Practical Taoism

by Thomas Cleary (Translator)

This extraordinary collection of teachings and commentaries illuminates the many profound mysteries of inner alchemy, one of the most important dimensions of the Taoist tradition. The science of inner alchemy consists of meditation practices that enable the individual to have a more intimate, energizing, and inspiring relationship with life. Although these techniques are described in the sourcebooks of ancient Taoism, they are often couched in cryptic symbolic language, making it difficult for today's seekers t put these teachings into practice. Some classical Taoist writers, however, did adopt a more explicit manner of expression. Practical Taoism is a collection of writings from these more accessible commentators on the traditional alchemical texts, compiled by a seventh-generation master of the Northern Branch of the Complete Reality School of Taoism known as the Preserver of Truth.

Genres: Taoism, Philosophy, Nonfiction

81 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 1996

About the author

Dr. Thomas Francis Cleary, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University; J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley), was a prolific translator of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Muslim classics, with a particular emphasis on popular translations of Mahāyāna works relevant to the Chan, Zen, and Soen systems.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this is misleading, and I don't believe most information in this book is very practical in a modern sense. It is a translation of ancient Taoist texts on the very specific subject of inner alchemy. It can be very convoluted and hard to understand, but there is some interesting and useful information to be found.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a number of Eastern systems, Taoism is thought of in many different ways by many different people, and a few of those ways are fairly "out there." To some, it is a philosophy. To others, it is a religion. To still others, it is a style of magic. By "practical Taoism" Cleary is suggesting that the many varied sources from which he drew snippets, assembling them together to make a coherent whole, reflect some of the more down-to-earth philosophy of "inner alchemy." [Not to be confused with the "alchemy" in which lead is turned to gold, but sharing the central idea that methods exist to convert a low-quality entity into a high-quality one, but in the case of inner alchemy these methods are breathwork, meditation, and movement techniques that improve one's vitality as a human being.]

The good news is that Cleary does collect a group of ideas that seem less arcane and cryptic than the average Taoist inner alchemy manual content (or, at least, they are translated so as to seem so.) The bad news is that the average Taoist inner alchemy manual was apparently pretty darn arcane and cryptic, such that even this selection isn't exactly clear as a limpid stream. Some parts of it are straightforward, but one still has some work to do to make sense of what the original authors were trying to get across. [Some readers will enjoy that more than others.]

Presumably owing to the attempt to simplify through selection and translation, the book isn't annotated, nor does it feature much ancillary material besides a relatively lengthy introduction to setup the reader with a contextual backdrop. So, there is not a lot of help to clarify ideas that are murky. (I do recognize the translator's challenge in that there is only so much he can do to try to clarify ideas without imposing upon the authors' intensions.)

I enjoyed, and learned from, this book -- even if I didn't always feel I was reading a "practical" guide to self-betterment.

[Robert Montalbo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I subscribe to the school of thought that we can all live in greater harmony. Eastern medicine has always been the practice of looking in. Some of this can be too esoteric, but overall its a good starting point for anyone wanting to grasp the concepts of Chuang Tzu and Tao Te Ching.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rating on this may change later. The 3-star only at the moment is more my fault than the book's. I'm finding it very difficult to comprehend. After reading the Tao of Pooh, I wanted to learn more about this philosophy. The Chemotherapy and opiates make it tough to focus on and to do abstract thought most days. Hopefully, that will improve and I'll be able to update this review.

[Robert Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A somewhat more accessible presentation of traditional alchemical works, compiled by a seventh-generation master of the Northern Branch of the Complete Reality School of Taoism known as the Preserver of Truth.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still struggling to understand Taoism.

[Joshua]

Very practical-oriented discussion of Taoist meditation (internal alchemy)