Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony [Paperback]

Ming-Dao Deng (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 10, 1996

The Taoist spirit comes to life, made vibrant and contemporary through the Chinese ideograms whose images and stories speak of living in harmony with the Tao. Everyday Tao revives an ancient approach to meditation and reflection by using these stories as sources of insight for spiritual growth.

Tao is a person running along a path

A companion volume to the bestselling 365 Tao, Everyday Tao offers clear, specific directions on bringing the Taoist spirit into our work, our relationships, and other aspects of our everyday lives. Each ideogram provides the starting point for a Taoist lesson. The narrative that follows shows how we can achieve an intimate relationship with nature, others, and our natural selves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this companion volume to 365 Tao, Deng Ming-Dao explores the central features of Taoism and their application to everyday life. Divided into sections with names like "Nature," "Silence," "Devotion" and "Self," Deng's individual meditations focus on virtues like charity, kindness, patience and diligence. Each meditation is preceded by a drawing of an ancient Chinese ideogram of which Deng offers a translation and an extended reflection on the drawing's meaning, or instruction, for following the Tao. For example, in his reflection on travel, he illustrates the various ways in which the act of traveling is synonymous with following the Tao. In his words, "to travel means to trust the Tao." Deng's poetic conversations on the harmony and balance of living the Tao in everyday life should have broad appeal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ming-Dao's 365 Tao has sold 125,000 copies over the last four years, paving the way for this accessible and illuminating guide. In his introduction, Ming-Dao explains that Tao is "literally the movement of all life . . . the total ongoing of the universe," and that to live according to Taoist principles is to go along with this movement, this flow. Ming-Dao notes eight "special qualities" of people who internalize Taoism: simplicity, sensitivity, flexibility, independence and being focused, cultivated, disciplined, and joyous. The body of the book consists of texts based on Chinese characters emblematic of certain aspects of the Taoist way, including specific aspects of nature, silence, conduct, moderation, devotion, teaching, self, and union. In his clear and concise definitions of each concept, Ming-Dao provides a running history of Tao, a summary of Tao practice, and suggestions for how the study of Taoism can enrich everyday life in the Western world. Donna Seaman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (May 10, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062513958
• ISBN-13: 978-0062513953
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts > Taoism
  • #41 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Taoism

More About the Author

Deng Ming-Dao is the author of eight books, including 365 Tao, Everyday Tao, Scholar Warrior, and Chronicles of Tao. His books have been translated into fifteen languages. He studied qigong, philosophy, meditation, and internal martial arts with Taoist master Kwan Saihung for thirteen years, and studied with two other masters before that. He is an award-winning graphic designer and fine artist whose work is in several collections, including those of the Brooklyn Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 84 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, directly useful, helps you be a better perso December 31, 2003

By Keith Tokash

Format:Paperback

OK, I wasn't going to bother writing a review for this book until I saw the other reviewers complaining about the incorrect entymology of the characters. Alright so they know more about this subject than I do ... but not one of them managed to address the fact that the author says in the intro that he's using the ANCIENT INTERPRETATIONS! Of course there will be problems with the modern entymology. These critics could very well have taken this into consideration but by not mentioning it (one reviewer simply sampled them randomly, thus admitting he never read the book) their criticisms are not particularly helpful. Not that they would be anyway, which leads into my next point.

The quality of the lessons in this should not be overshadowed by technical arguments that have no bearing on the actual discussion. The entymology was a framework that is (or should be anyway...) easily discarded if one is not interested in it. I'm active in martial arts and one constant theme I encounter is people "thinking too hard". Many times someone will be doing fine until they start getting overly-analytical and then they flop. I do this myself. The point here is that if you get stuck on petty details you will miss *so* much.

So in summary, this is a great book if you allow it to be. If you are going to nitpick and argue technicalities then you have missed the whole point of this book, and likely missed the beauty of Taoism in general.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read, contemplate and apply to your own life October 24, 2006

By Reading my way thru life

Format:Paperback

This is the first 'Tao' book I've ever read. I picked this up, not even really knowing what 'The Tao' is. As I flipped through and read the short passages on random pages, I was immediately drawn in to the peacefullness, simplicity and the interpretations of the words and symbols on the pages.

I found the introduction to be extremely well written. I even go back and re-read the introduction, just because I love what it says! For example, it begins with this:

"Following Tao means following a living path. It is a way of life that sustains you, guides you, and leads you to innumerable rich experiences. It is a spiritual path of joy and insight, freedom and profundity." -Wow, well that sounded like just what I was looking for!

The introduction goes on to explain some of the special qualities of those who follow Tao. Then, tells you about other good books to read about the Tao. The structure of the book is then broken down to explain what each part is for.

Now, here's an overview of the book:

There are 256 pages. Each page has a word at the top left hand corner of the page, and a chinese (calligraphy) symbol below the word. There is a paragraph beside the symbol that explains the symbol/picture/lines in brief detail. Below that, there are about 3-4 short paragraphs on each page that describe the meanings/relevance of the word/symbol in our lives.

My book is full of bookmarks and slips of paper of my favorite passages.

This is a partial excerpt that I particularly liked:

Moon: "It is important in life to be constant." "The moon has its own primal power. It pulls on the earth; it pulls on the oceans and on the hearts and minds of human beings; it paces the seasons. The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not crush others. It keeps its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished. Look no further than tonight's sky if you would want to know how you can be both true to Tao and to yourself."

This is a beautiful book! Looking for something to inspire you, nurture you in your spirituality, and teach you? Read this.

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book brings peace September 28, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I usually skip over the entymology and pictographs and go straight to the text. Each page dwells on a concept from the taoist point of view. Very relaxing to trip on a subject that is affecting your life at a particular time. If you flip through the I Ching looking for that random nugget of wisdom and find nothing but vague hints, this book would be very useful for establishing equilibrium and bringing resolution. Of course no book does that, you have to find what page is applicable to you and read it and reflect on it.

It is definitely a layman's text, not a religious historian's, so don't judge it on the wrong terms. If you prefer to read Stephen Mitchell's reworking of the Tao teh ching over Jim Cleary's translation you will like this book.

I am a westerner who applies the kernels of truth that have kept the Chinese civilizations strong for last few thousand years, not a starry-eyed new ager looking for their next guru to throw my cash at, and find it a useful book. Romanticization implies wishing to be in another era other than the present, but on the contrary, this book helps me make sense of the present moment, my present (and future) relationships, and my surroundings in late 20th century San Francisco.