The Tao Te Ching, after the Bible, is the most translated book in the world. Its reputed author, Lao Tzu, lived about 2600 years ago. Faced with a corrupt, competitive, egocentric society, which had lost its way (sound familiar), he left society riding upon an ox. He felt that society had lost the Tao and that was the cause of the decline of the civilization. Humans have always had an insatiable hunger for spiritual guidance and recently westerners have had a rekindled interest in the Tao. Perhaps it is because we see the same problems today that Lao Tzu saw in his day. The "Star Wars" series contains, for some, a philosophical basis. "The Tao of Star Wars" uses the motifs from the "Star Wars" series to explain the basic tenets of Taoism. Although some of these concepts are relatively familiar, such as acceptance, patience and simplicity, their nuances as they apply to Taoism are invigorated utilizing the "Star Wars" motifs. Other tenets, such as wu wei, yin-yang and p'u, may be completely foreign to the western mind and deep philosophical explanations are not practical for application to daily living. Since following the Tao is walking a living path in harmony with the way the world is sensible definitions are needed. These Taoist concepts have life breathed into them by the "Star Wars" themes. This will allow the reader to apply these concepts to one's life as the essence of the Tao is to experience life in the present moment.
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
John M. Porter, M.D. has been studying the Tao and traveling along the Way for the past ten years. He integrates his practice of Taoism with the practice of Aikido. He is a Professor of Clinical Surgery and the Chief Trauma Surgeon at the University of Arizona. He lives with his wife, Lee, and two children, Jayson and Jourdan, in Tucson, Arizona.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Tao is a path...the only logical act is to travel it. ~John M. Porter, M.D. (Professor of Clinical Surgery in Arizona)
John M. Porter has been studying the Tao and believes following the Tao is like "walking a living path." I loved how he takes The Star Wars series and explains how it is connected to the basic tenets of Taoism. He shows how Taoist roots touch every aspect of life from feng shui to qu gong or I Ching.
If you are new to The Tao Te Ching, it will be interesting to read the translated portions from Stephen Mitchell's translation. If you are a Star Wars fan, then you will enjoy a wealth of quotes. The author's comments are interspaced between quotes from the movie and The Tao Te Ching. You may also find the Chinese characters to be interesting. There are drawings throughout.
The Chapters Include:
Taoism - an overview and an explanation as to why the Tao is highly personal. There is a brief summary of the concepts to follow in each additional chapter.
The Force as the Tao - Quotes from George Lucas and the connection between his movies and Joseph Campbell's teachings.
Each additional chapter takes one quality and explores how it shows up in the movies:
Acceptance
Patience - This chapter was of special interest to me since I once prayed for patience and since then have been thrown into the patience journey. (You sometimes get what you pray for...) In this chapter he shows how Luke needs patience. He then quotes "Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are" from chapter 67 of The Tao Te Ching. Then he gives these quotes:
Yoda: (signing) Will he finish what he begins?
Then the author shows how patience and perseverance work together to yield good results. Thinking of "patience in action" was a new concept for me.
Uncarved Block
Wu Wei
Simplicity
Humility
Life Experience
Present Moment Living
Yoda the Sage Master - I loved the "Traits of a Master" in the Yoda chapter. These can be wonderful goals for anyone seeking to live a more spiritual existence.
John M. Porter is a natural teacher who knows how to take examples and fill them out into life teachings. This book made me want to go rent the entire Star Wars series and it is a must-have for Star War fans. I found this book to be a peaceful, healing read and I can highly recommend it to you.
~The Rebecca Review
John M. Porter has been studying the Tao and believes following the Tao is like "walking a living path." I loved how he takes The Star Wars series and explains how it is connected to the basic tenets of Taoism. He shows how Taoist roots touch every aspect of life from feng shui to qu gong or I Ching.
If you are new to The Tao Te Ching, it will be interesting to read the translated portions from Stephen Mitchell's translation. If you are a Star Wars fan, then you will enjoy a wealth of quotes. The author's comments are interspaced between quotes from the movie and The Tao Te Ching. You may also find the Chinese characters to be interesting. There are drawings throughout.
The Chapters Include:
Taoism - an overview and an explanation as to why the Tao is highly personal. There is a brief summary of the concepts to follow in each additional chapter.
