A begginers book to tao anyone?

[Connor09]

I'm pretty sure i'm posting in the correct section, so please re-direct me if i'm mistaken.

 

Anyway, I had heard of Taoism by word of mouth from a friend who engaged in an intervention with his father in China who introduced him to Taoism.

I had been wandering around, searching for a religion or anything spiritualy guided at all to help guide me through life and live with more understanding and tranquility. When he described Taosim, it sounded like exactly what I was searching for.

However, all I have is his word and his interpretation of it. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of some good reading material suitiable for someone just learning about Taoism if it's possible.

Now when I say "good begginer material," I guess i'll provide a little background because good material can mean anything.

 

I'm a sixteen year old with fair to advanced reading skills and not a ton of meaningful experiences in life as of yet. I have no one around me in which I could ask to help explain vague ideas of taoism(if there are any, I don't know ) seeing as I live in a family of chirstians and go to a school which is predominately christian. So the reading has to be an easy read in which I can decifer myself.

 

I did see "The Tao Of Pooh" once on the amazon.com, however I require something on a deeper level :3

 

If anyone could help, i'd be incredibly greatful.

Edited October 16, 2009 by Connor09

[Marblehead]

Hi Connor09,

 

I always recommend starting by reading at least three different translations of the Tao Te Ching, then read any translation of Chuang Tzu then go back and re-read the translation of the Tao Te Ching that 'felt good' to you.

 

On-line translations can be found here: http://terebess.hu/english/tao.html

 

Once you feel that this is the path you wish to follow you can buy the books so that you can get the translator's perspectives as well and expand into whatever direction from there.

 

Best Wishes!

 

Peace & Love!

[Connor09]

Thank you very very much!

This should help me out a lot.

[doc benway]

I have a different approach.

I really struggled when trying to read Laozi (Lao Tsu) and Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsu). They were a complete turn off and I didn't pursue the topic for a long time.

 

The book that prepared the way for me to understand Zhuangzi was "When the Shoe Fits" by Osho.

I also found books on Daoism by Alan Watts to be very useful as well as a very nice book called "The Tao is Silent" by Raymond Smullyan. These were much easier for me to grasp early on.

IMO, Dao De Jing and the works of Zhuangzi are very advanced and require alot of patience and reflection.

Some translations, however, have nice commentaries which are helpful.

[Mal]

I started off reading anything related to sex (1st interest) then martial arts/chi gungs , and it just grew from there. It's sort of tricky to get into Taoism as it's very broad. I often wish books like scholar warrior and the barefoot doctors stuff was around when I started. Osho is a favorite of mine too.

[ahumbleimmortal]

Hello,

 

I read your email with great interest as I am sure it applies to many people (whether they realise it or not)

I've also gone through the phase to rediscovering Taoism and have written a book that may suit your level of interest of Taoism. This book is for the beginner and advanced alike.

You may go to www.lulu.com/normthan to read about me and the Taoism book I have written to decide if it is the right book for you.

 

I have been studying and practicing QiGong and Taoism since the age of 6 and have reached the level designated to me from my previous masters as "Xian" - quite simple Immortal One but you can look up this information yourself.

 

There are many books on Taoism but the best way to know yourself and to learn and understand you need is to practice it on a daily basis. No one can teach you Taoism because, frankly, Taoism has no masters. Anyone of says they know Taoism or is an expert on it is actually saying they are the "Master of the Wind" - both are false! First, understand the original meaning of Taoism and it key principals and then try to apply them to your life.

 

All the best!

 

I'm pretty sure i'm posting in the correct section, so please re-direct me if i'm mistaken.

 

Anyway, I had heard of Taoism by word of mouth from a friend who engaged in an intervention with his father in China who introduced him to Taoism.

I had been wandering around, searching for a religion or anything spiritualy guided at all to help guide me through life and live with more understanding and tranquility. When he described Taosim, it sounded like exactly what I was searching for.

However, all I have is his word and his interpretation of it. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of some good reading material suitiable for someone just learning about Taoism if it's possible.

Now when I say "good begginer material," I guess i'll provide a little background because good material can mean anything.

