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The Tao of Daily Life The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated Derek Lin 9781585425839 Books

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The Tao of Daily Life The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated Derek Lin 9781585425839 Books

In 1999, I first read a translation of the Tao Te Ching. I had found this little thin paperback in a used bookstore, and read it a week later on a flight to the Philippines. I misplaced that book and don't remember the translators name, but the book was a relaxing read on the section of the journey from LAX to Taipei in Taiwan. Although I had flown on planes before, but never on such a long flight, and with so much turbulence. However, I became absorbed in the Tao Te Ching, and what I read helped me remain calm during flight.

When I returned from the Philippines, I purchased several books on Taoism, mostly translations by Dr. Thomas Cleary. His writings not only helped me to learn about Taoism, but I introduced me to the I Ching and Confucius. The problem, though, was that although initially I liked Dr. Cleary's translation of the Tao Te Ching, it really did not do for me what that first translation by that not very popular writer whose name I don't even remember me, though for years I did think Dr. Cleary's translation of the I Ching was second only to the Wilhelm/Baynes translation, and still read it today.

Then along came Taoism.org. This wonderful website! Here I was reintroduced to Taoism in a fresh way. I eventually purchased Derek Lin's translation of the Tao Te Ching and found it to be the best one for me. I've read many good and popular translations of the Tao Teh Ching, none work for me as well as Lin's translation.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I've known of Lin's book The Tao of Daily Life for years but did not purchase this book until recently. I liked the first short chapter so much that I read several of them right away, but have since settled into reading one short chapter every few days and spending a few moments reflecting on the chapter. Then I start over again after the last chapter is completed. The chapters never get old for me. I have always tended to be an anxious person, but these little chapters, along with my daily prayers, help me to remain settled and balanced. Thus, aspects of the philosophy of Taoism (along with Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh's books on breath meditation and mindfulness) have complemented my Monotheistic faith. There is no friction between the two.

Chapter Two of Part One: Living in the Moment - Being Mindful of the Present, has been an excellent chapter to return to from time to time. Lin tells the story of a man trapped on a vine that is being gnawed by rats, while higher in the tree is a hungry tiger and on the ground below is another tiger. The man sees a strawberry that is just within his range, and he reaches out, grabs the strawberry and enjoys it despite his predicament. Lin's interpretation of the story according to the Tao is that the tiger above is our past, the tiger below is our future, the vine being gnawed on by rats is our present predicament. Life is short, so rather than being anxious and worry about our predicament, we need to take the time to relax and enjoy the present moment. I need to be reminded of this until I can successfully do this. So, I go back to this story often. It reminds me of a teaching by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and is similar to a passage in the Quran and to a Shia Muslim tradition. So, this little treasure of a story is applicable to those who hold to one of the Abrahamic faiths.

I heartily recommend the Tao Teh Ching and this book, The Tao of Daily Life, by Derek Lin. Next for me will be Lin's book The Tao of Happiness, which is about the wisdom of Chuang Tzu, whose "Inner Chapters" I first read in a book by Dr. Thomas Cleary. I expect that Derek Lin will present Chiang Tzu in tasteful and digestible manner in that book.


Tags : The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated [Derek Lin] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The perfect book for readers who are interested in Taoism and want a little daily inspiration. The Tao of Daily Life</i> combines ancient Eastern wisdom with practical application-perfect for busy Western readers! Derek Lin,Derek Lin,The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated,TarcherPerigee,1585425834,SEL021000,Motivational & Inspirational,Taoism,Tao,Tao.,GENERAL,General Adult,Inspirational,InspirationalDevotional,Non-Fiction,Non-Western philosophy,PERSONAL GUIDANCE,PHILOSOPHY Taoist,Pictorial treatment,RELIGION Taoism (see also PHILOSOPHY Taoist),ReligionTaoism (see also PHILOSOPHY - Taoist),SELF-HELP Motivational & Inspirational,Self Help,Self-Help,United States,lao tzu;tao te ching;philosophy;self help;taoism;mindfulness;happiness;inspiration;tao;motivation;positive thinking;philosophy books;self help books;inspirational gifts;inspirational books;gratitude;motivational books;inspirational books for women;self help books for women;habit;self improvement books;religious books;philosophy of religion;religion;personal growth books;motivational gifts;daoism;self development books;motivational books for men;motivational books for women;spirituality;spiritual,philosophy; philosophy books; religion; taoism; self help books; motivational books; motivation; positive thinking; self help books for women; religious books; inspirational books for women; philosophy of religion; spirituality; self help; spiritual; buddhism; inspirational books; mindfulness; tao; happiness; tao te ching; habit; gratitude; inspirational gifts; self improvement books; lao tzu; self development books; daoism; motivational books for women; personal growth books; motivational books for men; self growth books; zen

