Reddit mentions: The best taoism books

I'm glad you found some sense of solace in my story and advise. And i gladly read your rant. Which i dont see as a rant because it was well thought out and and informative. I also know what you mean about the codependency and your life being put on hold until she contacts youNow that being said where do i begin....I think i will first adress your priorities and goals, then the tao te ching, then i will bring it all together.

what i meant that in true love the one you love is more important than your goals but not more important than yourself. When i say you must love the other more than your goals what i mean by that is. Is the goals that dont make you, a better version of yourself, you can cast aside for your beloved. For example if training to win a gold medal is getting in the way of your relationship. Cast aside your attempt at glory, it will do you no good. If training to be a better healthier more loving calm version of yourself gets in the way of your relationship. Try and work the relationship around it. Because something you do which betters yourself should never get in the way of your relationship.

Regarding the tao te ching specifically. What i got from it was a sense of calmness and a philsophy which will allow me to better myself while bettering the world around me. that being said "the eternal tao is not the tao which can be spoken"...tao translates somewhat as "the way". One can interpret this as meaning the advice telling you how to do things can never be the advice for all situations. That being said. Everytime one reads the entire tao te ching in its entirety (its about an hour long read) one can sort of feel the tao rather than know it mentally. (There is a difference). Now regardining chi gong, chi gong is based off of daoism which comes mostly from the tao te ching and another book written by Lao Tzu's disciple. All these teachings will make one a better person. But one must practice them on a daily basis. Kind of like how one must eat everyday to maintain the body. One must practice things everyday which maintains the mind.

To draw this all together. That which is good for you and makes you a happier productive person that spreads happiness to others, is also good for the world. I will give you a few bits of advice if you want to go down the taoist path (i mean the philosophy more than the religion. i dont practice the distorted religion that sprouted from it).

1. Be careful of any of the newer schools of taoism. The original taoism was not sexist and was very relaxed. Throughout years kind of how people tainted the teachings of christianity. Some people tained taoism
   
   
2. Be careful of looking up chi gong teachers on youtube or online. Most are either old chinese guys who practice properly but dont speak english. Or white guys who dont know the proper teachings but just want your money
   
   
3. When you read the tao te chin, if your like me halfway through you will think "this is the same shit repeating itself i get it by now" keep reading at the end you will feel it more than know it. Which is more important.
   
   
4. Chi gong and taoism would say the more you know yourself the more you know your body and what to eat. That being said, i would suggest no longer eating processed sugars, and not drinking lactose if you have even a minor allergy (80 percent of people have at least a minor allergy to lactose). Healthy foods give you a more balanced and healthy mood which affects how you treat others.
   
   
5. I suggest you grow out your hair, i havent done all the research yet, but for some reason people who grow out their hair, especially men, seem to be calmer and more well put together. My theory on this is one must be calmer and more put together to deal with the stress of managing long hair and going against societal expectations for men. p.s. all the best white guy who are good at basketball had long hair...coincidence? and all the best black guys were bald (accepting the loss of their hair) or had long hair.
   
   6.Yeah i really dont know what else to say i have said a lot. not sure if you want more of my story and personal journey. Because as bad as your situation sounds. I have been in your boat and gotten back together with a girl, and the situation im in right now is even worse but im pretty sure in the future at sometime i can get back with the woman i love the most in the world, of the woman i've met if i improve myself.
   
   
   
   
   Links 1.(the tao te ching) http://www.taoism.net/ttc/complete.htm
   
   \2.The only good chi gong i found online. Very simple. focus on your breathing while you do it every morning. Your habits make you who you are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-E9vJFAj98
   
   3. books to read. Embryonic breathing http://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Meditation-Embryonic-Yang-Jwing-Ming/dp/1886969736
   
   4. the 7 taoist masters. http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590301765
   
   last piece of advice is just to reiterate. your habits make you who you are. not your accomplishments.
   
   Good luck (: Let me know if theres anything more you want me to tell you or share. Or if you have any questions (:
   
   
   oh also the girl i got back with...she came back to me. in my opinion its ok to talk to the mutual friend but not to your ex. until your ex acts like she wants to talk to you. but if you havent gotten yourself together to the point where you feel you can live without her, maybe not as happy as with her, but still happy. Just tell her you are working on yourself, and you dont feel ready to talk.

I tried to reply to this a lot sooner, both times I backspaced and went back a page, clearing the comment. Sorry I'm getting back to it so late. I'm a science major, so I'm taking a very objective approach to this stuff, practicing wholeheartedly but not unrealistic about it.

I saw a few videos, like the one I linked above, that alone could have been faked, but all together started to point to something awesome. Digging deeper, I found that the common variable in the equation was Taoism. The theory is that chi (read: energy) can let you do awesome stuff. Stuff like heating your hands up the 200 degrees (see above video), lighting shit on fire, awesome martial arts skills, as well as healing, acupuncture, etc. And if anything, I wouldn't be at a loss, since there have been scientific studies that report positive results for meditation. I should note, the ultimate goal in it is to refine your chi to shen (read: energy into spiritual energy) and become a 'higher' spirit. (This isn't an arrogant, I'm spiritually better than you thing, Daoists believe that there is an infinite amount of room to grow, and that no level is better than the other. No point to practice other than the fact that you enjoy it.)

So now to start addressing questions directly.

How are they related? The extra energy you store up while trying to become an immortal allows you to do awesome shit. (Immortal; though many Taoists have lived into very old age, longevity is not the goal, immortal refers to spiritual immortality, or, breaking the cycle of reincarnation and moving onto the next realm.)

Physical feats that I do? I'm probably most proud of holding the qigong poses for a long time, those are painful. But I'm pretty athletic, so I do fun stuff, slack lines, swimming, rope climbs - but as I said, semi-impressive stuff, but nothing mind blowing - stuff that anyone could do if they put their mind to it.

Awesome books on the lives of two Taoist masters are Chronicles of Tao and Opening the Dragon Gate. Both true stories, both tout some amazing shit.

