5 comments about The Te of Piglet.

1. Another great book by Benjamin Hoff and a perfect accompaniment to the Tao of Pooh, his first book of these 2. Like the other, I continually buy this book just to find myself gifting it away and then buying another copy for myself so that I can continue to re-read it. Always an inspiration.



2. I didn't find this book as lovable as Tao of Pooh. Piglet while seemingly an ideal model to learn the Te from there is alot more ranting and raving then the simple lessons from Pooh. Maybe Piglet needs a change in his prescriptions.



3. The Te of Piglet started off innocent enough, why with cute characters and even cuter writing how could this turn out bad? Don't get comfortable just yet! Before I knew it, I was being bombarded by Hoff's complaints about the Western world and its wretched politics. Oh how the West has lost its way--or rather, never knew the way to begin with! This is NOT a spiritually informative book, it is a compilation of Hoff's frustrations with the Western world, in particular, America. He makes it a point to vilify Eeyore who, to my knowledge, was always a lovable, albeit, depressive character. Furthermore, on the one hand, Hoff criticizes China's authoritarian government and on the other, he praises them, saying "these people know something" when referring to the country's tree planting policy. Perhaps it isn't that the Chinese are so wise and forward thinking that they know to instill tree-planting into children's hearts but rather that China has some of the worst desertification problems on this planet and that the Gobi Desert grows by the size of three Englands a year! Don't buy Hoff's political rants either because a few of his opinions are uninformed. Lovers of the Tao of Pooh, be forewarned, this does not deserve to be called its companion book. After I completed the Te of Piglet, I found it hard to take anything from Hoff seriously again. Aside from lacking the spirit of Taoism, the book is just plain disorganized. I am still wondering, "what was the point of all that?"



4. Hoff manages to unravel the core of the Tao and the Te using images we all know and love. He makes Taoism accessible and recognizable. These are well written, easily read and re-read. Using these images to illustrate a philosophy that can be very elusive is a master stroke.



5. This book wasn't bad, I just liked Pooh's better. Hopefully they won't make a "Depression of Eeyore" lol.

5 comments about Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings.

1. Anyone who may be coming to Chuang Tzu for the first time is in for a treat. Although Chuang Tzu is sometimes described as the most brilliant of all Chinese philosophers, what we find in him isn't what we normally understand by 'Philosophy' and isn't technical at all.

   His appeal is not so much to the intellect as to the imagination, and he chose as a vehicle for his philosophical insights, not tedious and lengthy abstract treatises, but brief and witty anecdotes and dialogues and tales. His humor, sophistication, literary genius, and philosophical insights found their perfect expression in his brilliant fragments, and once having read them you never forget them.

   Not much is known about Chuang Tzu, other than that he seems to have lived around the time of King Hui of Liang (370-319 B.C.). The received text of his book, which is sometimes referred to as 'the Chuang Tzu' (CT), is made up of thirty-three Chapters. Most scholars seem to feel that the CT is a composite text, and that only the first seven - the Inner Chapters - plus a few bits from the others are Chuang Tzu's own work, the remainder being by others.

   Among the better known of his translators, all of them excellent, are Arthur Waley, Burton Watson, and A. C. Graham, though only the latter two translated the complete text. An abridged version of Watson's complete translation has now been made available for those who want to confine themselves mainly to the Inner Chapters.

   Watson has always struck me as an eminently civilized scholar and as a brilliant translator. Unlike certain others, he wears his scholarship lightly, and doesn't overburden the text with extraneous matter. His many translations from Ancient Chinese Literature are of uniformly high quality, and are well worth having as they are books one often wants to returns to.

   The present book won't, as I've said, give you the whole of Watson's Chuang Tzu. For that you'll have to find a copy of his 'Complete Works of Chuang Tzu.' But it will give you most of what is generally agreed to be Chuang Tzu, and everyone should read it. If you're not a Chuang Tzu enthusiast before you start, I can guarantee that you'll be one before you finish.