The Tao of Daily Life The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated Derek Lin 9781585425839 Books Reviews

Our country is so full of horrible news and disgraced leaders that I often feel hopeless. I love Derek Lin's little books because they show profound examples of kindness and wisdom.

Regardless of your religious affiliation, these books are a great resource for children.
I thought this book was really well done and inspirational. I would caution the prospective buyer from the negative reviews, as they seem to lack any interest in Taoism (they are grading the book on an intellectual level of "being too simple" or "the writing style isn't pulitzer worthy" rather then the material expressed.) Taoism is not about using our intellect and rational thinking to find solutions to life, so such negative reviews are doing a disservice and not reflecting the very nature of Taoism.

This Book
The book here is laid out with each chapter opening with a story or a Taoist quote. The rest of the chapter is the author's views on integrating that story or Taoist quote into our lives. We may not connect with each story, but if we're human will connect with many.

If you approach Taoism or Taoist texts with intellectualized reviews, you'll find all of it lacking... probably most of the Eastern schools even. "Mistrust of conventional knowledge and reasoning is stronger in Taoism than in any other school of Eastern philosophy. It is based on the firm belief that the human intellect can never comprehend the Tao. In the words of Chuang Tzu, 'The most extensive knowledge does not necessarily know it; reasoning will not make men wise in it. The sages have decided against both these methods.'" - [...]

The intellect is ego, it identifies with the self and says "I know so much" and then it compares itself to others saying "I know more than them" or "I know less than that person..." I found this in some of the negative reviews here. To which I offer a bit of advice [...] to people like oregonzen and kcolorado - you're focus is on your own intellect, your ego. You want something "complex" and not simple, something of impressive writing style... these are all traps. It's like being given a spiritual work and judging it on the cover image rather than the content.

The great sages and scholars often spoke simply of truth. Truth to them was in few words. It is the commentators who extrapolated into intellectual digression. But today if you write simply, you're labeled "new age" and not in a good way. New age being a label applied by elitists who which to reflect a "simple" approach to the "common person," thereby separating themselves from the "common person." That's Ego.

Ego is a great problem because it fakes spiritual growth. It says, "I'm so much smarter then this author... let me write some condescending marks and tear this a part..." all the while it's driving you further into self, and intellect and further away from oneness.

I bought this book, and have found much inspiration from it. I think it's a great introduction to Taoism. It doesn't provide the history of Taoism, nor does it go over the different sects, rituals or ceremonies. What it does do is give the Tao itself as our daily life. It's not an adventure in memorizing some ancient mantra, or conceptualizing a very difficult philosophical commentary... it's simple. Straightforward. It says many people have problems like... and gives the Tao as the answer. It's clear.

There is need for meditation and self work in order to find our solutions. This doesn't replace that. It simply gives guidance on how the principles of Taoism can be used to solve many examples of common life issues.

In the end, we all have to do the work of our spiritual path in order to get gain. We can't rely on this book to do it for us. But this book does give great treasure in a very common language. I love it.

I'll close my review of the book with a quote from it

"Pursue knowledge, daily gain Pursue Tao, daily loss When we accumulate, we are in hot pursuit of knowledge. The acquisition of more and more material things ends up as clutter, which in turn leads to stress and agitation. In this mode of thinking, we put in a lot of extra effort but fail to gain any significant benefits. On the path of the Tao, we let go of more and more every day. The more we discard, the better we can utilize what’s left. The more we simplify, the easier it is to attain serenity and peace of mind. The wisdom of Ikkyu’s story is inextricably linked to the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching.