I've really invested myself in this stuff, finding teachers (traveled to China and blah blah blah) and learning as much as I can. I have a daily practice now, so I do not need much face time with my (current) teacher. Only downside, a lot of the practices require celibacy. My progress goes to shit when my girlfriend is around. But doing what makes you happy is the most important, and as much as I love qigong, being around my girlfriend is a lot more enjoyable.

Edit line: I'm sure I'll proofread and edit this later.

Beyond the obvious choices, Watts' The Book, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, Huxley's Doors of Perception, Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience, and of course Fear and Loathing (all of these should be on the list without question; they’re classics), here are a some others from a few different perspectives:

From a Secular Contemporary Perspective

Godel Escher Bach by Douglass Hofstadter -- This is a classic for anyone, but man is it food for psychedelic thought. It's a giant book, but even just reading the dialogues in between chapters is worth it.

The Mind’s Eye edited by Douglass Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett – This is an anthology with a bunch of great essays and short fictional works on the self.

From an Eastern Religious Perspective

The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan -- This is a very fun and amusing exploration of Taoist thought from one of the best living logicians (he's 94 and still writing logic books!).

Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani – This one is a bit dense, but it is full of some of the most exciting philosophical and theological thought I’ve ever come across. Nishitani, an Eastern Buddhist brings together thought from Buddhist thinkers, Christian mystics, and the existentialists like Neitzsche and Heidegger to try to bridge some of the philosophical gaps between the east and the west.

The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (and Garfield's translation/commentary is very good as well) -- This is the classic work from Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the millennium and is arguably the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself.

From a Western Religious Perspective

I and Thou by Martin Buber – Buber wouldn’t approve of this book being on this list, but it’s a profound book, and there’s not much quite like it. Buber is a mystical Jewish Philosopher who argues, in beautiful and poetic prose, that we get glimpses of the Divine from interpersonal moments with others which transcend what he calls “I-it” experience.

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – this is an old book (from the 1500s) and it is very steeped in Christian language, so it might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is perhaps the seminal work of medieval Christian mysticism.

From an Existentialist Perspective

Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre – Not for the light of heart, this existential novel talks about existential nausea a strange perception of the absurdity of existence.

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – a classic essay that discusses the struggle one faces in a world inherently devoid of meaning.

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I’ll add more if I think of anything else that needs to be thrown in there!

You've made some excellent points. I don't read the metaphysical aspects as literal either, but as metaphors. (Although in a sense, the mind-body-energy interplay of Shen-Jing-Qi is being validated by modern science. This isn't to say that all references to Shen-Jing-Qi are correct.)

When I first read this text, which I do believe is the Harold Roth translation, my main takeaway was a newfound appreciation for the term De (Te). I actively seek out the word in other Taoist texts and read it with a new understanding. I'm going to quote from this website, but I would also recommend reading more about Roth's interpretations in Original Tao: Inward Training (Nei-yeh) and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism.

On De (Te): "One meaning could be: follow the path of an upright heart, perhaps our innate nature. The Chinese, Taoists in particular, believe that we are born pure and then corrupted in the process of growing up. Through self-cultivation practices, we attempt to return to te, our natural virtue.

In contrast to the traditional meaning that 'virtue' is innate, fixed and determined from birth, the Nei-yeh regularly implies that we strengthen te by exercising self-restraint. Further it is possible to interpret hsin, our heart-mind, to mean our innate inclinations, including our emotional tendencies.

Under this perspective, the ideogram suggests that te is the process of rectifying hsin in order to shape and regulate our innate tendencies. This shaping could include engaging in self-cultivation practices rather than becoming a victim of our emotions and desires. Te is the action, i.e. daily practices, of aligning hsin, i.e. making the heart-mind upright.

Both Tao and te include radicals that indicate an ongoing process rather than a state of being. Tao, as the Way of ideal self-cultivation practices, includes regularly exercising te, our self-restraint muscle, to shape our innate tendencies, hsin, in order to remain on the Path.

For fun, let’s take this journey yet one more step. According to the traditional view, te is an innate state that is developed through acts of cultivation etc. The inner power (te) developed in this fashion could be likened to charisma. The power of the person’s aura automatically harmonizes the surrounding world. The individual who possesses this charisma orders the world without doing anything (the essence of the Taoist concept of wu-wei, non-action within action).

Could te be both an innate state and a process? If so, the te process of restraint contributes to the te state of inner power. Te both enables and is enabled by the journey of being on course, Tao. From this perspective, te is both the state of ‘inner power’ that arises from the process of self-control and the process of self-control that gives rise to the state of inner power/charisma."

To be honest, if you're interested in learning about the Baha'i Faith in broad terms, the best way to begin would be with an introductory book. The classic of this genre is Esslemont's Baha'u'llah and the New Era; other good books include those by Smith, Momen, and Bowers (this last one is targeted specifically to a Christian audience).

Of the books you mentioned, The Hidden Words is probably the most accessible (and shortest!), and it's usually what I recommend to people who are interested in the Baha'i Faith. However, it's not always useful to look at the Baha'i Faith through the same lens as we may look at, say, Christianity or Islam, as having one or two "Holy books" that are central to all understanding. The Baha'i Faith is blessed with having many pieces of writing from the central figures of the Faith, and it's not possible to gain a full picture of the religion just by reading the four texts you mentioned.

Edit to add: The other excellent way to learn about the Baha'i Faith, which I heartily recommend, is to meet with some Baha'is from your area and talk with them. There are (relatively) a lot of Baha'is in Ontario (although I don't know where you are specifically), and there are usually ways to go about contacting them via the web.

Taoism is based on the writings of the Eastern philosopher Lao Tzu.


Taoism is generally more focused with nature, mankind, politics, and this life. It is all about balance and going with the flow of things. Buddhism is laid out pretty clear with lists of truths and specific steps towards enlightenment. Taoism is much more enigmatic and isn't trying to get you to an afterlife. The 'goal' of Taoism is harmony with nature and the world around us, awareness of the present moment, and going with the flow. The goal of Buddhism is self annihilation and total detachment by reaching nirvana.

