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Checking in on you folks has become a bit of a guilty pleasure...not really as helpful to my day to day practice as all that, but entertaining. Read this and had an impulse to post it. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/06/the-pearl-of-lao-tzu/559109/

Ni hao, Dao Bum, my story is a simple one but one I have never attempted to form into words. I was always into the martial arts, this proved a soft entrance to the Eastern spiritual traditions and forms of internal cultivation. Through meditation, qigong, tai chi and study within Mandarin, I found myself constantly staring into the eyes of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I picked up a book from Barnes & Nobles that was a five book volume of the Chinese classics, which had a book from each school of thought. Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" (Dao De Jing), was the one that rang so clearly to me despite it's mysterious and often purposely confusing style of writing. It's a format that allowed me to find what I needed throughout various points in my life, the Tao Te Ching was a book of sage advice. However my thirst for more Taoist knowledge had only just begun. I began to read more and more, with each book, a new outlook on life and how to find my inner nature and become like the "uncarved block" (p'u). I delved deep into my studies; finding myself during the Spring and Autumn period history and writing's about Taoist philosophy and as far as modern Taoist sorcery, alchemy, divination, immortality, etc. They each provided an inkling into the mind of the Taoist throughout the many years. With peaceful hermit's like Lao Tzu, to radical extremist like the Yellow Turban Rebellion founder Jiang Jiao, Emperor's fearful of death that set out mass maritime expedition's in search of both an Island of Blest (where the "enlightened man or chen jen resided") and a mushroom of immorality. I've read the stories of the 8- Immortals and how they acted as saint like figures within Chinese History, I've read adaptations of the Taoist thought into modern life and living. Learned how the "Three Teachings" intermingled and their ideologies borrowed from one another. I am here strictly to exchange information and learn information about Taoism and the Three Teachings. Xie xie, zaijian, Lousy Lao Tzu

I don't usually read interpretations for TTC because I like to figure things out for myself. Now I've done enough thinking, I say I'm ready to ask for some interpretations. Lao Tzu talks a lot about the filling of bellies. What does he/do you think he means? My view is that he is talking about feeding until satisfied...whether that is with chi, food or as metaphorical as anything in life... What are your thoughts?

Hello to all. This is a little bit of self advertising which I hope doesn't offend. For the past seven years I have been sitting for an oil painter for about 6-10 hrs./week. It has been an interesting journey and near the beginning I was finding it hard to stay awake. I came across Dr Stephen T. Chang's book of Internal Exercises and started practicing to see if it would help. Well seven years later over 20 paintings have been created and many hrs. of taoist meditation practice: and yes it did work. This last year culminated to an art show of all the paintings. Also from studying (and meeting) Dr Stephen Chang who is a great scholar of the Tao Te Ching, I was inspired to edit James Legge's classic, the "Tao Te Ching" to make it gender neutral, and hopefully less cryptic. I have enjoyed in particular James Legge's translation after studying many other translations by different authors, but always felt it was male orientated and also slightly Christian based (not that that is negative). So I set out on the path of re-writing it. I thought this would be straight forward, but found that every paragraph and expression that I approached felt worthy of being contemplated upon, sometimes for weeks and/or months! Anyway it's done, and available and this is what I am sharing in this post:) Below is the link. I would warmly appreciate feedback if anyone feels to buy and cherish. The price may seem high compared to other copies but the book publishing costs take a large %, and anyway it is a priceless item! https://www.northstarmeditation.co.uk/my-latest-book-tao-te-ching.php Love and blessings to all that cultivate. x

The Master of the Hidden Storehouse is a very easily comprehended work attributed to Keng Sang-tzu, a disciple of the old scholar, and is a classical treatment of the taoist philosophy with emphasis on leadership and governance. I found this little gem buried in the back half of a book called Thunder in the sky, an english language translation by Thomas Cleary which includes two texts: Master of Demon Valley, and Master of the Hidden Storehouse. The book is published by Shambhala, isbn# 1-57062-660-x (in case anyone gets bored with the pace that I lay it out on this thread and wants to get a copy for themselves). After reading this book, I must conclude that it is essential reading for anyone who wishes to be effective in a leadership role from the point of presiding over a nation, a state, a province, a villiage, a neighborhood, a house, or themselves. The lack of understanding of the way when it comes to governance in our world's leaders is shocking, but not unexpected, as the persons most likely to seek public office are, by their natures, the ones least likely to be competant to fill these roles. By way of overview, there are nine segments in this text: Preserving the way intact, Applying the way, The way of government, The way of leadership, The way of administrators, The way of the wise, The way of education, The way of agriculture, and The way of war. Get your ink and brushes ready: you will want a copy of this text preserved for future generations.

The Tao Te Ching and Ping-fa (the incorrectly labelled "Art of War") were creations of the learned academies of Qin. Their purpose was to, with a subtle but important re-definition of Wu-wei, engineer the end of the Warring States, and found the Empire of China. The whole story can be found in my just published "The School of Sun Tzu" - available here: http://tinyurl.com/897kb6p