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Nine Nights with the Taoist Master

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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

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.

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.

Laotzu stops in the city of Western Peace for 9 days and offers 9 night of teachings with 9 questions per night allowed for the local ruler. The teachings are on the power of Tao. Between teaching sessions, Laotzu encounters various people and teaches in a less formal manner.

The book is a pretty smooth read, and the idea to cast teachings of Tao Te Ching into a fictional story is a brillian one. Evening teaching chapters are a bit dense - the teachings themselves are full of symbolism and mystery, typical for taoism. The in between chapters often offer some explanation of the teachings in a more approachable way.

The book is very well done. One may enjoy it just for the story and pick up some Taoist principles along the way. In a way the book itself is very Taoist - it tells you that our usual way of learing hardly applies to Tao, and it offers a different kind of a learning vehicle. Some say that no direct writing on Tao is erally possible, so this also offers a more indirect way. Do not expect that after reading the book you will decypher all of the taoist mysteries. You may, however, gain a much better intuitive appreciation of what Tao is all about.

Philosophers, scholars and other intellectuals have tried countless times to translate Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. There are so many translations and commentaries. However all of these other translations provide a linear comprehension of the Tao Te Ching. Linear meaning the knowledge derived is thought to be of ideological value. Reason being that all these philosophers, scholars and other intellectuals are not Masters of the Tao and hence they conject based on their inadequate level of realization. Hence providing the linear, incorrect and "missing the point" translation.

Master Liao, being a Grandmaster of the Tao has given the dimensional and applicable translation of the Tao Te Ching. I'm a Taiji Gong practitioner and through my own meditative experiences I can understand and apply the Tao Te Ching as translated by Master Waysun Liao.

If I may paraphrase to help others understand the Tao and the Te is analogous to "part and parcel of the whole" - Te being part and Tao being the whole. This dimensional aspect, that interaction of the Te and the Tao is what Master Liao elaborates on in Nine Nights with the Taoist Master.

I highly recommend this book for anyone studying the Tao. I hope this book becomes widely known as a great translation for the Tao Te Ching because its standard is higher then intellectual.

Waysun Liao claims that by spending his youth with a wandering taoist, he has the understanding of Tao en Te to put the Tao Te Tjing in a historical environment that makes this mysterious book more understandable and more alive. In my opinion he succeeds fully in this endevour.
The story that is woven around the text of te Tao Te Tjing is neither brillant nor shocking. It just functions to bring the text of the Tao Te Tjing alive, but the storyline remains pleasantly on the background. The story makes Lao Tze, his teachings and the place and time the book was conceived become real. Is does this very adequatly but Liao also stays aware that he doesn't do more than this. Wu Wei in practice I guess.
For me especially Liao's understanding of Te (in western literature constantly translated with the moralistic "virtue") was very insightfull. Liao sees Te as a that part of the great Tao that resides in each of us. For anyone with serious interest in the Tao, this book offers new and refreshing views. For anyone who is new with the so hard to grasp easy concept of Tao, this book opens the world of Tao and provides an easy access that's also fun to read.

There are thousands of books on Tao on the market. Most are written by intellectuals. These books are like the scientist that studies swimmers from his lab. He watches videos of swimmers and can make some very important comments.

This book was written by a master swimmer of Tao.

In this book, there are townspeople, soldiers, monks, the children, and the prince. Each have their different view on what the Taoist Master has to say. It is very interesting who comes to the meetings and how they feel about what is said. I'm sure that people who read this book will have different views on the book, depending on where they are with their relationship with the Tao.

Going back to the swimmer concept of Tao, I've dog paddled in a small pond, this book shows you what it is like to swim in the ocean of Tao. Read the book and you will understand more of what I'm saying.

It's a book worth reading over and over again for those who are on the journey of having their Te reconnect to the Tao.

The Tao Te Ching was written as a book of answers, it's up to you to ask the right questions!

Ken

I cannot say enough about this important new version of the famous Taoist classic, the Tao te Ching. Through the use of story, Master Liao has done a magnificent job of conveying the esoteric meaning behind the great teachings of Lao Tzu. Through this book, the secrets of the Tao are more accessible than they have ever been before.

I feel this is the best book explaining the Tao Te Ching I have ever read.
WaySun Liao has a unique way of telling the true meaning of Tao and Te in a story form. The story is intergrated with the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Anyone who studies Taoism, this book is a must. I have studied the Tao Te Ching for years and always felt something was missing. My interpretations have been affirmed. WaySun Liao filled the missing parts of the puzzle. As a practioner of T`ai Chi Ch`uan, I also recommend all his other books. He is a true Master.

Master Liao, has very unique understanding of the Tao Te Ching. It is a book about Tai Ji as much as it is about interpreting Lao Tsu's 81 chapters. I've studied with Master Liao and reading his book is like talking to him. He is a true Tai Ji Master with great abilities. If you are interested in Tai Ji or Taoism this book is a must.