2. This is a very different book than the Lao Tzu. It's written in a much less poetic style, but I find Chuang Tzu more readable for that reason. The style is more conversational, and well rendered into contemporary English by Burton Watson.
   
   These inner chapters contain only the core of a much longer work. Over the 2200 years since its writing, many accretions had crept into the work, including commentaries and addenda by other authors. Watson strips those away and leaves only the central and most vivid writings. Some of those may already be familiar to today's reader. For example, this book originates the man dreaming to be a butterfly dreaming to be a man. Chuang Tzu offers many more of these anecdotes, too long to be analogies but too short for fables. He also calls on the history and mythology of his time - not always distinct from each other - and creates mythology of his own, whether he meant to or not.
   
   That mythology lived on in Chinese alchemy, when Chuang Tzu's magical sages were taken as literal beings. Chuang Tzu lived on, too, in Taoism's eventual alignment with Buddhism. His cryptic, non sequitur style of answer seems to foreshadow the koans of the distinctly Chinese and Japanese schools of Buddhism.
   
   This is a wonderful complement to the Lao Tzu. If that book is the art of enlightenment, then this is more like the practical craft. I recommend it highly to any student of eastern classics.
   
   I must add that Chuang Tzu is an older romanization of "Zhuangzi" - different renderings of one name. It is easy to become confused and think that the two were different writers. It is especially confusing since Watson published this same material many years later under the "Zhuangzi" spelling (ISBN 0231129599). While I have the highest respect Burton's scholarship, I think that this difference-without-a-difference should be made more explicit.
   
   //wiredweird



3. My impression upon first reading this work is that the material could be differently, and perhaps better, translated.



4. The Chuang Tzu (rendered Zhuangzi in pinyin, which is becoming the standard transliteration these days) is second only to Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching in its popularity and veneration in the Taoist world. If you've not heard of or read this book before, you're in for a real treat! The first time I read the Inner Chapters of the Chuang Tzu was like a revelation--the thoughts and ideas expressed in these passages still resonate today for their acuity, humor, satire, stabbing profundity, and life-changing potential. Indeed, after better understanding the thought this book expresses, I felt like so many loose ideas and insights I'd gleaned from other philosophy, literature, music, and poetry had been tied up together and formulated into a concise and elegant package that is urgently relevant to every day life--pretty amazing for a text that is well over 2000 years old!
   
   
   I recently completed reading the last of three complete translations of the Chuang Tzu, and I decided to wait until I read all of them before reviewing any of the three. Since this text is written in ancient Chinese, a language that was reserved for the intellectual and cultural elite two thousand years ago and has been considered effectively "dead" (like Latin) for quite a while, even understanding what the author(s) were trying to say is difficult, let alone translating the words from Chinese to English. So I figured reading a few different translations is probably the best way to get a broad and deep understanding of the text, and the cumulative effect would make up for each translation's weaknesses. This proved a good strategy--the other translations I chose were Victor Mair's Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu and A.C. Graham's The Inner Chapters. All three were rewarding and worthwhile reads (I mean, it IS the Chuang Tzu!), but I still come back to Burton Watson's The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu as my favorite. I won't go into depth about what the Chuang Tzu says, since the writing in the text is so eloquent and vivid that any description won't do it justice, and because I would probably ramble on forever about either the academic issues and questions regarding the text's authorship, historicity, and philosophy, or about how mind-blowingly intellectually stimulating it is!
   
   After reading three different translations of the Chuang Tzu, I have to say that this Basic Writings translated by Watson is the best place for the uninitiated to start--it contains nearly all the best ideas and passages from the text (which has many interpolations from other, later authors that are often not as interesting and never as well-written as the ideas expressed in the Inner Chapters). Graham's translation is very academically rigorous, but makes Chuang Tzu's already distant culture and time period even more distant for new readers by means of very technical terminology and commentary. Mair's translation is good but doesn't flow as well as Watson's, and it's also much longer since it contains the entire Chuang Tzu. Watson's Complete Works is great, but this Basic Writings is much cheaper and more concise an introduction--once you read it and get hooked on the surprisingly fresh insights of these ancient thinkers, perhaps you'll delve into some other illuminating translations--until then, I have to say that this should be required reading for anyone interested in philosophy or Eastern classics.