Taoism is not really a religion but a way of life. Many folk religions in East Asia have syncretistically blended with Taoism, but Taoism(like Buddhism) is generally apatheistic... meaning the existence of a God is irrelevant to the practitioner.



An interesting note as to how taoism and buddhism relate to anarchism. Taoism is unique in that it explicitly supports anarchist societies and rejects governments outright. While anarchistic principles can be derived from buddhist thought, Lao Tzu (who was an ex-govt worker) was pretty clear on government.

Some Sources For You:
http://personaltao.com/teachings/recommended-books/tao-te-ching-2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
http://taoism101.freehostia.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFb7Hxva5rg


The best sources on taoism come from Lao Tzu himself. These two translations have served me well:
-http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Works-Lao-Tzu-Ching/dp/0937064009/ref=sr_1_108?ie=UTF8&qid=1457992946&sr=8-108&keywords=tao+te+ching
-http://www.amazon.com/Way-Life-According-Laotzu/dp/0399512985/ref=sr_1_152?ie=UTF8&qid=1457993091&sr=8-152&keywords=tao+te+ching



You can also find free versions of the Tao te Ching online:
-http://www.taoism.net/ttc/complete.htm


PM if you want to discuss in depth about it and stuff. :)

I've only just begun to go down the long rabbit hole of Ceremonial, but as far as Chaos or magnetizing money and work to you through the Law of Attraction, I can speak to that.

I've come to realize one of the major goals of the world's esoteric traditions is the flowering of the spinal force--all the prayer, fasting, meditation, Qi-gong, yoga, and even weirder or unlikelier practices such as sex magick and concentrating on Tarot cards can all be used to transmute and move excess sexual energy into a spiritual vitality that enlivens the physical and spiritual bodies. With enough of that vitality ("Qi," "Prana," etc.), multiple chakras can be charged and your auric space filled to the extent where you more fully exist in the physical, astral, and thought planes, more easily moving thoughts from their archetypal origin, through the astral, and into the physical.

Keep a journal where you admit your mistakes and give thanks for what you have. Challenge yourself to do acts of charity and to chant and fast and memorize scriptures or wise sayings. Write down what you want in detail, maybe even keeping a vision board. If you have a romantic partner, cuddle with him or her attentively. If not, then your best bet is probably an exercise such as the Northern Star Qi-gong found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Scholar-Warrior-Introduction-Everyday-Life/dp/0062502328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538854753&sr=8-1&keywords=scholar+warrior

Another source for a visualization exercise meant to accomplish the same (along with an excellent description of how the spinal force works in general) can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Magdalen-Manuscript-Alchemies-Horus-Magic/dp/193103205X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538855051&sr=8-1&keywords=the+magdeline+manuscript

The problem is that the Dao De Jing and other Daoist texts are not simple things to read. I would say that, yes, what Dao is is perfectly explained by the Dao De Jing, but only if you know how to read it. There are plenty of secondary sources out there providing commentary and alternate translations (because these things are never so straightforward) on the Dao De Jing. Personally, I would recommend the following two translations on the Dao De Jing, this one by Roger Ames and this one by Hans-Georg Moeller. Also, if you want a close reading of what Dao is I recommend you pick up Daoism Explained, also by Hans-Georg Moeller, a lot of which is freely available to read on Google Books. For the specific question you posted here, I would recommend reading section "The Wheel--An Image of the Dao" which begins on page 27 of Daoism Explained and is one of the sections freely available in the last link I provided. I hope this helps.

Edit: Just wanted to add that I've read a lot of books by different translators and commentators of Daoism, but Hans-Georg Moeller is by far my favorite for both clarity and correctness.

Issues:

1. I'm almost positive that no one actually knows whether or not Laozi was a real person. There are some historical sources that might be accurate, but they are almost impossible to verify. I can give you a bit of information if you want, but the point is that it doesn't really matter whether you put Kongzi first or Laozi first, because no one can say with any certainty who came first.
   
   
2. Mitchell's translation can be best described as garbage. He's popular in the same way that New Age spiritualism is popular, which is to say, it's entirely non-academic or scholarly (or even accurate for that matter. The guy doesn't speak or read a word of Chinese, so the thought that he could translate anything Chinese is laughable). I think the best translation of the TTC is Philip J. Ivanhoe's translation here.
   
   
3. I'll look into some if you'd like. I'm very busy, so it might take a while, but I'd gladly help in any way.

I'm not sure what you've read thus far, but the three most important books in the Daoist canon are, in generally agreed upon order:

1. The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Ching, Daodejing, &c.). My favorite translation is the done by Addiss and Lombardo, but there are certainly other good translations.
   
   
2. The Chuan Tzu (Zhuangzi) I'm partial to the translation by Hamill and Seaton, though I admit that may be because it was my first exposure to Daoism. It doesn't strive for accuracy, but has taken some liberties in making the text accessible to most readers by doing away with pedantry.
   
   
3. The Lieh Tzu (Liezi) My favorite translation is the one by Eva Wong, though it also was going for readability above accuracy. I'm currently reading a much more accurate translation done by Thomas Cleary which has, thus far, been rather good.

If you're interested in learning more about the history of the religion, I think that the books Lukeweiss has recommended will serve you well. If you're interested in studying some of the primary sources in greater detail, to understand the key early texts of Daoism (namely, the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi), then here are a few recommendations for you. Of course, you might choose to read these two books before studying them in greater detail, in which case, look here or here for the Daodejing, and here or here for the Zhuangzi. Now then:

Allan, Sarah. The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue.

Coutinho, Steve. Zhuangzi and Early Chinese Philosophy: Vagueness, Transformation and Paradox.

Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi. Mark Csikszentmihalyi and Philip Ivanhoe.

