This page is a list of some of my favourite books.

My first exposure to Taoism came when I was 15 yrs old - my friend gave me a book called, "The Way of Chuang Tzu" by Thomas Merton. So began my lifelong journey of discovery with Taoism.

This list of books follows a rough chronology from that date 30 yrs hence.

by Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton has a style of interpretation that is unique in it's clarity, brevity, and thoughtful reflection. I've read so many of these parables by others who translated from the original texts, but many of those lacked the subtle poetic aspects brought out by Merton.

Working from existing translations, Thomas Merton composed a series of personal versions from his favorites among the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of the Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries B.C., is the chief authentic historical spokesman for Taoism and its founder Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu's writings). Indeed it was because of Chuang Tzu and the other Taoist sages that Indian Buddhism was transformed, in China, into the unique vehicle we now call by its Japanese name — Zen. The Chinese sage abounds in wit, paradox, satire, and shattering insight into the true ground of being. Father Merton, no stranger to Asian thought, brings a vivid, modern idiom to the timeless wisdom of Tao. Illustrated with early Chinese drawings.

by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English

Celebrating its 25th anniversary by 1997, this beautiful edition accompanies every chapter with stunning artistic photography and Chinese calligraphic text. This is a coffee table Tao Te Ching that will capture readers with its mystically beautiful photography . Also includes an essay, "The Modern Way of the Eternal Tao" by Rowena Patee Kryder, an extract from unpublished autobiographical writings by Gia-fu Fung, and an essay and calligraphy by Chungliang Al Huang. If you're looking for a Tao Te Ching to give as a gift, this may be it!

by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English

Although little is known of the life of this ancient Chinese sage, his wisdom and laughter reach across the centuries to speak directly to our lives today.

Chuang Tsu saw through the illusory nature of this world, anticipating Zen Buddhism with its emphasis on the power of emptiness. With soaring fantasy and sometimes not so gentle humor, Chuang Tsu addresses every man and woman seeking enlightenment in the midst of all the problems of life.

by Alan Watts

Drawing on ancient and modern sources, Watts treats the Chinese philosophy of Tao in much the same way as he did Zen Buddhism in his classic The Way of Zen. Critics agree that this last work stands as a perfect monument to the life and literature of Alan Watts.

This was Watts' last book and the one many consider his finest. Written beautifully and eloquently, it is a work of both scholarship and poetry. The depth of clarity in spiritual wisdom is remarkable.

Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. He wrote over twenty-five books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, consciousness and the pursuit of happiness, relating his experience to scientific knowledge and to the teachings of Eastern and Western religions or philosophies (Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism). Beyond this, he was sensitive to certain new leanings in the West, and was in a position to be a proponent for certain shifts in attitudes regarding society, the natural world, lifestyles, and aesthetics. Alan Watts was a well-known autodidact. He was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies.

by Fritjof Capra

an Exploration Ofthe Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism

Studies similarities between the concept of a harmonious universe that emerges from the theories of modern physics and the vision of a continuously interactive world conceived by Eastern mystics.

First published in 1975, The Tao of Physics rode the wave of fascination in exotic East Asian philosophies. Decades later, it still stands up to scrutiny, explicating not only Eastern philosophies but also how modern physics forces us into conceptions that have remarkable parallels. Covering over 3,000 years of widely divergent traditions across Asia, Capra can't help but blur lines in his generalizations. But the big picture is enough to see the value in them of experiential knowledge, the limits of objectivity, the absence of foundational matter, the interrelation of all things and events, and the fact that process is primary, not things. Capra finds the same notions in modern physics. Those approaching Eastern thought from a background of Western science will find reliable introductions here to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism and learn how commonalities among these systems of thought can offer a sort of philosophical underpinning for modern science. And those approaching modern physics from a background in Eastern mysticism will find precise yet comprehensible descriptions of a Western science that may reinvigorate a hope in the positive potential of scientific knowledge. Whatever your background, The Tao of Physics is a brilliant essay on the meeting of East and West, and on the invaluable possibilities that such a union promises.