 

I'm a sixteen year old with fair to advanced reading skills and not a ton of meaningful experiences in life as of yet. I have no one around me in which I could ask to help explain vague ideas of taoism(if there are any, I don't know ) seeing as I live in a family of chirstians and go to a school which is predominately christian. So the reading has to be an easy read in which I can decifer myself.

 

I did see "The Tao Of Pooh" once on the amazon.com, however I require something on a deeper level :3

 

If anyone could help, i'd be incredibly greatful.

[walkerinthewoods]

 

I did see "The Tao Of Pooh" once on the amazon.com, however I require something on a deeper level :3

 

 

Don't underestimate "The Tao Of Pooh". It is a great book for a beginner. It explains Taoist concepts in an easy to understand way. Plus it is fun to read. Now it is not the end all be all ultimate book on Taoism, but I think it is a great introduction book for a Western mind.

[soaring crane]

Don't underestimate "The Tao Of Pooh".

 

+1 !

 

 

 

[OneSeeker]

I'm a big fan of the I Ching, and I think learning to throw the coins and read the hexagrams can be a useful way of getting acquainted with the dynamics of the Tao. On the other hand, depending on the kind of Christians you're living among, they might see it as some kind of diabolical witchery. The Legge translation is available online, but its language is kind of old-fashioned and sometimes pretty obscure. Thomas Cleary has done a couple of different versions from different points of view that are very readable and widely available in bookstores. There are also some online versions (Google "online I Ching") that allow you to throw the coins "virtually" and then read the resulting hexagrams, though the ones I've seen don't offer much help with the interpretation.

 

I would also not dismiss the Wikipedia information on Taoism, especially the "External Links," which connect to some online collections of Taoist writings. The Wikipedia entry itself is a bit dry and academic, but the "Beliefs" section isn't a bad introductory summary, sort of a Cliffs Notes version.

 

I hope you're successful in your search.

[gendao]

Hello,

 

I read your email with great interest as I am sure it applies to many people (whether they realise it or not)

I've also gone through the phase to rediscovering Taoism and have written a book that may suit your level of interest of Taoism. This book is for the beginner and advanced alike.

You may go to www.lulu.com/normthan to read about me and the Taoism book I have written to decide if it is the right book for you.

 

I have been studying and practicing QiGong and Taoism since the age of 6 and have reached the level designated to me from my previous masters as "Xian" - quite simple Immortal One but you can look up this information yourself.

 

There are many books on Taoism but the best way to know yourself and to learn and understand you need is to practice it on a daily basis. No one can teach you Taoism because, frankly, Taoism has no masters. Anyone of says they know Taoism or is an expert on it is actually saying they are the "Master of the Wind" - both are false! First, understand the original meaning of Taoism and it key principals and then try to apply them to your life.

 

All the best!

Are you saying that you've cleared all your meridians and fully formed your yang shen jalus? If so, can you provide any tangible evidence or demos of this?

[erdweir]

I would like to suggest "Vitality, Energy, Spirit" translated by Thomas Cleary

 

It's a selection of excerpts from various books in the Taoist Canon. The Taoist Canon, in case you dont know, is a vast collection of mostly ancient and medieval Taoist texts recognized by Taoists as sources of truth.

[~jK~]

Hi Connor09,

 

I always recommend starting by reading at least three different translations of the Tao Te Ching, then read any translation of Chuang Tzu then go back and re-read the translation of the Tao Te Ching that 'felt good' to you.

 

On-line translations can be found here: http://terebess.hu/english/tao.html

 

Once you feel that this is the path you wish to follow you can buy the books so that you can get the translator's perspectives as well and expand into whatever direction from there.

 

Best Wishes!

 

Peace & Love!

 

The Tao of Power gives 9 different methods of looking ar The Tao Te Ching. as well as some really good Calligraphy and illustrations. It is written by 9 different people - with varied cultural backgrounds including the Chinese arts. - And it has relations to up to date discoveries such as Right and Left brain functions. It was my mind candy for a few years as well as making a good pillow

Better yet - it has been out long enough to find a way into second hand shops - lowering the price from 27$ to 9$ ... http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Power-Leadership-Excellence-translation/dp/0385196377

The author is given as R.L. Wing... but I think you know what that means...

One thing to watch out for is that for some reason they won't let it on airplanes