Schwartz, Benjamin. The World of Thought in Ancient China.

Slingerland, Edward. Effortless Action.

Those are the first few books that are coming to mind - they'll certainly help you get started on understanding these important Daoist texts. I think that the Slingerland book and Benjamin Schwartz's book might serve you better as a general introduction to important ideas in Daoist texts, and then the other books can help you delve even deeper. Although, if you are more interested in learning about the history of Daoism than the careful study of early Daoist philosophy, I definitely have to second Lukeweiss' suggestion of Introducing Daoism.

I also believed for a very long time that the semen retention thing was bunk. Then it just so happened that I didn't ejaculate for an extended period (for reasons unrelated to Daoism) while still wanting to have sex, and noticed an unmistakable increase in attention span, concentration, and cognitive speed/power. It wasn't just a little bit, either; I'm talking about an increase such that others noticed too. I haven't done it again, but I no longer believe that this stuff about jing is totally baseless. One could think of very good evolutionary reasons why we (and other animals) might have developed a cognitive "bump" that only activates itself in males who desire sex but don't get to engage in it very often.

Anyway, that aside, no one's going to say that you're somehow deeply un-Daoist by not practicing semen retention. It's a practice that developed alongside other Daoist practices, some of which you would probably get something out of if it's the psychological and mental dimensions of Daoism that attract you. So don't throw out the baby with the esoteric bath water.

Also, these things (philosophical and "esoteric" or religious Daoism) cannot be easily separated. You mentioned the Yijing; it's a Bronze age divination manual dependent on cleromancy. Sounds pretty unscientific, right? Well, it is. But it's also the root of traditional Chinese philosophy, of which Daoism is just one branch. You can see the debt Laozi owes to the Yijing all throughout the Daodejing; here is a good example of how one can never fully appreciate the Daodejing without understanding the Yijing. The Daodejing is also clearly indebted to another "religious" Daoist text, the Neiye, which looks very much like a meditation manual with esoteric and mystical elements. The point is, trying to pull apart religious and philosophical Daoism is like explaining a joke or dissecting a frog; you can do it, but it just won't be the same thing afterward.

Yo I think I know a book that maybe will help!

Here: "http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Shinto-Japans-Spiritual-Heart/dp/1568364377/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453875725&sr=8-2&keywords=shinto". It's called "The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart." It goes way deep into the philosophy of Shinto. I too noticed many similarities between Taoism and Shinto, in particular a reverence for Nature and naturalness as well as a belief in a single spiritual force or power (like Ch'i) that variously manifests as all the phenomena in the universe. There's also a surprisingly similar emphasis on meditation. I would totally check it out if I were you! Also, there's another book you may be interested in! It's called "Original Tao" and it's a modern translation and commentary of an ancient Taoist text (possibly pre-Lao Tzu) which deals heavily with both the concepts of Tao and Ch'i (and their unity, as both can be seen as the basis of all phenomena). I say this because, for me, Ch'i bridges the concepts of God/Spirit and Tao. Ch'i is related to consciousness, the afterlife and vitality, like Spirit, but like the Tao it is the basis of all existence. As someone interested in comparison religions, you may find that useful.

Here's the amazon link: "http://www.amazon.com/Original-Tao-Foundations-Mysticism-Translations/dp/0231115652"

Good luck on your spiritual studies!!

You would like to read - The Tao Of Physics

The author is talking about a psychological process that occurs subconsciously that, once understood, explains how well our actions (thoughts and reasons for action) rest in accordance with the nature of reality. For instance; in Buddhism "grasping" for sense objects or mental objects is a false way of attaining true happiness. We act under the assumption that if we could just attain enough (fame, fortune, praise, pleasure) we would be happy and content; sad fact is that no matter how much you attain, you will eventually lose it forever.

You can see also that it takes a certain kind of arrogance to pretend to be free of control from natural laws, and act rationally as a free agent, yet secretly know (instinctively) to be doomed to grow old and die and to perish from this earthly existence.

This is our real predicament. Earthly death is the end of all sense experience regardless of your belief in an afterlife; if its in some ethereal world that's not physical, well then, your not receiving physical sense impressions and therefore my original statement would be true. So no matter what religion you abide by, the fact that you will perish from this earthly existence and be without a body is TRUE.

You can see easily how well certain religious beliefs actually accomplish facing this fact courageously and with poise and dignity, without cowardice and a multitude of palliatives that can block access to the mind about adjacent perspectives on existence.

*Buddhism never lays claim to absolute values from either lay people or wise yogis. Buddhism simply states a (as if coming from a scientist) truth in the sentence, "all is impermanent". Buddhist teachers then tells us that to follow this line of thought to it's natural logical end is to be convinced of the imperative to live as though the statement is alive every day, and all the time (of course it takes many years practicing meditation).

I believe the psychological "research" conducted in the form of Buddhist practice and philosophy should be treated as invaluable to the rethinking of old western philosophic problems. Invaluable because it shares with us a perspective of the world that, once acknowledged, it's truth "value" beautifully and logically compliment adjacent perspectives and truth systems. Yes truth is subjective, but accepting this leads to a conjecture about the interacting of two truth groups.

If a beginner gets on a tightrope, they will be lucky and sometimes have perfect balance. It may be fleeting. The more they practice, the less they will find that perfect balance, because now they're trying to find balance. Eventually, with all this practice, they will learn to find that state where they're not thinking about balancing, but are simply being balanced. So although balancing takes effort, you are actually surrendering into the state of being balanced.

I don't think it's a good idea to believe people who say it is without effort. Sitting and doing "nothing" is very effortful - all of the cells of your body and your emotions and your spirit are all synchronized to allow that sitting to happen. All of your multitudes are aligned at "optimal mindfulness".

The first 20 or so Yoga Sutras are very good at explaining the concept of vasannas and samskaras, which is the science of what you're asking about, if you want to go deeper on this subject. I highly recommend this particular translation as it's written by a wonderful teacher who teaches in a very practical Western-relatable way.

