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The Tao of Happiness
If you have not encountered Chuang Tzu before, prepare yourself for a treat. He was the sage who stood apart from all others in Chinese history. He was a unique presence, a great mind like no one before or since. Chuang Tzu quickly distinguished himself and became well known for his deep understanding and sense of humor. His mastery was such that he could explain the Tao with simple stories, and his humor was such that he could see the joy in ordinary things. He taught his students about “carefree wandering”—the path of moving through life with a free and happy heart, regardless of how turbulent the journey might be.
It is time for modern readers to join in on the fun. Chuang Tzu’s wisdom is not just for Eastern culture, but for all of humanity. We may not have the instability or the clash of massive armies indicative of Chuang Tzu’s time, but we have a lot of stress and tension in our modern world. Many of us find ourselves fighting little battles on the personal front just to get through the day. We can benefit greatly from Chuang Tzu’s teachings. These parables are presented throughout this book and juxtaposed with the charming and intelligent prose of modern-day Taoist teacher and author Derek Lin. Together, Chuang Tzu and Lin will present you with simple lessons that will have a lasting impact on your life.
It is time for modern readers to join in on the fun. Chuang Tzu’s wisdom is not just for Eastern culture, but for all of humanity. We may not have the instability or the clash of massive armies indicative of Chuang Tzu’s time, but we have a lot of stress and tension in our modern world. Many of us find ourselves fighting little battles on the personal front just to get through the day. We can benefit greatly from Chuang Tzu’s teachings. These parables are presented throughout this book and juxtaposed with the charming and intelligent prose of modern-day Taoist teacher and author Derek Lin. Together, Chuang Tzu and Lin will present you with simple lessons that will have a lasting impact on your life.
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2015
37 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Derek Lin
16 books30 followersDerek Lin is an award-winning, bestselling author in the Tao genre. His Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained is an original translation that not only sets a new standard for accuracy, but also has been lauded by critics as the first to faithfully capture the lyrical beauty of the original. His The Tao of Daily Life, a breakout Eastern wisdom bestseller, integrates Taoist stories with dharmic lessons for life in the modern world. His The Tao of Success reveals the secrets of the ancients to transform the self in order to live life to the utmost. His The Tao of Joy Every Day provides short yet profound daily thoughts for meditation, or for keeping in mind as one goes through the day's activities. His The Tao of Happiness introduces Western readers to the fun yet profound stories of Chuang Tzu.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2015
Derek Lin's "The Tao of Happiness: Stories From Chuang Tzu For Your Spiritual Journey" is an excellent, interesting little book featuring parables from the East including "The Happiness of the Fish" and "The Dream of the Butterfly" among others.
A great book for all audiences. It is also great to take along while travelling, camping, etc. I definitely rate this book five stars. My copy was obtained from the Goodreads.com website and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.
A great book for all audiences. It is also great to take along while travelling, camping, etc. I definitely rate this book five stars. My copy was obtained from the Goodreads.com website and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 13, 2017
A short, refreshing read of parables that illustrate daoism.
June 5, 2021
I never seem to understand older works of wisdom so it's hard to say anything about the original. On the other hand, the conclusions the author made didn't really resonate with me.
August 5, 2025
This book was good. Like, genuinely enjoyable. The parables were light but meaningful—kind of like fortune cookies if they had emotional depth. A few of the stories really stuck with me and made me pause, which I appreciate in a book.
That said, I felt like the introduction went on forever. I almost put the book down because it took so long to get to the good stuff. Honestly, I wish the whole thing was flipped—if the content from the end was at the beginning and vice versa, I think it would have had more impact. The gems were definitely tucked in toward the end.
One thing I really liked: the commentary didn’t get overly spiritual or preachy. It was thoughtful without trying to convert you, which I respect. I’m not a Taoist, and I don’t practice it as a religion, but I do find the philosophy behind Tao really helpful for regulating my emotions and finding balance. I just wish the book had leaned more into Taoism as a practice or way of thinking, rather than presenting it as a spiritual path. That would’ve made it more accessible, in my opinion.
Still, overall—this was a calming, thoughtful read. A few insights will probably stick with me for a long time. Worth picking up if you’re looking for a little mental reset. Might be worth rereading, I’m unsure at this point.
That said, I felt like the introduction went on forever. I almost put the book down because it took so long to get to the good stuff. Honestly, I wish the whole thing was flipped—if the content from the end was at the beginning and vice versa, I think it would have had more impact. The gems were definitely tucked in toward the end.
One thing I really liked: the commentary didn’t get overly spiritual or preachy. It was thoughtful without trying to convert you, which I respect. I’m not a Taoist, and I don’t practice it as a religion, but I do find the philosophy behind Tao really helpful for regulating my emotions and finding balance. I just wish the book had leaned more into Taoism as a practice or way of thinking, rather than presenting it as a spiritual path. That would’ve made it more accessible, in my opinion.
