Question: What is Zen? Answer: “Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character “chan,” which is in turn the Chinese translation from the Indian Sanskrit term “dhyana,” which means meditation. Zen, like Tao, cannot be totally explained in words. Continue reading What is Zen?
Question: Derek, do Taoists celebrate Christmas? Should they? Now that the holiday season has arrived, I am wondering if I should inform my friends and family that, due to my personal belief in the Tao, I will no longer be Continue reading The Tao of Christmas
Question: Derek, I am currently studying Tao philosophy with my Tai Chi instructor. I noticed he pronounced “Tao” like “dowel” instead of “towel,” so I asked him about it. He said that was how he learned it from his master in Continue reading The Correct Way to Say “Tao”
Question: Derek, how does the concept of reincarnation fit into the Tao? I would like to understand what you base your belief on regarding this matter, so I can deepen my understanding from your perspective. Answer: None of the early Taoist texts mentions Continue reading Reincarnation and the Tao
Question: Derek, as the holiday season approaches, I find myself facing the fact that I won’t be able to give presents like I always have in previous years, because my personal finance has been severely impacted by the economy. How Continue reading The Tao of Giving
Question: How do you gracefully leave a flailing party early, without causing the rest of the crowd to abandon ship with you? Answer: Although people may associate the Tao with the mystical or metaphysical, it is actually a practical philosophy Continue reading Social Graces
Question: What is the Tao? Answer: Tao (pronounced “dao”) means literally “the path” or “the way.” It is a universal principle that underlies everything from the creation of galaxies to the interaction of human beings. The workings of Tao are Continue reading What is the Tao?
Question: Derek, I am a beginner when it comes to the Tao. While I enjoy learning the concepts from your books, I don’t always know how to apply them. For instance, I recently lost my job because the winds of Continue reading Dealing With Setbacks
