Resources for Taoism

What resources are available for philosophical Taoism? Well, it's a philosophy that's over 2,500 years old, so there has to be some stuff out there that clearly and easily defines it.  You would think that after 2,500 years people would have pared it down and made it pretty simple, right?

Ha! Wrong. We're not even in the ballpark of simple.  The U.S. Congress, and a truck load of drunk lawyers, couldn't have done a better job of making Taoism more confusing. 

Okay, so exactly why is Taoism so confusing?  Why is it so hard to define and nail down?  Well, it's not difficult, it's actually simple.  The problem is it's so simple, and so far in the opposite direction of Western culture, that it's difficult to grasp.

Now, having said that, here are some resources that will help you get your hold on Taoism. They'll start you on your path, which will be unique.  I'm just going to post the titles of the books and their authors below.  No links, you can find them on your own.  Just use a search engine.

• The Tao Te Ching - The main book on Taoism, the Granddaddy, the number one source of all things Tao.  Probably written a few thousand years ago.  Written by?  No one is really sure.  Lao Tzu is the usual suspect, but many historians claim it was written by many different people over many generations. Some people even claim there never was a Lao Tzu.  There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of versions of the Tao Te Ching.  Go search for it. I won't recommend any particular translation as you should read several different versions.
  
  
• Zhuangzi, or the book of Chuang Tzu - Chuang Tzu was a Chinese philosopher back in the day, and by "back in the day", I mean sometime around the 4th Century BC.   He's part poet, part philosopher, and part comedian. Sometimes he's brilliant, sometimes not, but he must be read.
  
  
• The Second Book of the Tao - Stephen Mitchell.  Compiled and adapted from the book of Chuang-tzu and the Chung Yung, with commentaries by the author, Stephen Mitchell.   I make no secret of the fact that I'm a Mitchell fan.  This book means the world to me.  Mitchell's commentary on each verse sheds as much light on Taoism as Chuang Tzu himself.  Deep and enlightening. 
  
  
• Anything by Alan Watts on Taoism -  Seriously.  Anything.  Just Google Alan Watts.  Go to youtube, search for Alan Watts.  Listen and learn.  Don't judge.  Just clear you mind, be still, and absorb the info. 
  
  
• The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff.  Simply brilliant.  A silly little bear can teach you everything you ever wanted to know about being happy in life.  Hint - it involves simplicity and living in the moment, a  practice you will hear about over and over again in Taoism. Pooh may look and act like a goofy, little bear, but when it comes to being happy, he's way ahead of the game.
  
  
• Wikipedia.  Yeah, it's that easy.  Just type "Taoism" in Wikipedia and check it out.   
  

Those 6 should be enough to get you started and at the same time, completely confuse and aggravate you.  If you're still around after being annoyed by those sources, then you might be hooked.   There's a lifetime of info available about Taoism.   

Enjoy the ride.

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