Still, overall—this was a calming, thoughtful read. A few insights will probably stick with me for a long time. Worth picking up if you’re looking for a little mental reset. Might be worth rereading, I’m unsure at this point.
December 26, 2019
Overall I found this book a nice supplement to current Taoist knowledge but I think one could follow it easily even if you’ve never read the Tao Te Ching. Derek Lin retells Chuang Tzu stories in a way that’s easy to follow and then explains how each can relate to the Tao in daily life. If you’re like me and like to take notes from these kind of books then I don’t necessarily recommend listening to it on the go. I thought my library’s app was letting me “bookmark” multiple things only to later realize it stored one at a time so I don’t have any of the tidbits I’d wanted to write down. His voice isn’t exactly monotonous, but it’s not super lively either, so it’s hard to listen to when driving. I think I probably would have preferred reading this in print or even ebook better, but audio was free from my library, so that’s what I chose.
December 5, 2019
The Tao of Happiness is a book written by Derek Lin. It collects a few of the parables told by Chuang Tzu, an ancient Taoist master. I have heard of Chuang Tzu before from the Tao of Pooh.
The book presents the parable and then discusses the parable and elaborates on it. There isn’t really much to say about it. It explains it in a clear manner and is easy to read.
We get such classics as The Frog in the Well, the Peng Bird, and a few more. They are organized by when Chuang Tzu was said to have said these things in his life.
The only problem with this book is that it is really short. This is also one of the strengths of the book though since Taoism is concerned with simplicity and not over complicating things.
The book presents the parable and then discusses the parable and elaborates on it. There isn’t really much to say about it. It explains it in a clear manner and is easy to read.
We get such classics as The Frog in the Well, the Peng Bird, and a few more. They are organized by when Chuang Tzu was said to have said these things in his life.
The only problem with this book is that it is really short. This is also one of the strengths of the book though since Taoism is concerned with simplicity and not over complicating things.
March 7, 2022
Enjoyed this book in the form of an audio book. Really nice summary of Tao, wisdom in life.
Takeaway #01: Apply Tao in your every daily life is important as a practitioner rather than seeing it as a knowledge from a book.
Takeaway #02: When we slowly practice Tao in our life, we will be able to use any turbulence we faced in life as a force that drives us. We would be able to face such challenges with positivity. (Story of the waterfall)
Takeaway #03: wisdom cannot be attained by just reading through books, you will have to practice it in your life to truly understand the point of view of the written wisdom from sages. (Story of the remarks from a peasant to a king)
Just my 2-cents thoughts.
Takeaway #01: Apply Tao in your every daily life is important as a practitioner rather than seeing it as a knowledge from a book.
Takeaway #02: When we slowly practice Tao in our life, we will be able to use any turbulence we faced in life as a force that drives us. We would be able to face such challenges with positivity. (Story of the waterfall)
Takeaway #03: wisdom cannot be attained by just reading through books, you will have to practice it in your life to truly understand the point of view of the written wisdom from sages. (Story of the remarks from a peasant to a king)
Just my 2-cents thoughts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2020
This is a great intro to Zhuang Zi. I had first read Zhuang Zi almost 10 years ago, and was enraptured by the stories that he wrote about. The book that I'd read, however, didn't have any commentary, and many of the stories were up to my own interpretation. And given my newness to this sort of writing I couldn't help but feel a little lost, and often puzzled.
It's been many years since, and I've read more books on the Tao, and lived a little bit more. So the stories take on a slightly different meaning now. But if I had a book like this around, I think it'd have helped make things much easier.
It's been many years since, and I've read more books on the Tao, and lived a little bit more. So the stories take on a slightly different meaning now. But if I had a book like this around, I think it'd have helped make things much easier.
January 15, 2019
Short book with stories and their metaphorical meaning in the sense of Tao and how to apply it in our everyday life. It would be great if the book had more stories and that less of them are about death. :-)
Otherwise, a book worth reading.
Otherwise, a book worth reading.
January 1, 2019
It is interesting to hear stories with deep meaning. What captures me the most is that one should not fear death but to rejoice with it. A meaningful piece of advice from lots of meaningful pieces.
October 11, 2020
Another excellent book by Derek.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
March 13, 2021
A relaxing read that really makes you think about how you view life/experiences.
April 2, 2024
Lessons through parables explained by someone else, instead of coming with your own meanings. I guess it is up to the reader. Themselves if it resonates. Need to listen again for better grasp
October 28, 2021
Spiritual Journey
This was a very good read for me. I look to be one with the Tao and this book is a step in the right direction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is on their spiritual journey.
This was a very good read for me. I look to be one with the Tao and this book is a step in the right direction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is on their spiritual journey.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews