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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow....Lao Tzu comes alive..., November 16, 2005
I'm surprised nobody ever thought of this great idea.....create a fictional rendition of Lao Tzu's dissemination of the Tao Te Ching. Movies and books have been written about Siddhartha's journey to Buddhahood, about Jesus Christ, about the Dalai Lama, but never about the patriarch of Taoist thought...at least not in English. Absolutely brilliant idea.....
In actual reading, the story is about Lao Tzu spending nine nights with an ancient Chinese prince. On each night Lao Tzu speaks to the prince and his guest and answers questions about life, spiritual truth, etc... On each of the nine nights, Lao Tzu offers, within his answers and conversation, nine teachings of what we now know as the Tao Te Ching (9 nights times 9 teachings equals 81 chapters of the original Tao Te Ching). The actual Tao Te Ching translation is italicized and indexed line for line so it jumps out of the novel's text. The Tao Te Ching translation can also be found in its entirety at the back of the book.
The book contains 24 chapters plus appendices, so there is much more. What happens between each of the nine evening discussions is the adventure story.There are insightful interactions between many colorful characters which provide parables and illustrations of the very lessons Lao Tzu is trying to teach.
While the storyline is easy and holds a few twists and surprises, the teaching sections are quite packed full of keys for inner alchemy, cosmology, and mystic philosophy. The teaching sections are not a quick read and are somewhat challenging to follow, in that Liao is offering a new perspective on Lao Tzu. He is claiming that the Tao Te Ching is actually a guidebook on mysticism and uses the story to explain heretofore unconsidered applications of Lao Tzu's words.
The cosmology of Taoism in this book is somewhat different than that of other commentaries on the Tao Te Ching. Liao's "power of Tao," a concept that he refers to over and over again, is actually the power of an ultimate God that can be accessed and palpably felt through correct meditation and life orientation. His convictions are set forth quite forcefully in the deluxe edition's preface and "afterword" interview. He translates the word "Tao" as the ultimate and orginal creative force of the universe, and "Te" as a piece of that same force contained within each person. Thusly, he offers the title "Tao Te Ching" as meaning the book that will show how to connect the infinite power inside oneself with the infinite power of the universe.
Whether or not you can digest the entirety of his message, the book holds something for everyone who is interested in eastern religious thought, Taoism, Taichi, meditation, or who just likes a good Chinese martial arts/mystical master kind of story
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nine Nights Study Edition - a Resource for Your Meditation, November 28, 2005
Nine Nights with the Taoist Master, Deluxe Study Edition
The Deluxe Study Edition includes all 24 chapters of "Nine Nights" and adds an additional 110 pages of appendices and an "afterward". These additions are a fascinating addition to Master Waysun Liao's story of Lao Tzu's visit to a border town in China before wandering across the Western mountains toward India. During the visit he reveals the secrets of living in the Tao. Portions of these secrets eventually become the text of the Tao Te Ching.
The importance of this story is that it lends context to the enigmatic text of the Tao Te Ching. Without this context, the interpretation of this classic will vary widely. With the context of a story, there is a cohesive vision of the eighty-one chapters of the Tao Te Ching which explain how man may live in harmony with the world and the world unseen.
The"Afterword" is a conversation with Master Liao about interpreting the Tao Te Ching, religion, and the practice of Taichi today. He expresses a view that is insightful and controversial.
Appendix 1 is a direct, character by character translation of the latest scrolls unearthed in 1973. These scrolls are felt to be the earliest record of the Tao Te Ching. This translation is keyed, line by line to references in the story. Thus a student of the enigmatic version of the Tao Te Ching can refer back to the contextual meaning given within Master Liao's story. It truly gives the poetry an enriched meaning.
Appendix 2 is the original text, IN CHINESE, of the scrolls. This should be invaluable should an able scholar wish to understand the basis of Master Liao's translation.
The third Appendix is a jewel of a glossary of 23 key terms used by Lao Tzu. Not only is the meaning of each term explained, but suggestions are made on how to incorporate the concepts into the reader's meditative practice. For example Master Liao explains how to use breathing techniques to reunite the mind and body. Appendix 3 will inspire many productive meditation sessions, sessions that hopefully will lead the meditator to experience the power of the Tao.
The Deluxe Study Edition is definitely worth the additional money. With the study edition, the Tao Te Ching goes way beyond puzzling poetry; it becomes instead a resource for your practice, a practice that can guide you towards a life in harmony with the Tao.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitive Guide to the Tao Te Ching, November 10, 2005
Finally, a meaningful translation of the Tao Te Ching has been published. The work is presented in novel form to make it more accessable to all readers. The book presents the Tao Te Ching in a question and answer format as it is was actually meant to be. The study edition includes a translation and study guidance in addition to the novel.
This book is a must to anyone who wants to seriously study this work.
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