Daoism In Practice.

Daoism in practice.

Do you have a list of books or other resources on Daoism that you've found to be the most useful?

There's a lot of great books on Daoism, so it's hard to say what have been the "most" useful. Of course, the original text by the old man is probably the best place to start. Most translations are pretty solid, just be careful about those that try to insert their own commentary into the text.

The Dalai Lama's "Beyond Religion" is definitely one of my favorite books on religion and life philosophy, and I highly recommend giving it a read. It's simple and practical and insightful, which I think is the way Daoism should best be approached.

I also recommend "The Tao of Pooh," which I understand to be the gateway book for a lot of people into Daoism. Again, it is a book that is easy to understand and preaches a simple happiness for us all. There are lots of folks who want to write deeply and extensively about the Path, Life, and the universe, but starting with simplicity is the best idea, in my opinion.

I have a fear towards Islam. I get nightmares where an Islamic radical tries to kill me. This fear originated after moving to an Arab country where I live now. Despite having Muslim friends, I am still hateful towards the religion. How can I stop?

What you’re afraid of is terrorism and murder. Islam is simply a religion. 

You can hate on the followers of a religion, their misinterpretations, and their personal prejudices. But the religion itself is purely philosophy and doctrine. 

In my experience with Christianity and Islam, what you look for is what you find. If you are looking for archaic and even cruel philosophies, you will find aspects of that in their canonical texts. If you are looking for insightful and moving wisdom, you can find that too. 

I feel we live in an era that is incapable of being fully served by the religions of the past. While we may learn much from them, the future must come from the present. 

Much of that may depend on each and every one of us to discover our own paths. That is why I encourage meditation. It is like giving you a flashlight in the dark. Where you decide to go is up to you but at least you will be awake and aware. Your mind and heart will be healthy and in balance. 

You don’t have to approve of Islam or any other religion in order to be at peace with its presence and the presence of its followers.

My advice to you is to meditate daily. But also maybe to explore a bit of Islam’s mystical tradition called Sufism. There you will find a mysterious tradition of unknowable love. Read poetry by Rumi and Hafiz.

I find that when I have received some sort of wisdom from a religion, I can feel grateful for it. 

Namaste! 

Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can’t control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you. If you can control your fear, it makes you more alert, like a deer coming across the lawn.

Mike Tyson (via mmaquotes)

Hello! I was wondering about your opinion on how mental illnesses are viewed from a taoist perspective. As much as I love this philosophy and as much as it has influenced my life, sometimes I get the feeling that it doesn't really take mental illnesses into account and disregards them as "not working enough on yourself". Especially thinking about depression and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I don't know how to deal with these issues from a taoist perspective. Thank you in advance & have a good day!

Hi! I am so glad you asked this question because I think about this a lot. I suffer from anxiety and periods of depression, so I know how frustrating it can be. Taoism is actually one of the two main things that have helped me deal with it. I can’t think of anything in either the Tao Te Ching or the Chuang Tzu that specifically addresses mental illness, but I definitely don’t think that Taoism disregards it.

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