Tao Te Ching

Meh!  I have known a couple of people who really rave about this book, and I thought I would give it a read, but after reading it, not exactly been blown away. I also can’t help but think that it is in some ways, very pop philosophy. Next time I meet one of said people, I am going to ask them to actually explain what they think it means - in a nice way of course

So what got my back up about the book ? I think firstly, I never felt engaged by the writings. Something like Marcus Aurellius’ meditations, I can get very lost in and even though I found it confusing and annoying, the Tibetan Book of the Dead still had a great deal of engagement to be found. With the Tao Te Ching, It just seems to be a collection of some very odd sayings all thrown together - I cant think of any that I read, that made me want to stop and think.  To give you an example

“My Words are easy to understand and easier to put into practice. Yet no one in the world seems to understand them nor are they able to apply what I teach “

Can’t be very good choice of words then. I think the other thing that bugged me is the style that it is written, its all a bit flowery and a bit la-de-da, which might be the fault of the translation but I think also to do with the style of philosophy. On the note of translations, this was the by the same company that I bought the Tibetan Book of the Dead from and as before l not going to moan about a book that cost 99p nor recommend it either.

Going back to the book, another gripe is, it also seems to lack any backbone which is stressed by the opening line

“The Tao that be be described is not the eternal Tao”

So great, all I am about to read is not the real deal and then finally to add insult to injury the text then calls me foolish

“When a superior person hears of the Tao, she dilligently puts it into practice. When an average person hears of the Tao, he believes half of it, and doubts the other half. When a foolish person  hears of a the Tao, he laughs out loud at the very idea . If he didn’t laugh, it wouldn't be the Tao”

And in case you are reading this wondering what Tao is, then to slightly paraphrase chapter 4 and 5 of the Tao Te Ching

“The Tao is like an empty container
it can never be emptied and it can never be filled ….
It is hidden but always present …

… The more it produces; the more you talk of it , the less you comprehend It is better not to speak of things you do not understand “ - the missing bits in the above are about straw dogs, which I didn’t include as it might have made you laugh, and then you would have been foolish.

So to the sum up the Tao Te Ching, a book which is not meant to be understood and if you do understand it, the more you understand it, the less you understand.

Kind of makes me wonder if Yoko Ono would of been a far better artist is she had done nothing at all.

Dirty Filthy Hippy Writers Rant

I have recently been reading up about breathing (chapter one breath in,chapter two breath out) , its actually quite a fascinating topic. The reason I have been reading about breathing is I have a Hiatus Hernia which is really beginning to piss me off and whilst looking that up, I got led onto the subject of breathing. I may do a future post on the subject, but a few things that have perked my interest is the strength of the diaphragm muscles and the subject of Diaphragmatic breathing; How most people in the west tend to shallow breath, the importance of oxygen to the body and how those in the east and far east have known about this type of thing all along.


On that last note, Both Yoga and Tai Chi for example, put emphasis on deep breathing. I have to admit I am very ignorant on what both the aforementioned actually are. I have decided to start with looking into Yoga and Pranayama, which is the 'Yoga art of breathing'. As well as getting the heavy duty reading material.I wanted to get something a bit light to give us an overview - and this is where the problem starts...


I really can't stand dirty filthy hippy writing, you know, the kind of book you see on someones mantle piece next to the 'health crystals'. Normally, they have a cover with a picture of a candle on it and have slugs which read 'improve your inner ding dang' and printed by some press with new age delusions.


What annoys me most is they try and emulate the great classics and fail miserably on all counts;

• Firstly, they forget works such as Meditations, the Tao Te Ching were written along time ago in a world very different to the world that we live in today. 
• Next the original classics are normally the collection of a lifetimes worth of knowledge, study or enlightenment - They are not being churned out at the rate of six a year to fulfill publishing quotas.
• Probably the biggest cock up, is language. Not only the differences in the language of today and when they were written, but in the fact they have been translated. If we then look at the people who have translated these works, normally there is a list of Phd's attached to their names and they would of have scoured countless dictionaries finding the right phrases and words to translate the text to its nearest original meaning.  Take the saying for example "Every great journey starts with a small step" from The Way of Lao-tzu. A more correct translation would be "Even the longest journey must begin where you stand" or if you wanted to be more accurate in translation;"Even a 2,440 mile journey begins with a single step". The point is the translator has had to make decisions, normally backed up with a knowledge of vocabulary far beyond your average Joe Bloggs. Most certainly above and beyond that of a Media Studies /Sociology graduate who normally lend their talents to such New Age crap.
• There are many points I could continue to rant ont, but I will end with the fact that the original works have inspired, guided and have stood the tests of time and will continue to, long into mans future. 

So I say to you existing and potential Dirty Filthy Hippy Writers - What are you doing reading this post and why are you on a computer ? go outside into the world and spend your lifetime looking for enlightment and then write your magnus opus. If it is still be quoted in say 600 years, to be fair, then I will read it. 

So back to my problem about trying to find a quick read to get the quips of Pranayama breathing. In the end I went for a book entitled "Yoga Breathing" by Scott Shaw  who seems, in all fairness, someone who really enjoys life and a good distance from Dirty Filthy Hippy Writers. I have yet to read it as I'm currently working my way through the Bhagavad Gita, but I will stick a review up here when I do.