The important thing to remember about the Tao is that it works.
You don’t have to take anything on faith. The Tao is a book of advice on how to live a life. I’ve been studying it since the mid 1970’s and I’ve found that as long as I follow the advice in the Tao, I’m happier.
It’s also a tremendous weight loss book. You’ll find that the weight of other people’s problems, changing the world, competing and comparing just floats away, leaving you light, calm, and relaxed.
The problem I’m attempting to solve with the book is that the original Tao te Ching was written for the people who were literate at the time it was written: Kings, counselors, rulers, and very wealthy people. I’m “none of the above.”
Then, Westerners discovered the Tao, and translated it. But, it still wasn’t really talking to me.
By spending a lot of time with it, I was able to find a way to reframe the book so that it did talk to me. That’s what Everyday Tao te Ching is. I took off its jeweled robes, and dressed it in comfy jeans and an old t-shirt. I took the brilliant advice from that book and restated it in a way that my son, my wife-like girlfriend, my friends and I—and hopefully, you—can relate to without too much effort.
Writing this book was the hardest project I’ve ever taken on, and the most fun. I had many hours of enjoyment digging deep into the Tao, trying to isolate the diamond-like beauty in each verse, and then writing an “every day” version of each verse.
When I got the final proof back from my editor, Craig Burdett, with the book formatted and the pictures in place, I realized that I had achieved the author’s dream: I had written a book I’ll enjoy reading.
I hope you enjoy it, too.
I’ll be writing more here about my exploration and adventures with the Tao. Leave a comment. Tell me what you want to hear. When you get your copy of the book, tell me how it affects you and how the Tao operates in your life.
Thanks,
Pat