Here's some further reading!


The best and most academically accepted translation of the Dao De Jing

Here, A.C. Graham is an intensely clever and erudite Sinologist - Disupters is definitely a "classic" in the literature of early Eastern philosophy.

Great book on a lesser known section of the Zhuangzi, which Roth shows to be the origin of meditative practice in Daoism. Roth is also my Prof!

A great translation by the same A.C. Graham of most of the chapters of the Zhuangzi. The Zhuangzi, different from the Laozi, uses narratives and short essays in deeply stratified, humorous, and incredibly profound ways well ahead of its time.

Source: I've been studying contemplative practices, cultural anthropology, and Chinese philosophy for most of my undergrad

Oh man, I could recommend so many.

Kung Fu and Taoism:

The Making of a Butterfly is one of my favorite books. It is about a white kid who starts learning Kung Fu out of a Chinese master's basement back in the 70s, well before Kung Fu was popularized in the West.

Chronicles of Tao by Deng Ming Dao is excellent, a narrative perspective of how Taoism intertwines with the life of a Kung Fu practitioner.

American Shaolin by Matthew Polly is an entertaining and illuminating story that disseminates a lot of the mysticism surrounding the Shaolin Temple.

The Crocodile and the Crane is a fun fictional book that is basically about Tai Chi saving the world from a zombie apocalypse.

My next goal is to tackle The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Of course, I highly recommend the Tao Te Ching and the Art of War as well.

Buddhism: I highly recommend anything Thich Nhat Hanh. Anger and Peace is Every Step are two of my favorites.

Karate and Japanese Arts:

Moving Toward Stillness by Dave Lowry is one of my favorite books, taken from his columns in Black Belt Magazine over the years. A really excellent study on Japanese arts and philosophy.

Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings by Kenji Tokitsu is wonderful. It includes the Book of Five Rings as well as some of Musashi's other works, including many of his paintings.

The 47 Ronin, by John Allyn, a dramatization of the Genroku Ako Incident, is still quite poignant in 2016.

this one

but seriously, you want taoism, you should read zhuangzi. it actually is a very good counterpoint to nietzsche. though i wouldn't call it necessarily more positive, i also wouldn't call nietzche negative.

nietzche believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you gotta start somewhere, start with your ability to affect the world around you (will-to-power), combine that with context, and forge your own path.

zhuangzi believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you can step back and look at all the different ways to approach situations, people, life and death. once you've taken stock of the context and the options, choose the path that makes the most sense and don't be afraid to change your mind.

neither are really negative, but because they start skirting with absolute relativism they get misunderstood as though they just stayed in that abyss the whole time.

imho, z&taomm is only as juvenile as the dao de jing, his ideas on quality are superb, but underdeveloped and underexplained.

pretty oversimplified, but i'm a couple beers in after hiking all day... best i can do

all this being said, zarathustra is more than enough for six days, read for one minute, ponder for two. otherwise it's not making sense or you're making bad assumptions.

Sounds like a great place to start, I would also suggest reading Chuang-Tzu as a good followup to the TTC as well as picking up another copy of the TTC by a different translator. There is also a recommended reading list in the sidebar. The books are not overly expensive but there are free ebooks available in places if you'd rather save the money.

Edit: Also, because it has helped me so much, I would recommend trying some breathing meditation.

Philip J. Ivanhoe's translation is very good, and it looks like there are some good translations online. However, I would warn you that although the language is simple, it isn't easy to understand the book without some context. It's worth studying, because even though the book is ancient it
has interesting ideas about how to live a natural life in a civilized society.

I recommend Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi for some context on who wrote the Laozi and why.

Ooh, and I just found a cool site that includes several translations, a good way to get various opinions on the text.

Awesome question! I hope more people come to answer it. I'd like more sources myself. I know of two sources that might be useful though.

1. The Chinese History Podcast:
   http://chinahistorypodcast.com/china-history-podcast-050-daoism-part-1-2
   A student of Chinese history, Laszlo Mongtomery, involved in the region, runs a solid podcast about a lot of the widespread of Chinese history. He's done a couple episodes on Daoism. I do not think he completely covers all the nuance of topics, but it is hard to blame him for that, and he does a great job of giving historical summaries.
   
   
2. Daoism Explained:
   http://www.amazon.com/dp/0812695631
   A generally solid book that covers some of the history of Daoism, though it mostly focuses on the philosophy and meaning in Daoism and Daoist short stories.
   
   That's all I have right now, but it is a start. You could probably find a lot of daoism sprinkled in the big books about general Chinese history. Of course those things often read drier than the desert and feel just as unending. Hope it helped.

First of all, can I just say how much I love giving and receiving book recommendations? I was a religious studies major in college (and was even a T.A. in the World Religions class) so, this is right up my alley. So, I'm just going to take a seat in front of my book cases...

General:

1. A History of God by Karen Armstrong
   
   
2. The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong
   
   
3. Myths: gods, heroes, and saviors by Leonard Biallas (highly recommended)
   
   
4. Natural History of Religion by David Hume
   
   
5. Beyond Tolerance by Gustav Niebuhr
   
   
6. Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel (very highly recommended, completely shaped my view on pluralism and interfaith dialogue)
   
   
7. The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
   
   Christianity:
   
   
8. Tales of the End by David L. Barr
   
   
9. The Historical Jesus by John Dominic Crossan
   
   
10. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan
    
    
11. The Birth of Christianity by John Dominic Crossan
    
    
12. Who Wrote the New Testament? by Burton Mack
    
    
13. Jesus in America by Richard Wightman Fox
    
    
14. The Five Gospels by Robert Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar (highly recommended)
    
    
15. Remedial Christianity by Paul Alan Laughlin
    
    Judaism:
    
    
16. The Jewish Mystical Tradition by Ben Zion Bokser
    
    
17. Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliot Friedman
    
    Islam:
    
