Dr. Wayne W. Dyer - A New Way of Thinking, a New Way of Being: Experiencing the Tao Te Ching

Copyright 2009 by Wayne W. Dyer

This beautiful book offers you an opportunity to internalize and directly experience the great wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, a collection of 81 verses authored by Chinese prophet Lao-tzu 25 centuries ago. The words Tao Te Ching translate to living and applying the Great Way. The Tao is considered by many scholars to be the wisest book ever written, and it encourages you to change your life by literally changing the way you think. Within these pages, Ive broken down the translated verses that appear in full in my book Change Your ThoughtsChange Your Life into bite-size piecesand edited and rearranged them as needed for sense and clarityso that you can slowly absorb these powerful thoughts and imprint them into your consciousness. Wayne W. Wayne W.

Dyer
*Please note: Some versions of the Tao I relied upon more than others, and I would like to especially mention that the version provided by Jonathan Star (in Tao Te Ching: the Definitive Edition) was the one I quoted most extensively and the one that most resonated with my vision and interpretation of the Tao. (In particular, major portions of verses 6, 13, 18, 29, 30, 33, 38, 39, 44, 46, 49, 54, 56, 58, 62, 67, 69, 72, 74, 76, and 79 in Change YourThoughtsChange Your Life were quoted from Stars translation.) I would recommend that anyone seeking to gain a greater insight into the verses of the Tao Te Chingsomething that could deepen ones understanding of the ideas provided in this bookshould consult Jonathan Stars version. His edition of the Tao Te Ching is unique in that it not only provides an elegant translation of the verses, but also provides a word-for-word translation of every Chinese character found in the original text. By use of this verbatim translation, even those who do not know ancient Chinese can gain significant insight into the meaning of the original work. named and nameless.As nameless it is theorigin of all things;as named it is theMother of 10,000 things.The Tao that can be toldis not the eternal Tao.The name that can be namedis not the eternal name.Ever desireless, one cansee the mystery.Ever desiring, one sees onlythe manifestations.The mystery itself is the doorwayto all understanding.Under heaven all cansee beauty as beautyonly because there is ugliness.All can know good as goodonly because there is evil.Being and nonbeingproduce each other.The difficult is born in the easy.Long is defined by short,the high by the low.Before and after go alongwith each other.The sage can actwithout effortand teachwithout words.When the workof the Tao is done,it is forgotten.That is whyit lasts forever.Putting a valueon status createscontentiousness.The sage governsby emptying mindsand hearts,by weakeningambitions andstrengthening bones.Practice not doing....When action ispure and selfless,everything settlesintoits ownperfect place.The Tao is emptybut inexhaustible,bottomless, theancestor of all.Within the Tao,the sharp edgesbecome smooth;the twistedknots loosen.The Tao is hiddenbut always present.It is not known whogave birth to it.Heaven and earthare impartial;they see the 10,000 thingsas straw dogs.The sage is not sentimental;he treats all his peopleas straw dogs.The sage is likeheaven and earth:To him none areespecially dear,nor is there anyonehe disfavors.The sage givesand gives,without condition,offering his treasuresto everyone.Between heaven andearth is a space likea bellows; empty andinexhaustible, the moreit is used, the moreit produces.Hold on to your center.Man was madeto sit quietlyand find thetruth within.The spirit thatnever dies is calledthe mysterious feminine.