5. This book contains the "inner chapters," not the entire Chuang Tzu, but generally considered the essential and least corrupt chapters. It's one of my favorite books, and after reading Watson's translation I'm unable to read anyone else's - it's wonderful (and there are quite a few weak versions, and weaker paraphrases). Of the Chinese classics I've read this is not only the most subtle and profound, it's sometimes absolutely hilarious. His parodies of Confucianism are a riot, his magical unrealism is timeless, his man dreaming he's a butterfly - or is it the other way around? - the useless tree that's preserved itself so long by being useless, not like all those fructiferous trees .... It's a rare combination of inane silliness with serious reflections on human nature, existence, nature and metaphysics (if that's the right term).

5 comments about Taoist Yoga: Alchemy & Immortality.

1. Earlier I read another book by Charles Luk which was on Master Hsu Yun's discourses and Dharma words and the Diamond Sutra, called "Chan and Zen Teachings, 1st Series". Reading the words of Master Hsu Yun was enlightening and motivating, so I was curious to read another book of Luk's- Taoist Yoga. I was not disappointed.
   
   This book gives all the basic information you might be curious about when it comes to Taoist alchemy and immortality. It gives instructions on Taoist methods aimed at improving health, rejuvenating the body, and even the ultimate aim of creating an "indestructible diamond-body". The ancient wisdom presented in this book is really impressive. If practiced, the methods taught in it can be very beneficial to any yoga practitioner.



2. Highly recomended for sincere practitioners with a meditative understanding.
   
   Read the Preface first, and pay particular attention to the first chapter. While not said in these words, what is unusual about this practice teaching is that it starts off with emphasizing a degree of stability in non-dual awareness (ch1) and emphasies its importance for any hope of success. This is what is lacking in so many watered down teachings, with people spinning around in the practices for years with little solid benefit from a higher viewpoint.
   
   The english translation is not the most fluent, and terms such as 'the need to not be mindful of the process is absolutley necessary for success', is spot on in its original intent, but lost a bit in translation. In this instance what is refered to is an anchoring beyond the thinking mind and its ambitions, limited conceptualizations, which crowds the space so that the underlying light is not noticed and cultivated. It does not refer to an abandonment of awareness, rather a deepening of it.
   There are a number of simular areas in the book, including things like a disaste for sexual relationships, etc; but if you get past the immeadiate words and undertand the essence of what is being said in the containement and how the underlying flows are qualified (or more so are not qualified into a dualistic energy), then this is the original true meaning.
   
   While the feminine side is an inherent aspect of the internal landscape for anyone proceeding with this practice, nevertheless this book gives it no outward attention and its male mode of presentation might be a little difficult for female practitioners to sort through and integrate the teaching in a way meaningful for them.
   
   The above comments are not meant to discourage anyone who loves meditative practice away from this book. It is truly one of the best and most rare books in a caliber far above most of what is offered.



3. Many years before almost any Taoist Yoga, Chi Gung books were available. Long before Mantak Chia great works that break it down in physical simple terms and Dr. Yang's Hallmark extremely detailed must read The Root of Chinese Qigong; this was the only book out there.
   It allowed me to get started years ahead of what I would have been able to do otherwise.
   This book is a must read because it was the first out there and gives some detail that is availble no where else.
   The descriptions used here help much with being able to imagine, then really feel and subsequently control and manipulate "vital breath" (a form a chi energy) to eventually open psychic centers and transform jing to higher forms of chi (shen), and thus nourishing and evolving those centers.



4. I just want to say that I don't agree that this book isn't for beginners. I started practicing the meditation techniques taught in this book when I was seventeen and the only experience I had prior to that was a little bit of mantra meditation. I had great success! I got as far as feeling vibrations along the 8 channels and having wind pass through my ears. Very highly recommended.