    
18. Muhammad by Karen Armstrong
    
    
19. No God but God by Reza Aslan
    
    
20. Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations by Michael Sells
    
    Buddhism:
    
    
21. Buddha by Karen Armstrong
    
    
22. Entering the Stream ed. Samuel Bercholz & Sherab Chodzin Kohn
    
    
23. The Life of Milarepa translated by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa
    
    
24. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism by John Powers
    
    
25. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps (a classic in Western approached to Buddhism)
    
    
26. Buddhist Thought by Paul Williams (if you're at all interested in Buddhist doctrine and philosophy, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not reading this book)
    
    Taoism:
    
    
27. The Essential Chuang Tzu trans. by Sam Hamill & J.P. Seaton
    
    Atheism:
    
    
28. Atheism by Julian Baggini
    
    
29. The Future of an Illusion by Sigmund Freud
    
    
30. Doubt: A History by Jennifer Michael Hecht
    
    
31. When Atheism Becomes Religion by Chris Hedges
    
    
32. Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith

I got this version of Zhuangzi that has a lot of added traditional commentary, along with good explanations of words like “Tao” and “Virtue” plus a lot of other stuff. I’ve only made it through the first chapter, since it’s a bit of a tough read, but it’s worth it.

This is the version I got: Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries (Hackett Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872209113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PbUBCbH8QN404

The Tao of Pooh wasn’t at all bad, it was actually pretty enjoyable :) if you’re not very familiar with the concepts of Wu Wei and the Uncarved Block, then it’s a great way to learn about those.

I really like Chronicles of Tao. It's presented somewhat as a memoir but reads like fiction. True or false, I feel like it's a good read that deals directly with Taoism. If nothing else I love fantasizing about all the mountaintop temples in China.

There's quite a bit written on the early Quanzhen tradition. They're really the ones who got monastic Daoism off the ground and spread it, and were once responsible for all monasteries in China! So maybe you can find something of interest to write about there. The Teachings and Practices of Early Quanzhen Masters by Stephen Esikldsen and Cultivating Perfection: Msyticism and Self-transformation in Early Quanzhen Daoism are both good academic sources, with the former being slightly more accessible.

Hey, I know I'm late, but I really recommend this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570624577/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1406661606&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

It's a lot more flowery and less of a literal translation, but I hear it captures the tone and style of the original much better than strictly literal translations.

If you're looking for more of a story, [Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master] (https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190) is an amazing trilogy that anyone interested in the subject should read:

For the first time in one volume—an extraordinary spiritual odyssey of the making of the Taoist master Kwan Saihung. Born into a wealthy family in a remote province of China, Kwan defies his parents' wishes and enters into the rigorous and mysterious discipline of Taoist practice. Renamed "Little Butterfly" by his Taoist masters, he survives the upheaval of the Japanese occupation, and the later the Chinese Revolution, all the while becoming adept in the Taoist arts. Eventually his inner and outer journey lead him to America, where he becomes a Golden Gloves boxer and martial arts instructor.

Part adventure, part parable, Chronicles of Tao travels through a labyrinth of enigmatic Taoist practice, marital arts discipline, and international adventure.

Reading the most excellent A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong and working on many short (5 minute-ish) periods of zhan zhuang daily. Multiple short sessions seems to be more beneficial for me than one longer one, the latter of which I also have more resistance to actually doing.

For people that already have a daoist energy practice, I highly recommend reading Damo Mitchell's A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong. It is by far the most comprehensive text I've seen so far

There's also a section within it where it goes in depth with zhan zhuang/the wuji posture and highlights important pieces and theory, which I think most other texts don't bother to explain

Hmm, I find Taoism to have slightly better books. Zen Buddhism and Taoism share a lot of things, but they're not the same.

Any book on Zen Koans will be awesome, especially if you understand that the point of a koan isn't to have an answer, but to provoke thought.

As for Taosim, Tao Te Ching is the obvious choice, but also check out "The Tao is Silent" and (no joke) "The Tao of Pooh"

Edit: Moving geographically West, I'd also highly recommend The Enchiridion and The Discourses by Epictetus, and The Meditiations by Marcus Aurelius. The Stoics have a lot in common with traditional Asian religions such as Taosim, Confucionism, and Buddhism when it comes to the ways they think.

I have this book, it's great. On page 89, when it references the exact location of the lower elixir field being 1.2 -1.5 inches below the navel, do not take this point for granted and don't make assumptions on its location. Study this point carefully.

If you are into these kind of stories, I suggest reading Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master, by Deng Ming Dao. The stories and historical references are fantastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West

There are various film adaptions either with that title or something to do with a "Monkey King".

This one is Taoist but I think you would find it interesting and entertaining too.

https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Novel-China/dp/1590301765

Uhm to be honest I don't know any good resource, and I don't know much about that either.

The details might vary some depending on the context, my experience comes from Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Nei Gong. This Nei Gong book explains some of it, although it might not be easy for beginners.

It's nice as a confirmation of your own practice, but not so much as a learning resource. Kind of like the Tao Te Ching :p

Daoism has been great for me. Maybe you'll like it too?

Check out:

The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan

Since you are on the Daoist sub, I'll suggest your friend to research Quan Zhen Daoism one of the two majors schools of Daoism. One of its core tenants is "Three Teachings are One" refering to Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism mainly focusing on Daoism. But there aren't too many English resources on post Warring states Daoism but here's a really good book on Quan Zhen Daoism

https://www.amazon.com/Teachings-Practices-Quanzhen-Philosophy-Paperback/dp/0791460460

Also Chan Buddhism is heavily influenced by Daoism so he should look into that as well.

Seven Taoist Masters is a great and entertaining read: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590301765

I always recommend Victoria S. Harrison's Eastern Philosophy: The Basics. It's one of the best introductions to Chinese and Indian thought that I know of. It's presented topically rather than historically, but it explains major ideas clearly and concisely without sacrificing too much depth and detail.

