings" of the original, i.e. the authors usually do not know Classical Chinese (let alone modern Chinese!).

Merton is one such "translater". This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as one is aware that this does not strictly reflect the original text (although it may resemble it). What we have here is a picking over of existing translations of the Chuang-tzu and a recombination of them. This is often done with some artistic licence.

Merton is better than most in that he is somewhat sensitive to the original material. Things get vastly worse with translations of the Daodejing (for example, Ursula le Guins monstrous butchering). If you want a more accurate account of the Chuang-tzu then I recommend A.C. Grahams' expert translation which is a relatively successful facsimile of the Chinese original (given the difficulty of rendering Chinese into English anyway).

Editorial Review:

Chuang Tzu—considered, along with Lao Tzu, one of the great figures of early Taoist thought—used parables and anecdotes, allegory and paradox, to illustrate that real happiness and freedom are found only in understanding the Tao or Way of nature, and dwelling in its unity. The respected Trappist monk Thomas Merton spent several years reading and reflecting upon four different translations of the Chinese classic that bears Chuang Tzu's name. The result is this collection of poetic renderings of the great sage's work that conveys its spirit in a way no other translation has and that was Merton's personal favorite among his more than fifty books. Both prose and verse are included here, as well as a short section from Merton discussing the most salient themes of Chuang Tzu's teachings.

BECOME WHAT YOU ARE - POCKET (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

Alan W. Watts

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

We are all centered in the Tao- we have but to realize it. 5 out of 5 stars.
59 of 60 people found this review helpful.

For such a small book there is an incredible quantity of wisdom here to contemplate. The essays included in this collection are all from Watt's work in the 50's. It becomes clear that this man was not merely ahead of his time- he was beyond time.

The Paradox of Self-Denial: This first essay sets the tone for the collection. It is framed around the intuition that "He who loseth his soul shall find it." It is pointed out that the seeker that consciously tries to transcend the world, and his own conscious ego, shall never do so. It is only when ego has truly, deeply, experienced defeat, failure, and despair that true transcendence is ever reached. And perhaps not even then, for it comes from beyond the self and is far from predictable.

Become What You Are: This essay deals with the concept of the enlightened man as a mirror. This involves grasping nothing/ refusing nothing and receiving all/ keeping nothing. This is detachment from future and past to live in an eternal Now. We are all centered in the infinite Tao- we have all but to recognize it.

The Finger and the Moon: One of his most famous essays, it deals with not mistaking religion for the ultimate goal of religion. Once you cross the river, don't try to carry the raft with you on your back.

Importance: Deals with the fact that the importance of things has nothing to do with their permanence or duration. Value is in quality and not quantity. The tiniest part of the universe contains that universe in microcosm- and fully participates in the whole.

Tao and Wu-Wei: Watts addressed the concept of Wu-Wei long before it became fashionable. This is what works and moves in harmony with nature without having to be forced. Your heart does this- so would your mind if you let it. You just have to get out of your own way. A life, or a society, totally balled-up in rigid self-control and self-consciousness must eventually fail. Wu-Wei means to live with your center outside of this trap.

Lightness of Touch: Deals with not taking the world of Maya, or yourself, too seriously. The real world is the play of the spirit.

Birds in the Sky: Describes the path of the sage as paradoxically both in harmony with the world, as well as detached from it (in the world but not of it.) Points out that almost all western thought rebels against this as pessimism and nihilism.

Walking on the Wheel: Examines the ideal life as 1) stillness, calm, and immovability, and as 2) dancing with the flow of life. Resolves the seeming conflict as a question of relative perception.

The Language of Metaphysical Experience: Examines how modern logical philosophy (scientific empiricism and logical positism) simply ignores metaphysical and spiritual issues as "meaningless." Points out that such philosophers have no idea what reality is. Shows how materialists are ego driven types who are driven to order and control- and ignore anything that doesn't fit.

Good Intentions: Shows how good intentions in and of themselves are not necessarily good- if they are based on ignorance, laziness, incompetence, or misplaced desire.

Birth of the Divine Son: Once again, long before it was popular Watts recognized that the symbolism of the Christ long preceded Christianity. The Universal power of the symbol of Spirit entering into union with matter is examined. Also dealt with is the concept of the Second Birth- of the potential for unregenerate man becoming Christ.

Even the cover of this book is a spiritual lesson, with its mirror at the center of the mandala, that we may glimpse our Self at the center of creation.

Editorial Review:

The intelligence, playfulness of thought, and directness of language that made Alan Watts a perennially popular interpreter of Eastern thought are delightfully displayed in this collection of 11 short essays. Here he discusses a broad range of topics, including the Taoist approach to harmonious living and the psychological symbolism in Christian thought.