5. This is the best book ever written, in the area of Chinese ancient Daoist alchemic practices. And I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to advance further in internal alchemy. I have been reading and re-reading this book for over 20 years, and everytime I open it, there are still bits and pieces of information, that is still helpfull in my cultivation. For the price, I would say this book is a gift, "really,"

5 comments about The Magus of Java: Teachings of an Authentic Taoist Immortal.

1. Fascinating look into a nei kung practitioner's life. Danaos has a tremendous knack for descriptive storytelling and provides much information via [Sifu] John Chang regarding the inner workings of metaphysics and the fabled chi energy. However I question (and this may be a slightly cynical side of me) how the author managed to recall (or even take notes on) the numerous conversations he had with Chang so accurately. Either he has a near-Elephantine memory, or he was embellishing many experiences and details- and if the latter occurred it questions his credibility. It should never be underestimated writers' ability to overdramatize (and perhaps outright BS) for the sake of a more interesting book, and although there is no proof of this here, I think it's a valid question esp. given the subject matter (psychic abilities and the like) which has long been associated with unscrupulous individuals. Danaos either took phenomenal practically word-for-word notes of conversations, or he fudged here and there which calls into question the witnessed telekinesis, levitation, etc.
   
   All this being said- whether the book represents the unblemished truth, imaginative fictions or a combination of both, it's a fascinating read as it gives a close and detailed look into the life, philosophies and workings of a truly remarkable man. Students of metaphysics, spirituality, psychic phenomena, paranormal and the mental/spiritual aspects of martial arts should find this a must-read.



2. This book blew me away. It's the incredible tale of John Chang, a internal arts master, as told by one his students. As the author is a former scientist, everything is presented in an objective, responsible, almost skeptical manner. Too often we forget what we're capable of and what the universe can offer us, with the right intent and commitment. This book is a great reminder.



3. I read this book in a little over 2 days of casual reading, the words flew off the page to me...
   
   Excellently communicated especially considering Kosta's first language is not English...
   Completely fascinating story...I can not wait to get the second book. For a qigong practitioner, this will open your eyes to the great power within...
   It will also open up many questions about the true nature of the universe, and existence...
   Kosta, if you're reading this, thank you! (keep the books comin'...haha)



4. This book was a good, fun read. However I picked it up to be a intsructional book, or rather, something I can learn from. Any man that is on his journey, understandes that learning comes from experience, and this book is the anti-thesis of experience. While the writters experience was great, and so is his ability to share it with his readers, do not pick up this book if you think it will make you anything other than what you are already.
   
   A non believer will continue to be a skeptic, and consider the book a work of fiction. A believer will become a bit more fanatical as they will gain more proof in their reality from the books words. The real problem with this book, and many others of the same nature, is that their is no practical way of finding a master to help you learn through direct experience what is in the book.
   
   Westerners, as a whole, truly don't deserve the ultimate knowledge that can be gained from taoist thought and practices. This book reinforces that truth by introducing the fact that their is so much to life, but we know so little, and have no simple way to learn more.
   
   (So should I buy this book?) Please do, the author needs more money to keep along his path, and the information the book does present to you is worth well over $20. Just don't expect to be anythiny else from reading it, as it's a book of theory, not of practice.



5. I first read this book a little over three years ago after reading Nei Kung: The Secret Teachings of the Warrior Sages, and it was rather a surreal read. I kept flipping back to the copyright page to see if it's a work of fiction, but it was not so. This book is a story of an incredible journey of the author, Kosta Danaos, who begun his quest to find and met with an internal arts master by the name of John Chang and his experiences and lessons with him. From reading this book, I thought it was too unreal to be a fact considering that Chang was able to break the laws of the physical reality. But again, it was not so because I have later seen the videos of Chang's psi abilities in action (e.g., pyrokinesis, telekinesis, and levitation), including the video of Lorne and Lawrence Blair's documentary series "Ring of Fire."
   
