The Complete Idiot's Guide to Taoism

A disarmingly simple approach to a deep philosophical tradition

For me, Taoism (Daoism) has always been the most influential tradition on me from the east. I encountered it very early in my development and it still speaks to me as I get older.

Taoism hovers between being a philosophy and/or a religion. In fact, there are two distinct streams of Taoist thought, one philosophical, the other religious that one can follow.

I was drawn to the philosophical stream as I found it better suited to my inclinations. But the constant references to the mystery that is the Tao gives it a spiritual atmosphere that I find deeply appealing. Religious? Philosophical?

While the two main texts associated with Taoism are The Tao te Ching and the Zhuangzi, which while strongly recommended, can be difficult to understand due to being translations of Chinese concepts into English.

Enter the Idiot’s Guide!

On the back cover:

Taoism is one of the world’s oldest traditions, based on simplicity and balance. However, you may not know it has important parallels with modern Western life: health, ecology, even in such pop culture icons as Luke Skywalker and The Beatles.

But you don’t have to sit at the feet of a Taoist master to learn how the Taoist tradition has enlightened seekers throughout the centuries! The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Taoism will show you exactly why Taoist principles appeal to people from every walk of life! In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:

–The history of the Tao te Ching, the world’s shortest core religious text, and Laozi, its mysterious author.

–The teachings of Zhuangzi, the often-overlooked master sage of Taoism.

–An explanation of yin-yang and what it represents.

— Laozi’s political view and advice to leaders (this one will surprise you)

–Taoism’s relationship to Zen Buddhism.

My only complaint about the book is the same as I have for all the Complete Idiot’s series. The format has panels with drawings, tips, quotes, etc. placed on each page to provide extra information related to the chapter. It causes the eye and attention to jump around, making simple reading more of a task than necessary. But hey, maybe some discipline of mind needed to learn the deep lessons of Taoist thought is part of the tradition?

That discipline is part of my Internal Arts section. It is aimed at practitioners of internal martial arts, specifically one called Baguazhang, a Taoist martial and health art. It encompasses several practices connecting one to Nature both practically and philosophically.

For me, Taoism is a living spiritual philosophy with both practical and theoretical features. All of which are aimed at cultivating a healthy, peaceful, balanced life.

And who doesn’t want that?