Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life [Paperback]

Ming-Dao Deng (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 1990

In this beautifully illustrated offering of ancient wisdom, Deng Ming-Dao shares the secrets of the spiritual path handed down to him by Kwan Saihung, his Taoist master, as well as by herbalists, martial artists, and other practitioners of the ancient arts. Deng shows how Taoist philosophy and practice may be integrated into contemporary Western lifestyles for complete physical, mental, and spiritual health. He provides an abundance of philosophical and practical information about hygiene, diet, sexuality, physical exercise, meditation, medicine, finding one's purpose in life, finding the right teacher, death, and transcendence.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a refreshing alternative to the usual deep, philosophical expositions on Taoism. It is a well-developed manual of how one can live a good life as defined by the tenets of Taoism. The author wonderfully blends the philosophy of Taoism with discussions on exercise, diet, sex, lifelong learning, discipline, nonviolence, and many other topics. In addition to being wide in scope, this book is most remarkable for its tone. Written in the form of a master speaking to a student, its lessons are expounded in a quiet, personal manner. All in all, a good introduction of the everyday practice of Taoism for the lay reader. Recommended for general religion collections.
- Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English, Chinese

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (December 19, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062502328
• ISBN-13: 978-0062502322
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just how does one properly practice Taoism? Here's how..., August 26, 2000

By 

H. Powell "hlp2" (Reynoldsburg, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life (Paperback)

This book is a remarkably comprehensive guide for the modern practicing Taoist. It stands alone among the numerous volumes published on this pragmatic religion/philosophy for this very reason: it is not just another commentary on the works of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, but rather a treatise on how the actual living philosophy has been applied to daily life for over 2500 years. Deng Ming Dao has accomplished a bit of a miracle here, for he has synthesized an admittedly confusing tangle of ancient Chinese Taoist traditions (many of them contradictory) and has presented the essence of the ancient wisdom and practices for the contemporary reader. Deng, like most Taoists, is a realist: he urges the practitioner to attain a level of absolute and "effortless" mastery (Wu Wei) in whatever endeavor he/she undertakes in this life ON THIS PHYSICAL PLANE. This is accomplished through persistent practice and daily focus...Taoism is NOT about "going with the flow", but rather about following the path of the heart without giving in to societal pressures or feelings of doubt. The Way has typically been walked by the "rugged individualists" of the world, NOT those who follow the herd. This is the uncompromising quest for perfection, and this perfection can only be attained if the individual is healthy in mind, body, and spirit, all of which Deng sees as being totally interdependent: one with a sick body can not have a healthy mind and one with an underdeveloped mind can not benefit from a healthy body. Hence, the intellectual must not have disdain for physical workouts and the athlete must not shun books. Indeed, roughly half of the book concerns itself with physical health: herbology and qigong breathing/stretching exercises are lucidly described. In regard to herbal remedies, Deng stresses prevention of maladies through the use of herbs as opposed to their uses as cures for diseases (in which case, he tells us, we must naturally turn to the aid of licensed physicians). I should note here that you will probably need to order many of the herbs that Deng reccommends through mail order if you do not live in an area with a "Chinatown" (addresses for mail order herb outfits are provided). The Way of the scholar warrior is a difficult one and it is not for everybody, but for those who wish to "be all that they can be" and who are willing to "just do it" (isn't this the whole essence of the Tao Te Ching?), I highly reccommend this book as a ready guide.

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very well written and thoroughly-researched book, July 6, 2000

By 

A. A. Spence - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life (Paperback)

Yes. I'm a Taoist, at 13 years of age. I buy every book I see on this subject, and I bought this one. And let me tell you, it was a good decision. It's very interesting from a philosophical standpoint as well as spiritual and a religious standpoint. Deng-Ming Dao uses simple language and mixes in with complex and abstract concepts, making a fascinating and compelling book in Taoism.

The book starts off with an introduction giving the reader the basics of the concepts and ideas that s/he will learn in the book. Even the introduction is intriguing! After the reader has read the introduction, s/he gets into the nitty-gritty, the history of the Scholar Warrior! This chapter is probably the most interesting chapter in the entire book. It tells of how old Chinese men used to strive for the elite status of the Scholar Warrior. Much like Japan's Samurai, Scholar Warriors were the elite class of society. They were the `perfect' ones. And that is what Deng-Ming Dao is trying to help us readers to learn, to be the elite. The next 3 chapters are spent on T'ai C'hi, which I'm not happy about because Deng-Ming Dao should know that the only way to learn T'ai C'hi and C'hi K'ung (Qi Gong) is with a teacher or through videos, because you can't be looking at the book while doing it. There is also a section on healthy foods you can prepare. The second half of the book is spent on the philosophy of Taoism. I guess you could say this section puts the Scholar in Scholar Warrior. This second section is very interesting and was the part I spend most of my time looking over when I look back at this book. The ending drops in to more deep `mind stuff', and that didn't interest me too much, but anyway, it's a fun set up!

The one think I noticed about this book is that it's not a book centered primarily on Taoism. It's more a mixture of Taoism, Martial Arts, and Alternative Medicine. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I just wanted to point that out for all you people who think this is just some Taoism book.

Anyway, I hope you like it!

A.A.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must have for the severely confused., October 31, 2000

By 

Craig M. Smith "C.M.Smith" (Davis Square, Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life (Paperback)

Are you an aspiring Taoist who just can't seem to get past the horrors of bad translation and esoteric texts filled with unexplained terms? If so, this is the book for you. Filled with helpful tips on exercise, diet, and the underlying themes of this wonderful belief system, it is truly one of the most informative books on the subject I have ever had the pleasure to read.