TAOISM -&--&- TheWayofVirtue

The Tao Speaks: Lao-Tzu’s Whispers of Wisdom by Tsai Chih Chung

Anchor Books, 1995. This book contains cartooned illustrated workings of the Tao Te Ching in action. It is very simple to convey the message clearly through the illustrations of Lao Tzu’s teachings. The teachings include: wu wei, P’u, simplicity, Yin and Yang, etc. There includes how to pronounce each of the Chinese words correctly and an incredibly in depth writing on the origin of the Tao Te Ching.

Zhuangzi Speaks: The Music of Nature by Tsai Chih Chung

Press, 1992. This book contains cartooned illustrated workings of the book Zhuangzi. The simplicity of the drawings conveys the message clearly through the illustrations of Zhuangzi teachings. The teachings include: Change, the usefulness of uselessness, and humorous stories on valuable daily lessons. There includes how to pronounce each of the Chinese words correctly and an incredibly in depth biography on Zhuangzi the Taoist sage.

Taoist Meditation: Methods for Cultivating a Healthy Mind and Body Trans. by Thomas Cleary

This book is a compilation of several Taoist books on how to meditate and what to meditate on. The range of this books, editations range from sitting meditation to walking meditations, as well as how to empty the head of many preconceived ideas. The idea behind is to have a person act with full virtue with out judging a person on subjective values, such as good/bad, smart/dumb, etc.

Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu: Trans. by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English

This incredibly written translation of the Tao Te Ching is more than just a bunch of beautifully written words…but a bunch of beautifully taken photos, as well. This specific translation cuts no slack and really tightens the translations of the Chinese characters into the simplest and most effect meanings. This certain translation has a unique feel to it as you can almost hear Lao Tzu speak from the pages of the text, with his wise, calm and sometimes passionate voice. The Tao Te Ching contains 81 verses broken into two sections, The Way (Tao) and Virtue (Te).

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

This incredibly sharp and cleverly written book takes a look at the remarkable similarities of the famous character, Winnie the Pooh and a wizened Taoist sage. It goes into great depth about the concepts such as wu wei and P’u, which is strikingly the same sounding word for “Pooh”. It integrates many simple stories from A. A. Milne, while seemingly explaining difficult to grasp Taoist concepts. It concludes that perhaps A. A. Mine’s, A Thousand Acre Forest, was heavily influenced by the Taoism philosophy.

Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance by C. Alexander Simpkins and Annellen M. Simpkins

This book, give a clear showing of how to integrate the many concepts of Taoism into your daily life. It talks about topics ranging from meditation to Tai Chi. It also give a clear history about the main people who influence Taoism through out the ages. It goes into some length on the concepts of Yin and Yang, as well as, Te (virtue).

Tao Paths: Harmony by Solala Towler

This book is a collection of several short stories, aphorisms, quotes, and explanations on various Taoist concepts. The book allows for simple concepts to be easily read, with out discouraging reader with large paragraphs. It covers a wide range of topics that can be found in Taoism, such as meditation and the un-carved block. One concept that stands out in the book is called Wuwei. This translates into doing with out doing. This does not mean not doing anything at all but rather working with change rather than acting against it; basically achieving with out striving.

Tao: The Watercourse Way by Alan Watts

This was the last work of Alan Watts. It contains several pages of beautifully drawn calligraphy and goes into a very comprehendible explanation of Taoism. The profoundness of Chinese calligraphy is explained in depth. The way that Chinese characters can mean so much, with only saying very little is a great example behind the philosophy behind Taoism.

Lieh~Tzu: A Taoists Guide to Practical Living by Eva Wong.

This book contained stories by the Taoist sage Lieh Tzu. The way in which Eva Wong translates allows the reader to easily flow with the ancient text. There is not much that is confusing in the book, except for maybe the deeper meaning of some of the stories. The stories range from sages to kings all containing a pearl of wisdom. One such concept from this text is about personal freedom. Personal freedom is seen as one of the most important things we have in life. When we are limited by social norms and reputation our personal freedoms become limited. We should move past these selfish acts and live by our standards and not be bossed about. This does not mean that one should do what he want when he wants, one should know when enough is enough, or you will have nothing.