"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the real Way," reads a famous line from the Tao-te-ching. But although the Tao cannot be described by words, words can allow us to catch a fleeting glimpse of that mysterious energy of the universe which is the source of life. The readings in this book are a beginner's entrée into the vast treasury of writings from the sacred Chinese tradition, consisting of original translations of excerpts from the Taoist canon. Brief introductions and notes on the translation accompany the selections from the classics; books of devotional and mystical Taoism; texts of internal alchemy; stories of Taoist immortals, magicians, and sorcerers; ethical tracts; chants and rituals; and teachings on meditation and methods of longevity.

Lao Tzu Called His Path The Watercourse Way For Many Reasons. First, Water Is Soft, Humble, Seeks The Lowest Place. It May Rain On Everest But The Water Doesn T Remain There; It Starts Running Towards The Valley. And The Valley, Too, It Will Reach The Deepest Part. It Is Non-Ambitious. It Has No Ambitions To Be The First. To Be Like Water Means To Be Utterly Happy In Being A Nobody. Second, Water Means Movement. It Is Always Moving, And Whenever It Is Not Moving It Becomes Dirty, Impure, Even Poisonous. It Dies. Its Life Is In Movement, In Dynamism, In Flow. The Whole Life Is A Flow, Nothing Is Static. Osho Tao Means Being. It Believes In This Moment; It Has No Idea Of Future. If You Can Live In This Moment In Purity, In Silence, In Spontaneity, Then Your Life Is Transformed. Not That You Transform It Tao Transforms It, The Whole Transforms It. You Simply Allow The River To Take You To The Ocean; You Need Not Push The River. Osho

A renowned Taoist scholar offers a conversational and modern-day translation of Lieh-tzu's masterwork, one of the most important texts in Taoism Lieh-tzu is a collection of stories and philosophical musings of a sage of the same name who lived around the fourth century BCE. Lieh-tzu's teachings range from the origin and purpose of life, the Taoist view of reality, and the nature of enlightenment to the training of the body and mind, communication, and the importance of personal freedom. This distinctive translation presents Lieh-tzu as a friendly, intimate companion speaking directly to the reader in a contemporary voice about matters relevant to our everyday lives.

Reflected in Eastern philosophy, art, and literature for more than 2,000 years, the magisterial effects of the Tao Te Ching have shaped the thinking of some of the world's most profound philosophers. This spiritual work, one of the most influential books in history, promotes the achievement of peace and harmony through meditation.

Taoist inner alchemy is a collection of theories and practices for transforming the mind and refining the self. The Inner Teachings of Taoism includes a classic of Chinese alchemy known as Four Hundred Words on the Gold Elixir. Written in the eleventh century by a founder of the Complete Reality School, this text is accompanied by the lucid commentary of the nineteenth-century adept Lui I-ming.