   The one thing that I have found quite interesting from this book is the moral discussion of karma as relating to becoming like Chang. Obtaining the powers, higher than normal, requires a great responsibility. I do agree with Chang that he does not want to create "monsters" as to why he was strict on the student selections. That made sense since nowadays a thirst for psychic powers is, in an essence, an ego boost or superiority. Also, discussions of Yang and Yin and Mo-Pai tradition are informative read.
   
   Thinking back on it now, the stories surrounds Chang reminds me a lot like Castaneda's Don Juan in The Teachings of Don Juan: a Yaqui Way of Knowledge.
   
   Considering the fact that English was not Danaos' first language, this book is really well written and well organized. With little over 200 pages, I could not put this book down as it had enthralled my thoughts and emotions. Whether or not if it is a real story, this book is an intriguing and fascinating read, especially the stories about the "Immortals" of the ancient past, but that's just me.

5 comments about The Tao of Love and Sex.

1. Jolan Chang's and the chinese vision of love is a truly beautiful thing to behold.
   
   The simple idea in this book, which is so difficult to achieve, is the concentration on the making of love and your partner rather than the big-o attached.
   
   I've found that by taking the O out of the picture and focusing my attention on the pleasure of my lover's body it makes the whole experience enter another realm. Just the feelings that I get now from the touch of her skin dwarf the feeling of the big-O that I used to get.
   
   If you truly think making love with your partner suits you and think he or she would enjoy being able to go for hours, then definitely look into this book!



2. I found it ok to give the reader an idea of the Tao of love and sex on a physical level, but not much in regards to how the Tao can be used for a higher spiritual purpose. The book seems to entirely focus on how to keep a woman sexually satisfied and how a person practicing the Tao can have much better health and increase lifespan. The book doesn't give much information about from a womans perspective but mainly from a male perspective and how physically beneficial it is for men. The book makes the assumption that woman are not sexually satisfied unless they have lots of orgasms, and the focus for the male is to retain the seed and engage his partner is lustful sex. The book mentions the use of a locking method to help a male from ejaculating but doesn't give specifics on how to actually do it and how to practice it (unlike Mantak Chia - cultivating male sexual energy). I found Mantak Chia books better in showing how the Tao is used as a spiritual path and also lots of practices to buildup and maintain sexual energy and other practical topics such as external lock, internal lock, sacrum and cranial pumps, power lock, etc.



3. If you follow the instructions in this book, you will never need anymore "sexpert's" advice, nor will you ever even consider taking "Viagra".
   
   Jolan Chang, a chinese living in Stockholm, Sweden, gives a profound introduction into the ancient chinese philosophy of taoism and from this philosophy he derives a new way of looking at both love, making love and having sex.
   
   He teaches, that the western way of "chasing" orgasm is unhealthy and contradicts the laws of nature, since "exaggerated" ejaculation can have some negative impact on males' well-being and health. According to Chang, "coerced" ejaculation is the most wide-spread cause of impotence. He says, that, instead of trying to reach an orgasm by any means, you should rather try to enjoy hour-lasting extasy with your partner,when you are sexually united with him or her, and that this will have an incredible positive effect on both your physical an mental health, and you will feel much better than after any orgasm. Furthermore this way of making love would reconcile man woman and end the "gender-war", since through taoism the woman will finally get the amount of love, care and physical satisfaction she needs, and the man is no longer forced to "prove" he is a "real man", since his fear of "failing" is taken away from him. Also no woman will any longer regard herself as "frigid", when she realizes that sexual satisfaction does not necessarily go along with an orgasm. It is to be well-noticed, that these ideas were developed in ancient China 500 B.C. !
   
   Just follow the instructions of this book and enjoy!



