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The Whole Heart of Tao (The Whole Heart series)

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talking about the character of the tao source of life
is fundamentally
useless
talking about the lessons of the tao way of life is
likewise useless
because the real way is a revealed way

Chapter 14, Tao Te Ching


Is there anybody left who hasn't read the Tao Te Ching? It's been said that Lao-tzu's classic has been translated more times than there are fleas on Tarzan's dog. The cryptic musings of Lao-tzu, the Ancient Child, seem to speak directly to some funky hunger lurking in the psychic bowels of the human spirit. College kids from Hong Kong to Timbuktu have been known to hunker down with a copy of the Old Man's verses, pondering the intricacies of the Void until their eyeballs wobbled. More than a few have proclaimed that the Way that can't be called a Way is simply a linguistic puzzle of unfathomable dimensions, best pondered while stoned or in deep samadhi. So it goes for the past 2,500 years.

Early on, cultivators of the mysterious Tao received the teaching by word of mouth, at least until the proto-type of Kinkos appeared. The ancient technology for passing on spiritual wisdom was by "mind-to-mind transmission." Basically, to receive the transmission required a simple commitment - your life. A commitment not many are prepared to make.

John Bright-Fey's Whole Heart of Tao is our era's window into that atavistic oral tradition. The 12th lineage holder of an esoteric Buddhist order, the author received transmission of Lao-tzu's poetic revelations from two Taoist masters. This required him to become adept in the arts of qigong, meditation, and calligraphy. Not to mention the Chinese language. From the book's introduction, it's clear that Bright-Fey didn't take the job lightly. He is one of a few with the credentials and skills to toss the ball to the rest of us mere mortals.

This book is not the Tao Te Ching most of us are cozy with. Bright-Fey's spin on the Tao Te Ching is 180 degrees from the typical academic rehash of Lao-tzu's ancient manuscript. Bright-Fey's book aims for the guts, the viscera, not the intellect.

The oral rendition veers from the scribbled translations in that it's an actual road map to the cultivation of the Way. To go here is to leave the proverbial trail and dive into "an act of literary surrender to the poetic moment so total that the receiver of the direct transmission is fundamentally altered forever." Needless to say, stumbling into enlightenment by reading a book is about as easy as wining Power Ball without buying a lottery ticket. You'll have to look Bright-Fey up in person to find that frequency. Which is the whole point of the book: YOU must cultivate your own mystical experience. Books just tickle your amygdala into considering the first step. The Whole Heart of Tao is simply a conduit of the wiggly Way, an echo of the ineffable in the maelstrom of our topsy turvy theater of modernity.

John Bright-Fey stands out in a crowded field of authors who write about Taoism. There are plenty of other fun Tao Te Ching translations, to be sure; but, it's fair to say that, until now, we didn't have access to the kind of knowledge within the pages of The Whole Heart of Tao. Some will gnash their teeth at the idea that an underground version of one of the world's most popular pieces of literature has finally chosen to surface. Such is life.

But for those with an open mind (we are talking Taoism here), Bright-Fey has cast a sliver of light upon the fascinating tao of the Tao. That he walks the walk as an initiate of Taoism makes the adventure that much more of a dance along the razor's edge. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself.

do not be in a hurry for the future
rather allow the unnamed to flow into the named
to reveal the
present ever

Chapter 32, Tao Te Ching

This book is so accessible! The translation really gives amazing insights into the why's and how's of Taoism. I've read many other translations and this is one that has touched my heart. It breaks down the information in the commentary in such a helpful way. If you are interested in Taoism and really want a view inside its ways and workings this is a great book!

Beautiful of edition of the Tao. Plus, the simple chapter commentaries really helps me understand the meaning behind the beauty of the words.

Amazing! A stunning piece of revelation. One can only image the cost to the author for this act of courage. Having been a student of t'ai chi for close to 30 years, having had several teachers (one internationally known), and having read everything I can get my hands on - this book has fallen on me like a ton of bricks! I am both humbled by its depth of knowledge and excited about the possibilites. The whole topic is new and fresh to me again!

My other copy of the Tao te Ching does not offer the same poignant beauty that John Bright-Fey's translation does. Take the beginning of chapter 16. Mitchell says to Empty your mind. Bright-Fey says to present your confusion to the earth. Bright-Fey's words are much more beautiful and attainable to me.
Each chapter is like a bite of a very rich dessert that takes time to digest...and then produces very rich rewards. This translation gives me new vistas on the world without and also the world within myself. I have studied t'ai chi and kung fu for 12 years, and have found this copy my most complete companion on my journey into Taoism.