--Brian Bruya

review from Amazon.com

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tao of Pooh is a book by Benjamin Hoff (Dutton Books: 1982, ISBN 0-525-24458-1). The book is an elementary but entertaining introduction to Taoism, using the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. Hoff has also written The Te of Piglet, a companion book.

Hoff uses Winnie the Pooh and the other characters from A. A. Milne's stories to explain in simple terms the basic principles of philosophical Taoism. The book also includes many translated excerpts from various Taoist texts, from authors such as Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi.

The book was on the New York Times bestseller list, and is often used in college religion courses. It is criticized by some scholars on Taoism for imposing Western categories which have no place in the history of Chinese thought, such as "religion" and "philosophy", onto Taoism, creating a vision of Taoism that has nothing to do with Taoism as a way of life. Although people have vastly differing views on what "Taoism" is, the book has been praised for successfully introducing Taoist concepts to much of the western world.

by Gary Zukav

With its unique combination of depth, clarity, and humor that has enchanted millions, this beloved classic by bestselling author Gary Zukav opens the fascinating world of quantum physics to readers with no mathematical or technical background. "Wu Li" is the Chinese phrase for physics. It means "patterns of organic energy," but it also means "nonsense," "my way," "I clutch my ideas," and "enlightenment." These captivating ideas frame Zukav's evocative exploration of quantum mechanics and relativity theory. Delightfully easy to read, The Dancing Wu Li Masters illuminates the compelling powers at the core of all we know.

by Osho

Talks on the Stories of Chuang Tzu

Osho revitalizes the 3000-year-old Taoist message of self-realization through the stories of the Chinese mystic, Chuang Tzu. He speaks about the state of egolessness, "the empty boat"; spontaneity, dreams and wholeness; living life choicelessly and meeting death with the same equanimity. This beautiful edition overflows with the wisdom of one who has realized that state of egolessness himself.

About the Author

Osho is one of the best-known and most provacative spiritual teacher of the twentieth century. Beginning in the 1970s he captured the attention of young people from the West who wanted to experience meditation and transformation. More than a decade after this death in 1990, the influence of his teachings continues to expand, reaching seekers of all ages in virtually every country of the world.

by Osho

In his commentaries on five parables from "The Lieh Tzu" Osho brings a fresh and contemporary interpretation to the ancient wisdom of Tao. Lieh Tzu was well known a Taoist master of the 4th century B.C., and his sly critiques of Confucius provide abundant opportunities for the reader to explore the contrasts between the rational and irrational, the male and the female, the structured and the spontaneous.

The chapters in this beautiful little paperback are selections from a longer series of talks given under the same name, with an additional chapter of responses to questions. If you feel drawn to the "watercourse way" of Tao, with its approach of let-go and harmony with nature, this is a book you will especially enjoy.

by Osho

"Osho is a mystical giant, a flowering of unique intelligence and one of those rare humans expressing himself with joy."

Paul Reps, author of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

Absolute Tao

by Osho

Talks on fragments from Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Osho says speaking on Lao Tzu is as if he is speaking on himself, and you can feel this throughout the book. Tao is, as is Osho, the way of wholeness: not dividing anything, not denying anything -- he remains choiceless. The first sutra of this classic work by Lao Tzu begins: The Tao that can be told of is not the Absolute Tao. In this book, the Tao is simply absolutely reflected by Osho.

You seem to not read this book, but rather listen to it as if it were a waterfall. And in this way you can come to understand why Tao emphasizes hollowness. To be empty inside, to be hollow is the meaning of meditation. Osho’s insight is if you can be nourished even by emptiness, then you are in touch with the eternal. This nourishment comes through a dancing being. The more you dance outwardly, the more an inner dance becomes possible and then the emptiness becomes blissful, ecstatic.

by Deng Ming Dao

Umbrella, light, landscape, sky

There is no language of the holy. The sacred lies in the ordinary.

This treasury of life-enhancing daily readings turns a wise Taoist light on every facet of life. Each daily entry with a one-word title and its Chinese character in elegant calligraphy.

A brief, poetic aphorism provides the theme, followed by a clear, insightful mediation on the day's Taoist principle.

Here's a site that has the entire book on-line - each page has it's own dynamic link:

http://members.fortunecity.com/danemead/library/365/365date.htm