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Title: Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life by Ming-Dao Deng ISBN: 0-06-250232-8 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 December, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.82 (17 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: A nice package, but definitely not without flaws
Comment: When it comes to this book, I am a bit conflicted. On the one hand, /Scholar Warrior/ is a very well-constructed, illustrated guide to various aspects of Taoist life and philosophy. On the other hand, some of the guidelines Deng Ming-Dao presents as "essential" to this way of life not only run contradictory to the Taoist ideal of wu-wei (non-action), but also contrary to a number of ideas the author himself states are important.
In /Scholar Warrior/, the reader is told both that the Taoist does not strive forcefully and instead flows naturally with life (wu-wei). Yet, there is much detail on how to meticulously plan the stages of your life from the present until the day you die. There's also a great deal of advice on striving to eliminate your "fatal flaw" - yet, if such a "flaw" exists, is it not a natural part of yourself and thus, a manifestation of the perfect Tao? I suppose the idea here is that all this advice is presented as a guide to the "natural" way that others have discovered - but isn't one of the core ideas behind Taoism that each must find their own unique way on the Way? This book seems too heavily centered on goals, which strikes me as very un-Taoist.
There's a lot of good information in this book, but there is also a lot that is simply not very usable. The sections on herbology, meditation, and the philosophies of Taoism seem very well done. However, a tremendous amount of space in the book is spent on Qigong, for example. The illustrations and descriptions are quite good, but this ignores a fundamental problem: you can't learn Qigong by gawking at illustrations in a book, and there's far too many steps involved to remember them with any effectiveness. So despite the quality of these parts of the book, they are ultimately not very useful.
I don't really mean to bash this book so much - there is a lot of good information in it, and it can inspire you to explore different branches of the Taoist path in more detail. The breadth and depth of this work is admirable, it's just a shame that a lot of it is very contradictory or not all that useful in the end. I'm glad I bought /Schollar Warrior/ though, and for one simple reason: it has inspired me to think more carefully about what my own path means for me. In that regard, it was a worthwhile purchase. Just be sure to approach this book with an eye out for contradictions, so you can figure out what the right direction is for *you*
Rating: 5
Summary: A very good reference for all things Taoist...
Comment: Deng Ming Dao provides a very thorough overview of the history, general techniques and theory of many aspects of Taoism. The sections on Qigong and meditation are excellent and there is lots of food for thought here. The recipes are rather humourous in my opinion but it does bring up the important aspect of healthy eating is balanced eating.
I believe there are better historical accounts (see Grigg's "Tao of Zen") but overall this book is very informative. I really like the quiet tone and ego-less method of trying to convey the information.
Rating: 1
Summary: highly misleading
Comment: the previous reviewer did a very good job of summing up what this book is about. deng ming dao emphasizes from the first page that dao is for "the few, the proud" and demands lifelong devotion. he opens the book with descriptions of extraordinary feats, and lures the reader on with the promise of amazing abilities. his daoist is quintessentially antisocial, and he even considers human relationships to be a distraction from the work at hand. running through the book is the urge to perfect oneself, to be better and better.
is this starting to sound unhealthy?
there's also the fact that the Daoist classics consider attachment to perfection and the desire to excel the LAST things one needs if one really wants to live life fruitfully. deng is right about the bountiful fruits of correct daoist practice--but he doesn't seem to realize the basic truth that virtually everyone understands if he or she has done any work or accomplished anything worthwhile: *you* can't get in the way.
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Title: 365 Tao : Daily Meditations by Ming-Dao Deng ISBN: 0062502239 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 17 July, 1992 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Chronicles of Tao : The Secret Life of a Taoist Master by Ming-Dao Deng ISBN: 0062502190 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 08 October, 1993 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony by Ming-Dao Deng ISBN: 0062513958 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 14 June, 1996 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Wandering Taoist by Deng Ming-Dao ISBN: 0062502263 Publisher: Harpercollins (P) Pub. Date: 01 October, 1986 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture by Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine ISBN: 7119002406 Pub. Date: 01 January, 1993 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
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