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One of the details that led to my current interest in things broadly Daoist is my infatuation with the classic Chinese novel, Journey To the West. The historical journey of the historical Buddhist scholar Xuanxuang is the touchstone for the tale of the Monk Sanzang Tang and his guardians. Film and TV versions abound - there's even a weak adaptation on Netflix in "The New Adventures of Monkey" (And a ghost of the tale is cast across "Into the Badlands" as well). A compendium of characters and situations from Chinese myth and legend, each of which is brought in line with the rising tide of Buddhist ideals in what I am assured (By Scott Park Phillips, repeatedly, in both of his books) is a process that mirrors village ritual, it's also a rip-snortin' tale of derring do, rescues and magic abound, and how did I get this far without mentioning Sun Wukong, the Handsome Monkey King, ego drenched avatar of the active mind and hero of the story? (The Monk may be protagonist, but we're here for the Monkey King) Only with great effort, I assure you. A book for readers, the four volumes took me a couple of year to get through the first time, but well worth the investment. Many philosophical points about the junction of Daoism and Chinese Buddhism raised (frequently, inconclusively) on this forum are answered in the context of the story. The stories spark so much room for side study, and here's someone who puts some effort into just that; https://journeytothewestresearch.com/ Wonderful books in a wonderful modern translation by Anthony C. Yu.

There's a new book discussing the practice of Internal Alchemy. https://www.amazon.com/Internal-Alchemy-Everyone-Chungtao-Ho-ebook/dp/B07JC96GVR/ Anyone got this?

In the last few years i've been having a lot of fun reading Wuxia Novels (Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy). My favorite novel is Martial Peak, it's basically about Martial Arts, Cultivation and navigating a ruthless, bloody and tyrannical social system (only the strong survive kind of atmosphere). It's a fun read and also has taught me a bit about Chinese culture (Scheming, Face, Societal roles....etc). Highly recommend for those whom enjoy cultivation and the warrior path. Cheers. https://www.novelupdates.com/series/martial-peak/

Hello a new book is out called "Taoist Shen Gong Qi Gong for Meditation" available now. It covers a Daoist I jin Jing and six standing posts from the Yang Tai Chi system as well as other Daoist topics. It is a translation from Zhang Dun Xie's book that is out of print and very difficult to find. The I jin Jing is different from the "Buddhist" versions in practice today. The six standing post are not seen hardly at all on any social media. (I have found a little on a Chinese site). They move from posture to posture and are also used for Dian Xue or Dim Mak. If anyone gets it I would like to hear comments about the two sets in it. Has anyone practiced or seen them before?

Hey Dao Bums - One of my friends currently studying in Taiwan at NTU is currently 1/3rd through translating Professor Ge Guolong's (戈國龍) 2010 book, "Ten Discourses on Daoist Alchemy". It's a an enlightening commentary on alchemy texts written by a professor of religion at the China Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. It's a major undertaking for my friend because the book is over 140,000 Chinese characters long. He has the backing of Red Pine, who most people on DaoBums will know, being the author of the best selling translation of the Tao Te Ching in English. Because this would take months of dedicated work, most likely in seclusion, he recently set up a Gofundme page in case anybody was interested in backing the project, and enjoying early access perks, things like that. Personally, I'm very excited about it because the book is a bridge between philosophy and practice. From the samples I was shown, I found Professor Guolong's writing to be super clear, and a breath of fresh air compared to other esoteric alchemy manuals like "Taoist Yoga" for example. Instead of making you feel more confused, the text reads like an elucidation and makes alchemy directly understandable and accessible to the modern Chinese and now Western mind. I can also highly recommend my friend as an outstanding translator (having lived in China for a decade), and a wonderful spiritual cultivator. I can also vouch for the value of these texts for your own cultivation. Here is an outline of the chapters for example, but you will find more information on his official page. Chapter outline 1. Unsurpassed Destiny 2. Illuminating the Mind to See Its True Nature 3. The Portal of the Mysterious Pass 4. Advancing the Fire and Gathering the Medicine 5. Empty, Nonexistent Qi 6. Dual Cultivation of Xing and Ming 7. Primordial Jing and Primordial Shen 8. Two Heavens and Earths 9. Going Back to the Root, Returning to the Source 10. Universe and Individual, Interconnected As was posted in the Daoist sub-section, we really need more translators of Chinese texts like this. Think about how many of Master Nan Huai Chin's books still haven't been translated in English for example, and how valuable each and everyone is to our community at Dao Bums. The truth is there are no translators working on them. And the reason is that you need a very high level of Chinese and you also to be an advanced practitioner of these arts. The market is so small that it's not even worth the time and effort from a financial standpoint for the people who meet this criteria. So when someone is motivated to take months out of his life to complete a project like this, just so we all benefit, I think we should encourage it, at least as Dao Bums. Thumbs up from me.

Hey everyone, I'm a beginner at Tantra and I'm looking for books to help me understand about it's spiritual practices and to spiritualy develop myself. I'm also interested in Kundalini I was thinking of reading one of these books "The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga" by Arthur Avalon "Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System" by Anodea Judith "Kundalini Tantra" by Swami Satyananda Do you think one of these books can help me as a beginner? What would you recommend?

Hi! I recently finished reading The Master Key by Robert Peng, and the stories with Peng's training with his master were truly amazing. I can recommend reading the book just for the first four chapters and also the last part of the book. Beautiful book. Anyway to my question. I've already read and enjoyed books like: Life of Milarepa Opening the Dragon Gate Autobiography of a Yogi A Peaceful Warrior The Magus of Java So I would like to ask if any of you have read other books that have similar stories of student-master relationships and found inspiring; or simply books that detail the inner journey of a disciple on his or hers way to enlightenment? Thanks in advance!

