Waysun Liao - Nine Nights with the Taoist Master: Deluxe Study Edition

Nine Nights with the TaoistMasterby Master Waysun Liao E-BOOK EDITION Copyright 2005, 2010 Waysun Liao Taichi Tao Productions 433 South Boulevard Oak Park, Illinois 60302 www.taichitaocenter.com ISBN 978-0-9765454-8-4 All Rights Reserved. Nothing in this book may be reproduced or reprinted in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical, photocopying or recording, without express permission of the publisher. Table of ContentsPreface Do you ever wonder who you really are? Where you come from? What you are made of? What is the purpose of life? Is there more than what we see? As a boy of twelve, I wondered about these things. I argued too much and asked the adults in my life tough questions, even in school. So my father, who was also a schoolteacher, sent me to an old Taoist monk to find my answers. I ended up spending the entirety of my teenage years with this living antique.

After school, I would report to his rundown little local temple to learn the practice of Tao meditation, Tai Chi and the healing arts. It was a rare opportunity to learn from a real wandering Taoist. His verbal and hands-on teaching brought me to another side of our world, the world of invisible power, which seems odd to our real world. He certainly corrected all my bias about people and the world. The core truth of what I learned from this sage was that each person is created with a piece of Tao inside. That small piece of Infinite One Power is called Te.

I learned that since I had a part of God inside me, I could learn to be one with God. After I left the temple, I went to college. In my studies, I was shocked to find that no written materials about Taoist teachings on the Tao TeChing interpreted it correctly. Scholars for the last 2500 years have missed the mark. These misunderstandings begin with the common misreading of the titles meaning: often interpreted as a Book of Virtue, the Book about the Way, or the Virtuous Way. They speak as if the text were merely a primer on moral philosophy.

The true title conveys that this is a book about the Infinite Power outside, surrounding and penetrating all things Tao, and the portion of that power that resides in each human being Te. The full title Tao TeChing implies that the words inside will reveal how to connect Tao and Te, or that part of God within us to the greater whole of Infinity. To interpret the book as anything less, strips it of its real intent and removes its true potency. It was always my intention to tell the world the true teaching contained in the oldest written instruction on mysticism, Lao Tzus Tao Te Ching . However, it was an uncomfortable role to play being the first to reveal the secret code of the Tao Te Chings real meaning. This powerful teaching was exclusively passed from mouth to ear, master to disciple, privately for the last 2500 years.

This oral tradition kept its integrity even while the written text confused the intellectual and academic community for so long. This confusion penetrated and expanded through the whole of Chinese culture. Unfortunately, misinterpretation of the Tao Te Ching only worsened after its introduction to Western scholars. Well meaning commentators, from both East and West, trained readers to view Laotzus Tao as any or all of the following: a conglomeration of religious beliefs, a philosophical attitude of passive detachment, benign agnosticism, an appreciative interaction with nature, or an injunction toward a lifestyle of simplicity. It is none of these. The Chinese even established a religion 2200 years ago that bears the name of Tao.

This religious movement ironically made Laotzu himself a god. Mingling bits and pieces of Taoist philosophy with a conglomeration of spiritual, occult, and local rituals, most of the religion, sadly, has little to do with the original true teaching of the Tao and Te. When Laotzu speaks of Tao he speaks of the organic Tao. He refers to nothing less than the original One Power. His words are an invitation and a road map for connecting to the organic Tao in a real and powerful way. It is a very dynamic and real interaction with a very dynamic and real power.

There is nothing philosophical, attitudinal or ritualistic about it. So-called Taoist philosophy, attitudes and rituals are but a poor reflection of Laotzus meaning at their best, and misleading dead-ends at their worst. So many modern readers of the Tao Te Ching are moved by its message, and subsequently declare that they are Taoists. However, they never hear or understand the Tao as organic Tao. Instead, they adopt mental attitudes of detachment, or spend more time in quiet appreciation of nature, or cultivate within their minds elaborate notions of what it means to live a simple life. While these are all noble goals, and may even smooth the way for real understanding someday, they will never substitute for the enlivening, transforming connection with the organic Tao that Laotzu describes.

But the time for misunderstanding is over. That is why this book offers a clear interpretation of Laotzus real meaning, so that the reader can know the Tao as the organic Tao. Armed with this clear understanding, the reader can make his or her own choice whether to accept the road map Laotzu provides and seek to reconnect to the organic Tao. The old original writings comprising the Tao TeChing were notes record-ed in a question and answer format, without the question portion. The words used were borrowed from the common language to convey a special meaning. It would undoubtedly cause great confusion, even to the most dedicated scholar, if he lacked access to the oral component of the teaching to fill in the blanks.

In this book, Ive restored the full teaching by recreating the missing questions, and endeavored to make it both fun and easier to understand. I tried to bring a scene from 2500 years ago, based on verbal legacy, back to life through a fictitious storyline. The characters created here, and the blend of writing styles, help illuminate what Lao Tzu was really talking about and allow me to pass on to you a broader range of teaching that I received within the ancient tradition of my childhood Taoist master. I especially wanted to write this book so that young people would have an opportunity to absorb the real meaning of Lao Tzus words. May you, the reader, discover or rediscover Lao Tzu for the first time. Enjoyment and confusion await within.

Enjoy being confused. Welcome to the world of the power of Tao! Master Liao (Note: In this e-book edition, any lines directly translated from Lao Tzus Tao Te Ching will be indexed by line and chapter and italicized. Any text added to the phrase to integrate it with the storyline will remain in regular type. Here is an example:, When the power of the great Taoceases to prevail, the people in your state receive Then people canonly count on so-called kindness and justice to get along with each other. This version also includes an with the entire translation on its own. This version does not include the additional appendices, glossary, original artwork and diagrams that are found in the Deluxe Study Edition.) Chapter OneTrouble for the BorderCity of West Peace General KoWu! the breathless soldier gasped as he burst through the council doorway, bowing hastily.

Report! ordered a stately leader from the center of the council room. 2500 years ago, central Asia knew nothing of chairs. The prince, who soldiers often addressed as General, sat on a plush cushion surrounded by smaller mats. On these mats sat several old warriors and key palace advisors. The group came to argue defense strategies against an imminent attack from northern barbarian tribes before the scouts abrupt arrival. The frantic scout brought critical news, since he monitored the advancing barbarian troops on the citys southern outskirts.