Taoist Wisdom: Daily Teachings from the Taoist Master

It seems to me that the definition of "true" taoism is somewhat controversial. This is the first book on tao that I have read so clearly my knowledge on taoism is limited...so I can't tell you if this book is a good book about taoism; all I can say is that it is a beautiful, simple, calming, and thought-provoking read.

I'm aboard a navy ship right now at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom...and I have this book back at home but the memory of many of it's passages are still with me and still provokes my thought and inner peace. The pictures go great with it...it goes with wisdom that we must start with inner peace individually at first...and then it will go to the world. Because you can use these every day to make your life experience mean something more and to let go more and more as you enter a calm, gentle flow that surrounds you and is within.I don't know how scholarly it is, but who cares? It doesn't matter whether Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, or Confucious lived or not does it? Not according to them...what matters is that we listen to the wisdom within and practice daily to gain compassion and live in peace.

This is one of my favourite ways to center after a long, nasty day. I can spend hours flipping through these pages. The excerpts from various Eastern works all have the basic Tao theme to them, even if they are not all lifted directly from the Tao Te Ching or the Ways of Chuang-Tzu, which was a gripe from another customer. The text for each day is generally brief enough that I can retain it in my head after looking at it, and this allows me to spend some time considering it without the aid of the text, or to quote or recall it at a later date when a related subject comes up. The translations are all very good - they retain the simplicity and openness that allows for personal interpretation, which I consider to be essential in any translation of Taoist thought.I currently have eight translations of the Tao Te Ching, but when I really want to mellow out, spend some time exploring the Tao, or finding a solution to a problem I'm facing, this is the book that I grab.My personal recommendation: Skip the first two chapters until you've had a chance to spend some time with the other sections, especially if you're new to Taoism.

The proverbs in this book are insperational, and the artwork is great. A simple book filled with the teachings of Taoist sages.