Hey people, I have a pretty simple question. What book (only one & a good one & It doesn't have to be for beginners.) from Eva Wong and Thomas Cleary would you recommend. Thanks !!!

Is there any one here that knows what this means: A voice that is not a voice that happens rarely but, when it does, it is clear as a bell with words that are more than language yet, perfectly understood. It comes forward in times of great need. It is completely different than thoughts, voices or conscience.

To my friends who are interested in Buddhism - Guess a number between 1 and 108 that I've already chosen Closest wins a beautiful, little book: The only catch is you have to send me your shipping address by PM I'll announce the winner on my birthday - August 13 Happy Birthday to me!

Does someone here know mandarin ? I found a while ago this interesting images, they might be from a book. Can someone help translate the titles ? Any opinion is welcome thanks

What is the book that lead to a change into your perspective of life and taught you lessons or practices that helped you in your journey? For me, it was: The power of now and practicing the power of now by Eckhart tolle. It taught me about mindfulness and the present moment and how to be aware in my life.

Hi guys ive seen many sources and authors refered about Microcosmic Orbit. Iam trying to find which are most respected self-learning materials about MCO. Can you post where did you learned MCO from ? I know many here learned MCO from a teacher - oral transmission which is of course the ideal way. But if you would recommend a self-study source to learn MCO what would it be ? Iam interested in self-study so books, video, web articles are prefered. Please be specific about the title. Author and title of the book or dvd, etc. I know aboout Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming - Qigong Meditation but for me this book is too encyclopedic/academic (430 pages) and he also keeps mentioning in this book you should read his previous book before you start (Embryonic Breathing - another 400 pages) - i dont want to read 800 pages to start practice Also Mantak Chia is mentioned a lot but he already has like 60 books and 50 DVDs - if you learned from Mantak Chia which title would you recommend most from his catalogue about Microcosmic Orbit Also Jerry Alan Johnson is mentioned, but i dont know his work at all, i dont know which of his books describe MCO. Could you guys post if you self-learned MCO... where did you learn MCO from ? What titles would you recommend ? Please dont post "i heard this and this should be good"... iam trying to gather tried and tested sources that really worked for people in the field, so i prefer recommendations that really worked FOR YOU... THANKS A LOT

The giveaway is over - thanks! Goooood morning, everyone! I've recently finished working on my latest book, 50 shades of yay: great thinkers on happiness, and I thought I'd share it with my favorite bums, who can surely appreciate the importance of the topic. (Well, you guys and the rest of the Internet.) It's free to download today and tomorrow - and no, you don't need a Kindle to read it. As long as you have a device with a screen and Internet connection, you can read it on the Kindle app. Give it a shot, see what happens! If you like it, I'd very much appreciate some feedback - or a quick 5-star review. If you don't like it - well, it was free, wasn't it? Thanks in advance! "Happiness - what exactly is it and where I can get some? These two simple questions have remained unanswered despite all our efforts. Poets bicker about the definition of happiness, scientists try to determine how happiness works, and politicians promise all the happiness you can handle if you vote for them. The Declaration of Independence calls the pursuit of happiness one of the three unalienable rights, but how exactly do you go about pursuing it? This book collects 50 essays, poems, philosophical discourses, aphorisms and snarky comments from great thinkers of our past. They include famous names (Mark Twain, Socrates, Emily Dickinson, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller and others), as well as some that you've probably never heard of. (Christina, Queen of Sweden, just might have been the wittiest 17th-century monarch.) The 50 perspectives on happiness collected in this volume range from goofy to serious, from optimistic to morbid. No matter what your philosophical disposition, this book is guaranteed to help you with your own, personal pursuit of happiness. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you think, it might even make you cry. The "50 shades of yay" can do all of that - and much, much more." Download link

I'm on Tao Semko's Practical Tantra Tips [email protected] mailing list. The latest newsletter has a link to a free pdf book he highly recommends. Its a big 504 pages. I'm glad to see its a contemporary treaty on an old subject. Looks well written, though I've barely touched the monster. Tao Semko is one of the KAP teachers and very well regarded. Here is an excerpt from the umaatrantra.com newsletter: "Houseman's work is also meticulously footnoted and, most remarkably, he has decided to release it to the public domain and distribute it freely and virally via the internet. For those questioning whether coupled loving practice was historically a part of Tantric Buddhism, or if yab yum was just a visual metaphor for the union of bliss and emptiness, this work will prove a revelation. For those already aware of the nature of KarmaMudra practice, but seeking a deeper contextual and practical understanding, this wonderful work is for you. If there is any doubt that coupled love, attraction, and affection, can be as important as transpersonal compassion in Vajrayana cultivation, this book will dispel that doubt. And those wanting to glimpse the historically egalitarian social culture of Indian buddhist tantrism, as it existed in the Indian siddha tradition prior to morphing into the hierarchical, patriarchal, and primarily monastic tantric culture of Tibet, with its , will also be fascinated... Written, published, and distributed with the intention to reach those it will serve as a vehicle for enlightment, the manuscript has been released freely by the author to the world... the practical fruit of his life's research, translation and deep research available for all sentient beings, electronically published and rapidly propagated across the internet. And so, here it is, free for you to download at UmaaTantra.com, in full-color .pdf format: http://www.umaatantra.com/ut/the-first-complete-manual-in-english-of-indian-vajrayana-ca-800-ce-including-and-emphasizing-karmamudra/ If you remain curious, the download page includes the table of contents and a brief bio of the author. My profound thanks to John T. Houseman for this work and for his generation of compassion for all beings."