4. Interesting perspective of Love. This book although a little short provides the reader an enticing overview on the practice of the Tao of Love. It provides the reader a medium in depth history of Tao in the essence of Loving Making. The bottom line is that A woman's Needs and sexual satisfaction go beyond the skill and technique of a man's ability to perform. Technique and skill is nothing without warmth and the awareness to live in the moment of ectasy is the heart of expression between two lovers. This book offers you the lover to become an artist in the Art of Love making. The presence of mind, the variation of strokes and thrust is just a small taste of the world of Tao of Love and Sex.
   '



5. I found this book to be an interesting look at what one could call the "mystical" side of sex. The book uses imagery and metaphors to explain some of the eastern philosophies regarding sex and love making. At the same time, there are some rather explicit techniques described, but using imagery to deliver the message.
   
   A good book for anyone looking for a new perspective on sex and love making.

5 comments about Tao: The Watercourse Way.

1. I would recommend any of Alan Watt's books.
   Every one of them gets 5 stars from me.
   He was definitely one of the greatest philosophers of our time.
   Besides Timothy Leary and Ram Dass he represented a spiritual group that
   prepared the awakening of a whole generation.
   And we all benefit from that.
   Alan Watts is my favorite. I also recommend his CDs such as This is It



2. After more than 30 years, "Tao: The Watercourse Way" is starting to show its age, as comments about the (increasingly defunct) Wade-Giles Chinese transliteration and the (largely illusory) distinction between "Philosophical" and "Hsien" Daoism show. If you're looking for a detailed look at various Daoist sects, or specific Daoist practices, this is probably not the book for you.
   
   Having said that, if you are looking for a book that conveys the general "feel" of Daoism, this book is a perfect introduction to an incredibly rich tradition. Watts has captured, with his characteristic insight and charm, the spirit of Daoism.



3. Great book, true to Alan Watts' spirit and style. A perfect choice for a westerner interested in eastern concepts, as are all of Alan's books and lectures. If you've never read Alan Watts, you're missing out on one of the brilliant minds of our time.



4. This was the first book on Taoism that I ever read 30 years ago and it blew me away. I connected so much with this book the Tao. I strongly support this book in a big way.



5. An excellent introduction, and more, on Zen. I've read several books on Zen, and Alan Watts' book was the easiest for me to understand. If you have found Zen difficult, I suggest that you try this book. The illustrations by Al Chung-liang Huang are beautiful and expressive of Zen.

5 comments about Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony.

1. It is excellent and both my friend and I are enjoying the readings.



2. I am a student of chi gung.I was surprised at how much detail he puts into this book.
   I have lived in China for many years. I read and write hanzi or Mandrin ,the changes were instituted after --The cultural revolution and The great leap forward.The other writer may not be aware of the changes.
   
   Hanzi was simplified for the peasants to learn.



3. This is the first 'Tao' book I've ever read. I picked this up, not even really knowing what 'The Tao' is. As I flipped through and read the short passages on random pages, I was immediately drawn in to the peacefullness, simplicity and the interpretations of the words and symbols on the pages.
   
   I found the introduction to be extremely well written. I even go back and re-read the introduction, just because I love what it says! For example, it begins with this:
   "Following Tao means following a living path. It is a way of life that sustains you, guides you, and leads you to innumerable rich experiences. It is a spiritual path of joy and insight, freedom and profundity." -Wow, well that sounded like just what I was looking for!
   The introduction goes on to explain some of the special qualities of those who follow Tao. Then, tells you about other good books to read about the Tao. The structure of the book is then broken down to explain what each part is for.
   
   Now, here's an overview of the book:
   There are 256 pages. Each page has a word at the top left hand corner of the page, and a chinese (calligraphy) symbol below the word. There is a paragraph beside the symbol that explains the symbol/picture/lines in brief detail. Below that, there are about 3-4 short paragraphs on each page that describe the meanings/relevance of the word/symbol in our lives.
   
   My book is full of bookmarks and slips of paper of my favorite passages.
   
   This is a partial excerpt that I particularly liked:
   Moon: "It is important in life to be constant." "The moon has its own primal power. It pulls on the earth; it pulls on the oceans and on the hearts and minds of human beings; it paces the seasons. The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not crush others. It keeps its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished. Look no further than tonight's sky if you would want to know how you can be both true to Tao and to yourself."
   
