The Tao Made Easy: Timeless Wisdom to Navigate a Changing World

by Alan Cohen

Overview

“Alan Cohen brings to life ancient wisdom for a new era deeply in need of enlightenment. Fresh insights, practical, easy entry, and immense delight!” — Chungliang Al Huang, president-director, Living Tao Foundation, and co-author with Alan Watts of Tao: The Watercourse Way

May you live during interesting times: so goes an ancient Chinese blessing—or some say curse. That wish has come true for us. Now what? In this radically illuminating book, Alan Cohen delves into one of the world’s most venerated wisdom texts for answers and brings the lofty and enigmatic concepts of the Tao Te Ching down to earth in fresh, easy-to-grasp language with practical, personal examples we can use to uplift our daily lives.

Most other interpretations of the Tao march through the stanzas one by one. Here Alan Cohen calls forth the ancient verses around themes that are central to our modern lives —from love to work to the lessons we learn from pain. Then he brings each message to life in short vignettes where he imagines himself a student of Lao Tse and interacts with the master directly and intimately. He invites you to join the ancient sage and the contemporary seeker as they wend their way through the challenges and triumphs of the same journey you’re taking yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401953621
Publisher:	Hay House Inc.
Publication date:	07/10/2018
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Alan Cohen is the author of 26 popular inspirational books, including A Course in Miracles Made Easy, The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, A Deep Breath of Life, and Are You as Happy as Your Dog? He is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and his books have been translated into 30 foreign languages. A respected keynoter and seminar leader, Alan has taught at Montclair State University, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, and EnTheos Academy for Optimal Living. He has appeared on national radio and television and is a featured presenter in the award-winning documentary Finding Joe, celebrating the teachings of Joseph Campbell. Website: www.alancohen.com

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

What's with You? 1

Let Nature Take its Course 7

Quit Doing Good 17

How Easy Can It Get? 31

How to Fix the World 45

Humbled and Exalted 55

When a Little Becomes a Lot 61

A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime 71

This Year's Nest 79

Love How Much You Hate It 91

The Pillars of Virtue 99

What's Left to Learn 117

The Great Balancing Act 129

In the Zone 139

Life after Ism 147

The Final Frontier 159

The Tao at Work 167

What Makes Leaders Great 179

Technology and Sanity 195

Make Peace with Your Body 207

Epilogue 223

Acknowledgments 225

About the Author 226

Learn More with Alan Cohen 227

Editorial Reviews

There could be no better pairing of timeless truths and modern sage than that of Lao Tse and Alan Cohen. With the warmth and wisdom befitting these masters, Alan Cohen’s The Tao Made Easy liberates both the ancient teachings of Lao Tse and the mind and spirit of his readers.”
— Mike Dooley, New York Times best-selling author of Infinite Possibilities and Playing the Matrix

“In native cultures wisdom is transmitted through stories. The stories told around the evening fire can heal, inspire, and motivate. They are the power that holds a tribe together. Alan Cohen, in his splendid book The Tao Made Easy, allows us to access the wisdom of the Tao through his stories. Each story gleams like a jewel on the far horizon. Highly recommended!”
— Denise Linn, best-selling author of Energy Strands

“In Alan Cohen’s accessible new take on the ineffable Tao Te Ching, the ‘Tao that cannot be told’ is now told with fresh insights and practical ways of being, according to the universal principles shared by all. This ancient wisdom has been brought to life for a new era deeply in need of enlightenment. Fresh insights, practical, easy entry, and immense delight!”
— Chungliang Al Huang, president-director, Living Tao Foundation and International Lan Ting Institute, and co-author with Alan Watts of Tao: The Watercourse Way

“As a lifelong Taoist practitioner, I was thrilled to read Alan’s book The Tao Made Easy. It is filled with profound and perennial wisdom from Tao Te Ching, brought up to date for 21st-century spiritual seekers. Reading Alan Cohen’s warm, funny, accessible, and infinitely wise take on an ancient spiritual masterpiece made my heart sing and my soul rejoice!”
— Jason Chan, Taoist Master, lifelong A Course in Miracles teacher, creator of Infinite Arts, and award-winning author

“In a magnificent fusion of ancient wisdom and real-world practical application, Alan Cohen has masterfully rebirthed the essence of the Tao Te Ching . . . inviting the Chinese sage, Lao Tse, into the heart of the readers and—in the process—awakening timeless healing energy to help us solve life’s most pressing challenges. The Tao Made Easy truly touches the Soul!”
— davidji, author of Sacred Powers

From the Publisher