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    Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters
    Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters
    Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters
    Ebook159 pages1 hour

    Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters

    By Solala Towler

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    31 inspiring stories by Chuang Tzu, Lao Tzu, and other Taoist masters—now presented in one easy-to-read volume featuring over 100 photographs.

    For thousands of years, students of the Tao have gleaned inspiration and illumination from its parables, and these thought-provoking examples discuss topics ranging from dignity in the face of challenge, to judging character, to how to deal with loss. Whether solidifying a spiritual truth, unravelling a puzzle for contemplation, or providing a moment of humor, these tales are a mainstay of Eastern philosophy.

    This unique collection brings together the most inspiring, illuminating and downright funny stories from the classical works of Taoist masters, alongside new writing inspired by traditional tales. Set against a backdrop of the mountains, waterfalls and gorges of China, these tales introduce important Taoist ideas about many of the most basic human experiences—including birth, death, loss, pleasure, and how to surrender to the most fundamental experience of the Tao itself.

    Interwoven with classic Taoist quotations and illustrated with beautiful photography throughout, these engrossing narratives are as relevant today as they were in the great dynasties of ancient China.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWatkins Publishing
    Release dateApr 18, 2017
    ISBN9781786780744
    Tales from the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters
    Author

    Solala Towler

    Solala Towler has taught and practiced Taoist meditation and qigong for more than 25 years. He is author of Tales from the Tao, Tao Paths to Love, and more. Solala is the editor of The Empty Vessel, a widely respected journal of Taoist philosophy and practice. He teaches qigong and sound healing at conferences and workshops around the country. For more, visit abodetao.com.

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    Book preview

    Tales from the Tao - Solala Towler

    TALE 1

    To Be or Not to Be, A Butterfly

    The butterfly flitted on its way, unmindful of the gentle breeze that ruffled its wings. It flew here and there, content in its own way to wander without a goal, without any needs except to be part of the breeze that blew past its wings as it flew along, unhurried, unfurled and even.

    This little butterfly’s life had been brief. From caterpillar to chrysalis inside its quiet and heavy cocoon, it had stayed for what seemed eons of time – quiet, patient, waiting for the moment when it could break out of its prison, unfurl its wings and fly straight up into the air.

    Now it did just so, flitting around in circles, occasionally meeting up with another butterfly, always mindful of predators or a strong and sudden gust of wind that could tear at its thin, translucent wings and send it hurtling down to earth.

    Now and again the butterfly seemed to have glimpses of another life, another form. It seemed to be a much heavier and more ponderous life, this other one. But usually the butterfly ignored these unsettling inner sightings and just did what butterflies do, without thought, without motive, without any other goal than just to be what it was, a butterfly flying free.

    And as it did so the day lengthened into night and the butterfly headed back to the tree where it slept through the long period of darkness. It flew gently toward it and then suddenly stopped.

    The man lay in his bed, bewildered, bemused, lost in thought. It had seemed so real to him, this gentle butterfly life. He lay in the early morning light, listening to the sounds of the village as it slowly came to wake all about him. He heard the creaking of doors as people made their way to the outhouses. He heard the sudden squall of an infant, the bark of a dog, the clomp of an ox as it trudged out to the fields, led by its sleepy master. He heard the sounds of fires being built, the tea kettles and the rice pots being readied for breakfast.

    He lay there a long time, without rising, without moving, other than the slow and deep rising and falling of his belly as he breathed his way into the day. His dream, if that is what it was, had been so vivid, so real. He had actually experienced himself as that butterfly – had felt the breeze on his wings, felt himself carried through the air as light as a seed, had thought only butterfly thoughts. Yet now, here he was, back in his human body, back in the world of cause and effect. But which was truly real and which was the dream – himself as a butterfly, or himself as a man, waiting here for his students to come and drag him out into the light of day with their incessant questions and demands?

    How did he know that what he was experiencing now was not the dream? That he really was that butterfly, living its simple butterfly life, unattached and a part of the great natural world of Tao. He smiled in the darkness then. Truly, it did not matter if he was a man who had dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly who was now dreaming he was a man. He knew what he knew and he knew what he didn’t know. That was what sustained him through the long days and nights of his human life. What he knew or experienced in his butterfly life was also there, just outside the periphery of his vision.

    He almost laughed out loud. Imagine if I shared this with my students, he thought. He could just see their faces as he explained to them that he was not truly sure if what he experienced in his human life was any more real than what he experienced in his butterfly life.

    He slowly rose from his bed, and, stretching out his arms above him like the slow unfolding of butterfly wings, went forth into the day.

    CHUANG TZU

    TALE 2

    The Horse Breeder

    Pen Lo had bred horses for the duke for many years. Now he was getting old and the duke asked him if there was anyone in his family who would be able to take over from him.

    Pen Lo said, "You can tell a high-quality horse by looking at its muscles and appearance, but the best horses are the ones that cannot be judged by their appearance only. You must be able to see their inner nature.

    No one in my family has this ability, but I do know of one man who might be able to help you. He is a poor man who hauls wood and vegetables for a living yet he has the ability to differentiate the great horse from the merely good."

    The duke was happy then and sent for the man and asked him to find him a special horse. The man was gone for three months and then sent word to the duke that he had found such a horse.

    What kind of horse is it? asked the duke.

    It is a yellow mare, came the answer.

    So the duke sent for the horse and it turned out to be a black stallion. He was angry then and sent for Pen Lo. This man you sent to me knows nothing about horses, he said. He cannot even tell a mare from a stallion, never mind yellow from black.

    Pen Lo’s face lit up. Ah, he said, It is even better than I had hoped. His ability is now ten thousand times greater than mine. He has completely transcended judging a horse by its appearance and sees only its inner nature. When he looks at the horse he does not see a male or female or what colour it is but looks instead to its very essence. In this way he can see the potential for greatness in a horse.

    Indeed, when he had sent for the horse, the duke found that it was the greatest horse he had ever seen.

    LIEH TZU

    What is right in one case

    is not what is right in another;

    What is wrong in one case

    is not what is wrong in another.

    HUAINANZI

    In the world of knowledge,

    Every day something new is added.

    In pursuit of the Tao,

    Every day something is let go.

    LAO TZU

    TALE 3

    Down by the River

    The old man sat on the muddy bank of the great river, fishing quietly and watching the water flow. He liked it here, out with the sun and the mosquitoes, his toes squishing

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