   This is a beautiful book! Looking for something to inspire you, nurture you in your spirituality, and teach you? Read this.



4. This is a really good starter book for daily reflections on Tao. The reflections are short, and easily understood, and even for people who are not that familiar with Tao, it's easy to understand the wisdom of the author.



5. I keep buying this book, then giving it away, I like it so much.
   Simple and profound, the Tao's wisdom is presented in an interesting, easy manner.

5 comments about Chi Self-Massage: The Taoist Way of Rejuvenation.

1. This is definitely one of his easiest books to use, since it is mostly just simple directions of where to rub for what purpose, and what to visualize as you do it. One night I'd eaten a 2-day old bean soup and was up for hours with nightmarish gas. Finally I remembered I had this book and sat up, rubbing my eyelids and ears and large intestine just the way he recommended. The gas went away and I was totally rejuvenated. Since then I never question anything he suggests! Also, these massages really help me deal with the effects of air travel.



2. Master Chia and his wife have a collection of books based on Chinese healing, specifically dealing with massage, Chi energy or both. This book is an easy-to-use guide even for someone without any background knowledge on the subject and provides a good introduction that is brief and easy enough to understand so the healing can start nearly immediately.
   
   Broken into chapters according to anatomy, there are simple drawings showing location and technique accompanied by step-by-step instructions that guide your hands and explanations that detail the benefit. Be aware these are not necessarily 'cures' or immediate fix-its for everything that ails you, but rather a way of healing and prevention to promote overall health. By massaging the body's organs, which work flawlessly for decades without much attention (and we often take for granted), we can expel toxins, help them work more efficiently and bolster our immune system without drugs, side effects or expensive doctor visits.
   
   Also, by empowering ourselves, we take more control of our health and our lives.



3. The Western concept of massage concerns itself with muscle manipulation, but Chi Self-Massage focuses on both internal and sense organs and employs Taoist techniques which until recently have been closely guarded secrets. Master Mantak Chia pieces this system into a logical routine any can duplicate, using methods used by these masters to explore the theory and purposes behind Chi Self-Massage. Spirituality blends with practical application in an easily-followed guide.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. If you are interested in your own health, this is a great book. It is an easy to understand book om Taoist Chi Self-massage to keep the energy in the internal organs cirkulating. The beginner can use it right away, and there is still some avanced things for the avanced student.
   
   Pierre Maegaard Knudsen
   (Massage Therapist)



5. I have been looking for the information found in this book for a while. I learned these techniques from a teacher but always wanted something written to refer back to or to share with others. The information and pictures are invaluable and the results are incredible.

1 comments about Wisdom Chi Kung: Practices for Enlivening the Brain with Chi Energy.

1. As a long-time Feng Shui practitioner, I am well aware of the importance of life-affirming energy. The Wisdom Chi Kung: Practices for Enlivening the Brain with Chi Energy, by Mantak Chia, explains how to rid oneself of the "monkey chatter" and live a more clear, calm and vitalized existence.
   
   After reading the book, I began the Inner Smile meditation technique with impressive results. I had been too agitated to begin a large projects these past few months and now I have dug right in! I feel calmer--more centered--and am easily able to focus on my project.
   
   Well written and concise, I highly recommend this book.
   
   I would also like to recommend two other books that will help raise the life-affirming energy in your home, which helps improve your chi. As a Feng Shui practitioner, I see many improvements, including greater clarity and calmness in my client's lives when I help them raise the chi energy in their homes. if clutter is a problem, try Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui. For overall tips on raising the energy in your home, try: Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.

5 comments about Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energy.

1. The main problem with this book is that the idea of chi is presented in such a low-brow Western terminology that the concept nearly lost. References to "Tongue Kung Fu". "Air" and the Cranial "Pump" tend to deflate and demystify the spiritual ideology. Literal english translations or even the retention of his own native language would have showed more respect for the subject.