Yes, read up on zuowang:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuowang

In particular, Livia Kohn's study of the topic and Sima Chengzhen's renowned text Zuowanglun is worth a read:

http://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Oblivion-Heart-Daoist-Meditation/dp/1931483167/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449767361

Another famous work, albeit a little mysterious in some regards, is the Secret of the Golden Flower:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Golden_Flower

http://www.thesecretofthegoldenflower.com/

Finally, there's these two videos by an author on Daoist works, Louis Komjathy, that might be of interest for you, the first being a practical instruction on Daoist meditation and the second being a lecture on Daoist meditation:

https://vimeo.com/59304511

https://vimeo.com/23601671

[Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master] (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190)

I was in my "season of growth" and the read hit me all kinds in the right places. Not to take away from the great books listed here: the most informative or moving text will do nothing if you are not ready for the message.
Hmmm. seems I got preachy.
Apologies. Read on!
-asu

Funny enough, I mainly remember him for eastern philosophy -- specifically The Tao is Silent, which I really enjoyed in my teen years.

I recommend Wandering on the Way, it is a translation of the Zhuangzi and talks a lot about philosophical perspective. Also I recommend thinking, if you think you are a philosopher, and thinking is never a bad hobby.

So I read #21... "Never stray from the Way" and the article's analysis of the meaning of this precept was "The way is your path. Your mission through life. You need to spend your life finding the beginning of your path. Then, the rest of your life walking as far as your feet will carry you."

This is an entirely inaccurate analysis of the precept. He was talking about "The Way" as described in Taoism.

https://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-taoist-influence-on-japanese-martial-arts-by-dota/

Check out that article.

If you are further interested let me recommend The Tao Te Ching as translated by Redpine. (It has many commentaries on each passage that help you understand the material.) Additionally and perhaps more important is the Chuang Tzu by Zhuangzhi. Here is a decent copy with commentary;

https://www.amazon.com/Zhuangzi-Essential-Selections-Traditional-Commentaries/dp/0872209113/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524947461&sr=1-24&keywords=Chuang+Tzu

It's very important to get editions with commentary because many of the concepts are very difficult to understand without the commentary explaining it owing to differences in language, culture, and time period.

Here is a quote from the Chung Tzu;

The Empty Boat:

Who can free himself of achievement and fame,

Then descend and be lost

Amidst the masses of men?

He will flow like Tao, unseen…

He will go about like life itself.

With no name and no home

Simple is he, without.

To all appearances he is a fool.

His steps leave no trace.

He has no power.

He achieves nothing.

He has no reputation.

Since he judges no one,

No one judges him.

Such is the perfect man.

His boat is empty.

— Chung Tzu

https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Tao-Secret-Taoist-Master/dp/0062502190/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=57593958193&hvadid=274693974231&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9031146&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15573932695288763874&hvtargid=kwd-323677046594&keywords=chronicles+of+tao&qid=1555740422&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Wow, huge URL, sorry.... but anyway that's the 3 books in one, or you can get the individual books as I suspect this one is abridged. Read the chronicles twice but on reading the individual books I feel there were moments not contained in the all in one, even though I want to say it claims to be unabridged. Kwan Sai Hung, the protagonist will stick with you... As will Grandmaster and Hua mountain in general... A truly luscious read.

These are a few I tend to mention:

• Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, by Keith Johnstone.
  
• This Book Needs No Title: A Budget of Living Paradoxes and The Tao is Silent, by Raymond Smullyan.
  
• The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul, edited by Hofstadter and Dennett.
  
• Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes.
  
• The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology, by Robert Wright.
  
• Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang.
  
• Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), by Jerome K. Jerome.
  
  You should read all of them! I can elaborate some if you'd like, but, really, only to the degree that it'd take to get you to read them; at that point they can speak for themselves far better than I can for them.

I think the Victor Mair translation is the best one I've seen. The title is Wandering on the Way.
http://www.amazon.ca/Wandering-Way-Taoist-Parables-Chuang/dp/082482038X

See Part II "The Tao is Good but Not Moral" in The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan. According to Smullyan (and I agree, for what that is worth) you are laboring under a misconception that dao entrains morality.

Read this book:

Sitting in Oblivion: The Heart of Daoist Meditation
https://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Oblivion-Heart-Daoist-Meditation/dp/1931483167

The Tao is Silent by Raymond M Smullyan. I don't know much about Eastern philosophy, but based on that except it looks very interesting and relevant.

I like these types of quasi-historical/legendary books for the same reason that the Arthurian and Norse stories are so compelling, they're grounded in a kernel of truth.

https://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Taoist-Masters-Novel-China/dp/1590301765

Deng Ming Dao's Chronicle of the Dao is an excellent read.

If you're interested in this connection, you should probably read The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism by Fritjof Capra.

No problem at all.

The texts I have are Moss Roberts' translation of the Daodejing, Ziporyn's translation of Zhuangzi, and then Ivanhoe and Van Norden's Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy.

The Ivanhoe/Van Norden book has the Daodejing and other works in it so it's probably not worth the money until you've gone through the Daodejing maybe (and want to compare translations), but if you're mostly just interested in the Zhuangzi strain of Daoism the Zhuangzi texts are probably more than enough. Though confusing, they're not quite as abstract as the Daodejing itself (and the commentary in Ziporyn's text helps a lot).


http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Jing-Book-Way-Laozi/dp/0520242211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301237538&sr=1-1 and


http://www.amazon.com/Zhuangzi-Essential-Selections-Traditional-Commentaries/dp/0872209113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301237406&sr=8-1


http://www.amazon.com/Readings-Classical-Chinese-Philosophy-Ivanhoe/dp/0872207803/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301237612&sr=1-1

Upvote for mentioning Smullyan - I haven't thought of him in awhile. The Tao is Silen is a fun philosophical read.

You might enjoy this

The Tao of Physics Is a good one describing the parallels.

I appreciate your skepticism as I believe we all should be skeptics until we are proven otherwise.

