The Activist's Tao Te Ching
eBook - ePub

The Activist's Tao Te Ching

Ancient Advice for a Modern Revolution

  1. 128 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Activist's Tao Te Ching

Ancient Advice for a Modern Revolution

About this book

"[An] inspiration."
— Alice Walker, The New York Times Book Review Change and anger are in the air. Looking for answers to today's wrenching challenges, William Martin turns to the Tao Te Ching and finds that while Taoism is known for its quiet, enigmatic wisdom, the Tao can also have the cleansing force of a rushing river. Through his interpretation of this ancient Chinese text, Martin elucidates revolutionary messages condemning power-seeking and greed. He emphasizes that humans have a "natural virtue" that can help them heal the planet; shows how Taoism's simplicity can be subversive and its flexibility a potent force; and reassures that "when injustice is the rule, justice always lies in wait." Provocative and stirring, Martin's Tao flows within and through those who ride the waves of anger and frustration and gently guides them to true freedom.
"We have learned the secret of transformation: Injustice feeds our determination. Hate increases our love. Wounds bring forth our healing, and fear uncovers our courage and serenity."
— from The Activist's Tao Te Ching

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Yes, you can access The Activist's Tao Te Ching by William Martin in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Personal Success. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher
New World Library
Year
2016
Print ISBN
9781608683925
eBook ISBN
9781608683932
Topic
Philosophy
Subtopic
Personal Success
[ 1 ]
SPONTANEOUS ACTION
Ideas, concepts, and words
have separated us from life.
Masquerading as friends,
they have made us enemies
of each other.
Free of our own prejudices,
we act with spontaneity.
We move naturally.
We accomplish what is necessary.
Caught in our prejudices,
we act as puppets,
moving in lockstep
to the beat of commerce.
All emerges from the Tao,
all returns to the Tao in time.
Meanwhile darkness deepens,
bringing fear and despair.
Darkness faced, however,
opens into daylight.
There is a transformative movement within the Tao that cannot be stopped, any more than water can be stopped from returning to its ocean home. Dams can be built, but it will seep under, flow over, burst through, or evaporate and rain on the other side. This is the energy we have flowing within and through us.
image
[ 2 ]
A QUIET REVOLUTION
Change does not come
from eloquence or persuasion.
When injustice is the rule,
justice always lies in wait.
Where oppression flourishes,
freedom ever lurks.
Where death is the threat,
life springs into being.
The darkness of power,
unknowing, contains the seeds
of a bright new light.
Therefore the people act
but do not force;
they teach without agenda
and let freedom emerge
without conscious effort.
We want justice now! But if we let the Tao flow through us, it alone will break the dam, sweep away the debris of greed, and cleanse our culture’s wounds. Our role will be to ride the wave and gently help people find the freedom that it brings.
[ 3 ]
WE ARE NOT FOOLED
When a nation values wealth and status,
its citizens are easily controlled
by their desires and their fears.
When we learn to value simple things
and are not enticed by power,
we can open the hearts of people
to the joy of ordinary life.
We will not be fooled by clever words
designed to keep us captive,
promising us a better day,
someday.
When we no longer believe
these empty promises,
already better days
are on their way.
We are not seeking justice just so everyone can share the trinkets of a consumer culture. We are seeking the freedom to live without artificially induced desires. When this happens, justice will be natural and flow like a river.
[ 4 ]
WITHOUT AGENDA
The Tao is empty of agenda,
therefore full of possibilities.
It is not a limited reservoir of energy,
doled out in parcels to supplicants.
It is an infinite field.
We don’t know what the future looks like.
Transformation will surprise us with its form.
If we knew what it would look like,
our vision would be limited
and our efforts would be futile.
We act in service to the formless Tao,
not to the forms and functions of our restless minds.
So we let the tension recede,
our bodies relax,
and our minds open
to the future.
Whatever is impelling us is rooted in a mystery. Whatever is happening to us is not the usual dance. Something new is being shaped that began before time itself was formed. We’re not causing it to happen. We’re letting it happen in us.
[ 5 ]
NO PREFERENCES
The Tao has no preferences
and will not “take our side.”
Oppressors and oppressed alike
are born within
and carried by the Tao.
New forms are always appearing,
for the T...

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. [ 1 ] Spontaneous Action
  8. [ 2 ] A Quiet Revolution
  9. [ 3 ] We Are Not Fooled
  10. [ 4 ] Without Agenda
  11. [ 5 ] No Preferences
  12. [ 6 ] Sure Hope
  13. [ 7 ] Success
  14. [ 8 ] True Power
  15. [ 9 ] No Praise, No Blame
  16. [ 10 ] Qualities
  17. [ 11 ] I Don’t Know
  18. [ 12 ] Information or Wisdom?
  19. [ 13 ] Hope and Fear
  20. [ 14 ] Formless Flow
  21. [ 15 ] Unlikely Rebels
  22. [ 16 ] Return to Source
  23. [ 17 ] All by Ourselves
  24. [ 18 ] Structures
  25. [ 19 ] Decrease
  26. [ 20 ] Bread and Circuses
  27. [ 21 ] A Light Within
  28. [ 22 ] The Acceptance Paradox
  29. [ 23 ] Perspective
  30. [ 24 ] Be Completely Who We Are
  31. [ 25 ] The Womb of Tao
  32. [ 26 ] Distraction
  33. [ 27 ] The Secret
  34. [ 28 ] Embracing Everything
  35. [ 29 ] No Objectives
  36. [ 30 ] Subversion
  37. [ 31 ] Weapons
  38. [ 32 ] One Thing
  39. [ 33 ] Within Ourselves
  40. [ 34 ] Hidden Power
  41. [ 35 ] Engrossed but Exhausted
  42. [ 36 ] New Foundations
  43. [ 37 ] Silence
  44. [ 38 ] No Rules
  45. [ 39 ] Leaders
  46. [ 40 ] No Us
  47. [ 41 ] Paradox Abounds
  48. [ 42 ] Balance
  49. [ 43 ] Stillness
  50. [ 44 ] Siren Songs
  51. [ 45 ] The Common Man
  52. [ 46 ] Contentment
  53. [ 47 ] The World Inside
  54. [ 48 ] Laid Aside
  55. [ 49 ] Ideals
  56. [ 50 ] Life and Death
  57. [ 51 ] Not Alone
  58. [ 52 ] Shut the Gates
  59. [ 53 ] Mind Training
  60. [ 54 ] Wellspring
  61. [ 55 ] The Nature of Things
  62. [ 56 ] Those Who Talk Don’t Know
  63. [ 57 ] Anarchy
  64. [ 58 ] A Certain Courage
  65. [ 59 ] Connected
  66. [ 60 ] No Force Necessary
  67. [ 61 ] No Argument
  68. [ 62 ] Disagreement
  69. [ 63 ] Without Ado
  70. [ 64 ] A Small Step
  71. [ 65 ] Is That True?
  72. [ 66 ] Lead with Humility
  73. [ 67 ] Our Weapons
  74. [ 68 ] Anger
  75. [ 69 ] No Enemy
  76. [ 70 ] Understanding Origins
  77. [ 71 ] Healing
  78. [ 72 ] Trust Ourselves
  79. [ 73 ] A Hidden Path
  80. [ 74 ] The Price
  81. [ 75 ] Controlled by Wanting
  82. [ 76 ] Like Bamboo
  83. [ 77 ] Balance
  84. [ 78 ] Fluid Power
  85. [ 79 ] No Blame
  86. [ 80 ] After the Revolution
  87. [ 81 ] Truth?
  88. Afterword
  89. Acknowledgments
  90. About the Author