The Force as the Tao - Quotes from George Lucas and the connection between his movies and Joseph Campbell's teachings.
Each additional chapter takes one quality and explores how it shows up in the movies:
Acceptance
Patience - This chapter was of special interest to me since I once prayed for patience and since then have been thrown into the patience journey. (You sometimes get what you pray for...) In this chapter he shows how Luke needs patience. He then quotes "Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are" from chapter 67 of The Tao Te Ching. Then he gives these quotes:
Yoda: (signing) Will he finish what he begins?
Then the author shows how patience and perseverance work together to yield good results. Thinking of "patience in action" was a new concept for me.
Uncarved Block
Wu Wei
Simplicity
Humility
Life Experience
Present Moment Living
Yoda the Sage Master - I loved the "Traits of a Master" in the Yoda chapter. These can be wonderful goals for anyone seeking to live a more spiritual existence.
John M. Porter is a natural teacher who knows how to take examples and fill them out into life teachings. This book made me want to go rent the entire Star Wars series and it is a must-have for Star War fans. I found this book to be a peaceful, healing read and I can highly recommend it to you.
~The Rebecca Review
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By D. Walker
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I can't say enough about this book. After reading many books on Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching, I have found this to be the clearest, most concise, and most useful yet! I have read and re-read this book many times now and continue to get new insights each time I read it. If you are even the slightest fan of Star Wars, and are looking to flow with the Tao, this book is, IMHO, for you! I found the Tao of Star Wars more edifying, and with less rambling, than what I found in the Tao of Pooh.
Chapter titles are: Taoism - An Overview, The Force as the Tao, Acceptance, Patience, Uncarved Block, Wu Wei, Simplicity, Humility, Life Experience, Present Moment Living, and Yoda the Sage Master.
I would also recommend getting a copy (you can find it online for free) of Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao Te Ching since most of the quotes in the Tao of Star Wars are quoted from it.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
There are many "Tao of" books on the market today. Most, if not all of them deviate from the essence of Taoism. That is not that case in this book. This book is excellent, both for beginners seeking to learn the Tao, as well as for those with experience who may need to be renewed in the Tao. The Star Wars analogies make it an enjoyable read. I recommend this book highly to all.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good beginning
Putting the Tao into words is terribly difficult thing to do. Dr. Porter did an excellent job. Furthermore, his utilization of Star Wars to illustrate Taoist concepts is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Okey Napier
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very short, but good read.
I have to confess when I bought this book I did not have high expectations. I may have been judging the book by its cover, but reading it was a pleasant and meaningful (if brief)... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Will Jerom
2.0 out of 5 stars
Big dissapointment
I was looking forward to this book for quite some time, being a big fan of both Star Wars and the Tao. I was immediatley turned off by how thin the book was. Read more
Published on March 2, 2011 by Chris L.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as One would Hope
This book was almost okay, on a very, very basic level. However, the author said all he had to say around page 10 or so, and basically repeated himself to the end of the book in... Read more
Published on December 15, 2009 by Michelle A. Mahoney
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Use of Star Wars to Teach Taoism
As a fan of both Taoism and Star Wars, I bought this book, and was not disappointed. The author does a great job of taking the characters and events of the Star Wars movies, and... Read more
Published on April 10, 2009 by Praveen Puri
5.0 out of 5 stars
Traits of the Master
This little book is an excellent explanation of the fundamentals of the Tao- and to the principles of the Force. Read more
Published on October 20, 2008 by OAKSHAMAN
5.0 out of 5 stars
FA
This book is very inspirational and skillfully crafted. I am very happy with my purchase of the book.
Published on August 10, 2008 by Felicia Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
An excellent book reflective of the current practice or Trauma Medicine today.
Published on February 19, 2007 by A. M. Ming
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to Understand
This book is great if you didn't understand what the Jedi were trying to teach in Star Wars. I don't think it is a book that you can read if you haven't seen Star Wars, because you... Read more
Published on January 25, 2007 by Dottie Randazzo
5.0 out of 5 stars
A nice introduction to the Tao
I just finished reading this gem. It is a very nice introduction to the Tao with a Star Wars Twist, wetting the appetite for more. Read more
Published on May 26, 2005 by Larson
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