No anger here! Just deep love for Chuang Tzu. ❤️ I highly recommend you find a good translation and experience this sublime work yourself. There is no substitute. ETA this is my favorite, FWIW

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Chuang-Tzu-Sam-Hamill/dp/1570624577/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?keywords=chuang+tzu&qid=1563981579&s=gateway&sr=8-12

but of course opinions vary.

I have always been partial to Wandering on the Way, Victor Mair's quite good, rather droll translation of the Zhuangzi. I actually wound up quoting parts of it in a novella I wrote.

For less metaphysics, and more physics, I highly recommend The Tao Of Physics

Zhuangzi. The Burton Watson translation is good, or the Victor Mair translation, titled Wandering on the Way.

Here are some that haven't been recommended:

• Qigong The Secret of Youth - Yang Jwing Ming http://www.amazon.com/Qigong-Secret-Youth-Changing-Classics/dp/1886969841
  
• Scholar Warrior - Deng Ming Dao http://www.amazon.com/Scholar-Warrior-Introduction-Everyday-Life/dp/0062502328/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324789854&sr=1-1
  
• The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi - Bruce Frantzis http://www.amazon.com/Power-Internal-Martial-Arts-Chi/dp/1583941908/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324789889&sr=1-1
  
  Yang is very scientific. Deng is practical, some of his other books are more spiritual and one chronicles his master's life and more like a crazy novel. Frantzis is also quite practical and most informative regarding martial arts. All three have classic understanding of Chinese medicine, haven't come across any new age BS in their writing.
  
  Each author has other books that you should look into.

This book is an introductory book on the topic which you may find helpful.

My favourite short non-fiction book (about 240 pages) is definitely The Tao is Silent.

The western view of knowledge is not all there is. You are right about the big bang, but your mode of thinking isn't correct (you aren't wrong, but there is another way of looking at things, which I'm trying to get at). I was vague because that's all I can be. What is the biggest question there is? Why does the universe exist? As opposed to just not existing? Why, as opposed to why not?

I think this book is relevant to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Anniversary/dp/1570625190

I might suggest taking a look at Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy by Bryan Van Norden He's sort of a controversial figure himself because he comes at academia from the perspective of wanting to tear down the biased western institution that prevents proper study of "Eastern" thought. However, he is an expert in his field and keeps that stuff in other books. The one I've linked was one of the most useful introductory texts I found for studying the traditions native to China and those from elsewhere that were integrated into Chinese culture. Many other texts begin by talking about ancient divination practices that are only kind of relevant to the philosophical traditions that sprang up later and are frankly some of the most boring things I've ever read.

Likewise, I've suggested Seven Taoist Masters countless times. It's a narrative and technically only focuses on a specific school of Daoist thought, but it's much more accessible than reading something like the Dao De Jing. It'll teach you about Daoist ideas such as immortality, internal alchemy, and meditation. It's also less likely to make you into an arrogant fortune cookie, as is unfortunately the case with people who start with the DDJ.

Buddhism in China is different than Buddhism in India is different than Buddhism in Tibet. I'd suggest taking a look at the recommended reading on the /r/buddhism subreddit for this and going from there.

Avoid blogs, avoid "spiritualists" like Alan Watts and Eckhart Tolle. They are not good introductions to these topics if what you're looking for is accurate descriptions of how they developed and have been practiced for thousands of years. You might like what they're selling, but what they're selling is tangentially influenced by these traditions, but they're far from the same.

i don't know about answering your questions directly, but this book might be of use to you: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Tao-Foundations-Mysticism-Translations/dp/0231115652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549060546&sr=8-1&keywords=nei+yeh

https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Silent-Raymond-M-Smullyan/dp/0060674695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504067045&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tao+is+silent

• Huainanzi
  
• The Nei-Yeh

> been mostly ignored in this forum

Mostly maybe, but not entirely. I purchased Original Tao last week on your recommendation. But I haven’t even cracked it open yet. I have done a little research on Daoist meditation online. I don’t have a ton of reading time but that’s high on my list.

If you are looking to combat a rising sense of confusion in practicing chaotic magic and attempting to reach your best self, I cannot recommend Mair's translation of the Chuang Tzu (https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Way-Chuang-Tzu/dp/082482038X)

No book has better encapsulated the way to let go and just be....

ahh, sorry I missed this. First, I don't have any idea why zhuangzi is underappreciated. I can tell you that it is not underappreciated in the field. But it is not commonly known the way DaoDeJing is.
If you want to read some good stuff about the Zhuangzi, check out Victor Mair's Wandering in the Way or his Experimental Essays.

The big new Huainanzi is out - and is worth a read. I haven't made much progress with the old stuff beyond this. My own work is in later Daoist stuff.
The Lushi Qunqiu is probably not a great one to look in for Daoist stuff. Not sure about the others. Sorry, I know this is not satisfying!

Peaceful Warrior is a book about a college student who meets a master and learns the philosophical side of Kung Fu.

I have not yet read Scholar Warrior yet but its a book about applying Kung Fu to everyday life.

Here is good book on Chinese acupuncture, which is a very useful skill that can be used to either hurt or heal another person

You are a gullible and uncritical thinker because your opinion that the Tao of Physics presents a good argument implies your lack of critical thinking skills and familiarity with physics. I care not one whit about your spiritual education or your path of personal liberation, which as far as I am concerned, are completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. There is no interest in the topic because your response to any criticism is to go read the book, instead of specifically delineating the points which should, in theory, buttress your argument.

You also engage in ad hominem attacks the moment you get even mildly frustrated. It is incredibly insulting for you accuse Mitchellofire of being in high school, which also implies that high schoolers aren't critical thinkers, and mocking his most beautiful experience as his lost virginity behind the bleachers. You also accuse everyone here, myself included, of being "Bill Maher dick riders," mostly for disagreeing with you. You have made the mistake of assuming qualities about those who disagree with you that are simply untrue. That is why you are an ass.