Lin, Derek (2007-09-06). The Tao of Daily Life The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed The Joys of Inner Harmony Found The Path to Enlightenment Illuminated (p. 172). Penguin Group US. Edition."
I was skeptical at first about the use of stories and parables to convey ideas, but now see that this approach may be superior to any other method. The point isn't whether the stories are real or not, but that they can drive home a point better than other methods, and also make for easier memory and retention of the concept.

Sometimes simpler is better. It transcends our usual bogging down in analyzing and inspecting in the microscope, and toying with from various "educated" angles. Letting go of the tired old way - especially Western approach - and using this Eastern approach, can do wonders.

And it's not just the stories of course. Mr. Lin ties the stories and concepts into daily living, as the title suggests. He hits upon all the most important areas of our often complicated lives, slows matters down, and separates away all the trappings and noisy "decorations" to get to the roots, heart, and juice of life. All of it is done in a loving and gentle way. There's no pushing or pulling, no wrangling and wrestling to make his points. They flow as naturally as the Tao he talks about and describes.

My only complaint - and it is very minor - is that it would have been nice to have added a practice exercise at the end of each chapter. Regardless, I wouldn't pass up the book based on that.
In 1999, I first read a translation of the Tao Te Ching. I had found this little thin paperback in a used bookstore, and read it a week later on a flight to the Philippines. I misplaced that book and don't remember the translators name, but the book was a relaxing read on the section of the journey from LAX to Taipei in Taiwan. Although I had flown on planes before, but never on such a long flight, and with so much turbulence. However, I became absorbed in the Tao Te Ching, and what I read helped me remain calm during flight.

When I returned from the Philippines, I purchased several books on Taoism, mostly translations by Dr. Thomas Cleary. His writings not only helped me to learn about Taoism, but I introduced me to the I Ching and Confucius. The problem, though, was that although initially I liked Dr. Cleary's translation of the Tao Te Ching, it really did not do for me what that first translation by that not very popular writer whose name I don't even remember me, though for years I did think Dr. Cleary's translation of the I Ching was second only to the Wilhelm/Baynes translation, and still read it today.

Then along came Taoism.org. This wonderful website! Here I was reintroduced to Taoism in a fresh way. I eventually purchased Derek Lin's translation of the Tao Te Ching and found it to be the best one for me. I've read many good and popular translations of the Tao Teh Ching, none work for me as well as Lin's translation.

I don't know why it took me so long, but I've known of Lin's book The Tao of Daily Life for years but did not purchase this book until recently. I liked the first short chapter so much that I read several of them right away, but have since settled into reading one short chapter every few days and spending a few moments reflecting on the chapter. Then I start over again after the last chapter is completed. The chapters never get old for me. I have always tended to be an anxious person, but these little chapters, along with my daily prayers, help me to remain settled and balanced. Thus, aspects of the philosophy of Taoism (along with Vietnamese Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh's books on breath meditation and mindfulness) have complemented my Monotheistic faith. There is no friction between the two.

Chapter Two of Part One Living in the Moment - Being Mindful of the Present, has been an excellent chapter to return to from time to time. Lin tells the story of a man trapped on a vine that is being gnawed by rats, while higher in the tree is a hungry tiger and on the ground below is another tiger. The man sees a strawberry that is just within his range, and he reaches out, grabs the strawberry and enjoys it despite his predicament. Lin's interpretation of the story according to the Tao is that the tiger above is our past, the tiger below is our future, the vine being gnawed on by rats is our present predicament. Life is short, so rather than being anxious and worry about our predicament, we need to take the time to relax and enjoy the present moment. I need to be reminded of this until I can successfully do this. So, I go back to this story often. It reminds me of a teaching by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and is similar to a passage in the Quran and to a Shia Muslim tradition. So, this little treasure of a story is applicable to those who hold to one of the Abrahamic faiths.

I heartily recommend the Tao Teh Ching and this book, The Tao of Daily Life, by Derek Lin. Next for me will be Lin's book The Tao of Happiness, which is about the wisdom of Chuang Tzu, whose "Inner Chapters" I first read in a book by Dr. Thomas Cleary. I expect that Derek Lin will present Chiang Tzu in tasteful and digestible manner in that book.