Tao 101 - If you could recommend only ONE book ...

[OneConsciousness]

Which books would you say are "Required Reading" or Tao 101?

 

Or up to 3 books. Which ones would you say are most influential to you, thus far in your path?

 

Thanks in Advance.

[Samuel]

It's The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet for me. It's simple, and it's fun to read.

[lifeforce]

Tao Te Ching

Chuang Tzu

Lieh Tzu

[Marblehead]

As always, I recommed only the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu.

 

After that you start walking your own path.

 

Peace & Love!

[OneConsciousness]

NIce. I have read, Tao Te Ching... and I just acquired the Tao of Pooh... Ill begin that directly on my iPad.

 

Thanks, folks.

[Marblehead]

What are folks' favorite editions/translations of these two works?

 

Thanks.

 

Mine are still the same: Henricks for the TTC and Burton Watson for Chuang Tzu.

 

Peace & Love!

[seththewhite]

Buddhist:

Siddhartha

by Herman Hesse

 

Taoist:

Tao Te Ching

interpreted by Stephen Mitchell

 

Metaphysical:

Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul

by Jane Roberts & Robert Butts

 

 

And here's an extra must-read for fun:

Bones of the Master: A Secret Journey to Mongolia

by George Crane

 

 

Enjoy

[三江源]

You mean like the above, on tao philos?

 

or practising taoism?

 

my response was to be get Eric Yudelove's book Sexual Yoga. That is a practical book which will take into the dao.

[the latest freed]

Hi there! I hope I'm not coming into this too late. I agree with Marblehead about just recommending the Tao Te Ching and the Chuang Tzu for people who are new to Taoism, as those are the most foundational texts of the Taoist canon (and the oldest, I believe--correct me if I'm wrong). But after you've read those, I'd also recommend the I Ching, which, while often used as a divination text, can also be considered a Taoist work of poetry because of its emphasis on the changing of opposites. I've also read The Tao of Pooh, which is adorable and easy to read and covers the basics of Taoist philosophy in a contemporary format. Those are the ones that I know best.

 

As for translations, I prefer Arthur Waley's translation of the Tao Te Ching, mostly because my Chinese Lit professor in college preferred it and said that it was the most accurate translation in his opinion, but also because of the beauty of the translation. It blends, IMO, the clarity and the mystical aspects of the text, so that it's mysterious and thought-provoking, but not inscrutable, and the writing is elegant. However, I have five other copies of the Tao Te Ching by four different translators. I like the variety and being able to compare them. My translations are by D.C. Lau (my first), Thomas Cleary, John C. H. Wu, and Stephen Mitchell (whose Tao Te Ching I don't recommend for a first-time reader because it's not a translation, but an inspiration-driven text, where he read various translations and derived his text from those rather than going to the source).

 

As for the Chuang Tzu, I have two copies by two different translators--Thomas Cleary (came in the same book as his translation of the Tao Te Ching) and Burton Watson, both of which I enjoy. But I haven't read other translations to compare them to.

 

Hope this helps!

[lifeforce]

This thread could be relevant.

[Optimystic]

"Chronicles of Tao", as well as the classics.

[mysticwulf]

Which books would you say are "Required Reading" or Tao 101?

 

Or up to 3 books. Which ones would you say are most influential to you, thus far in your path?

 

Thanks in Advance.

 

 

Depends on whether you're looking for philosophy or energy work. I like the philosophical books listed here so far.

 

For energy work it's hard to beat Mantak Chia's "Awaken Healing Energy Through the Tao" or any of his other books. http://www.amazon.com/Mantak-Chia/e/B000APK3LG

 

It's like the difference between Sutra (study) and Tantra (action), both are equally important depending on where you are and who you want to be.

[Encephalon]

I would argue that jumping into original texts, regardless of translation, is not the best way to be introduced to Taoism, especially if you're a westerner, due to the inherent difficulties of keeping cultural differences in context. Leaping headfirst into the Bible can still be daunting for westerners; wrapping your head around the subjct of nonduality is enough to keep intrepid beginners busy for weeks. When in doubt, I always take the advice of one of my history profs: imagine that your friend is an intelligent person who knows nothing about the subject.

 

My suggestion would be either Scholar/Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life by Deng Ming-Dao, or The Book of Chinese Health and Healing by Daniel Reid.

[fizix]

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, a truly great book of Taoist nature for beginners of the path.

And of course, the Tao Te Ching.

[doc benway]

My top three -

1. To Be Human - Jiddu Krishnamurti

2. Awareness - Anthony Demello

3. When the Shoe Fits: Stories of the Taoist Mystic Chuang Tzu - Osho

[boB]

What is Tao 'Alan Watts'

Tao Teh Ching 'Lao Tzu' (Stephen Mitchell, Ursula K. Le Guin, John C. H. Wu, etc)

[Harmonious Emptiness]

365 Dao, by Deng Ming Dao.. provides really interesting philosophy and background information on Taoism, as well as daily teachings geared towards the time of season. Plus, only one page per day.

[strawdog65]

The ones that finally peaked my interest fully in Taoism:

 

1:Change your thoughts, change your life. By Dr. Wayne Dyer

I know it sounds sappy, but it has a genuine positive vibe.)

 

2: The Tao of Pooh/ Te of Piglet (because I see them as necessary companions, yin and yang.

By Benjamin Hoff

 

3: Just about anything by Deng Ming-Dao 365 Tao is great!

 

 

Of course there are so many more!

 

So much to learn...the path is calling.

 

Tao is truth

[cheya]

Nine Nights with the Taoist Master, by Waysun Liao

[zerostao]

i looked at the books listed. i would suggest for beginners or anyone "THE TAOIST HEALTH AND EXERCISE BOOK"

by Da Liu. sometimes it is pricey on used book sites but if you have patience it can be found at a reasonable price. all Da Liu books are a good read. My first taoist book was Da Liu's "TAI CHI CHUAN AND MEDIATION" in the footnotes other great books get mentioned as well.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Every book translated by Thomas Cleary is a priceless pearl, shining rather clearly through his well researched wording. If you see one, it will be worth while to pick it up.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Harmonious Emptiness

[Wells]

...

Edited December 4, 2010 by Dorian Black

[Wells]

Nine Nights with the Taoist Master, by Waysun Liao

I have every book Waysun Liao wrote so far (including "Tao-The Way Of God".

These books will give you more precious informations than all other books on the market together.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Dorian Black

[Mark Saltveit]

>>Rainbow Vein: What are folks' favorite editions/translations of these two works?

 

I have a bit of a different opinion than others here. For Americans, anyway, I'd recommend Thomas Merton's (abridged) Chuang Tzu, and Ursula Le Guin's Tao Teh Ching.

 

Both are great contemporary readings based on literally decades of meditation by gifted writers. Rather than fussing with details of translation, each writer dug deep inside to find current connections of these classics in their own language and experience. Many of the older versions recommended here are harder to parse because the language used is outdated (as English), or based on translating the words rather than translating the meaning.

 

Fun fact: the title of Le Guin's book "The Lathe of Heaven" is from an 1890s translation of the TTC. It's a good example of a rendering that doesn't help get its concept across very well to a modern reader.

 

Mark

[Mark Saltveit]

Oh, yeah! Someone above reminded me about Alan Watts. "Tao: The Watercourse Way" is excellent as well.