   Chia's teachings of meditation seem accurate enough but make one fatal flaw. The whole book - all of the various levels of the energy transference exercises - lead to or stem from the Microcosmic Orbit. Through out the book, Chia states that energy moves from the sexual region, up through the body and is stored in the head.

   Why would he say that and then state in one of his other books, Awaken Healing Energy of the Tao, that proper storage of this energy, after moving through the head, should be in the navel. Anyone familiar with t'ai chi knows that the navel is the center point to all of your body's energy. To store such energies in the head can lead to insanity. Very irresponsible on his part.

   At the end of the book, I suppose in an effort to cover all bases, everything from the pubococcygeal muscle to refexology gets a paragraph or two. Needless to say that several Chia's notions on tangible sexual issues could use a bit more research. For example, Chia makes reference to how ingesting semen "is at least as rational as buying vitamins" as it is a "treasure house" of vitamins and minerals. Anyone worth his salt knows that it only contains trace elements.

   That statement alone makes me question just how accurate the rest of the book is. (Chia, of course, doesn't condone this sort of behavior, for you see, according to him, loss of this fluid can lead to baldness and premature death - hence the books whole stand point of retention and recirculating the energy contained within to other vital areas of the body.)

   Where Chia really lost me, however, is when he suggested that women practicing exercises in this book "should keep [their] panties on to prevent any chi from draining out."




2. After just today finding this book on Amazon to show my sister since she asked me why I retained semen for a year in 1990/91. I found one reviewer below state that Chi storage in the head can cause insanity!! Yes. It happened to me immediately after a years practice.

   I followed this book to a T and now after being ill 1992-1997, being better finally and today in 2004 I see this statement about possible insanity.

   Be careful what you read folks. Always. Cum daily for safety I say now with a smile.




3. In some ways Chia's earlier work (including this book) is purer than his more recent volumes. This book's extensive background about sacred sexuality makes it especially worthwhile for interested readers.
   
   Although I think Chia's emphasis on forcing the chi with performance-oriented techniques, such as teeth and buttock clenching, counting and so on, is not as effective as a less-driven, approach based on more mutual affection, I still heartily recommend this book. It can genuinely helps readers accept the potential hidden in their sexual unions.



4. excelant study guide... i have a good strong understanding of chi kung, i've been teaching myself from books and practicing for years now. for anyone who doesn't know chi kung is the stuff that the famous 1 inch punch is made of. some books i studied from that i recomend to study allong with this one is , tai chi classics, qigong for health and martial arts by dr. yang jwing ming and any others by that author. i have read at least 20 or more others on the subject. almost all the titles i've read leave out sex entirely and at least a couple say not to practice chi kung with in 24 hours of sex but none give any info on why or any hints as to why. i have read a good handfull of books on tantra and haven't found this type of info available. after stumbling onto this book i bought it immediatly, it was a much needed gap filler in my training that i will cherrish for years. i read the book slowly and carefully then i started practicing in the next couple days. i took me only that long to reap the bennifits, i went from an occasional strong orgasm a consistant strong orgasm every time. using the "big draw" most of my orgasms are so strong that i nearly faint and my body is left tingeling. i don't think this would be so, accept that i've been practicing chi kung and other meditations for years already that these tecniques were easily addapted. the bit on multiple orgasms is quite real. i highly recomend this book for anyone who takes their love life, meditation, and chi kung serously. i would have to agree with the other couple reviews that say that this type of info could be "potentialy" dangerous. i've studied other titles such as the "encyclopedia of dim mak" by by erle montaigue and wally simpson and am just now starting to study "a manual of accupuncture" and i know that your chi systems demand allot of respect. nonetheless if you practice progressively, carefully and don't try to force your chi but rather allow your self to become aware of it, you'll find that the information in this book is highly valuable. that is why i recomend that you study this book with the book "tai chi classics" this title instructs you how to "cultivate" your awareness and controle of your chi properly.



5. Mantak Chia is a master who gives detailed descriptions of the how-to of moving sexual energy. The methods he proposes are very disciplined and therefore work best for people who like structure and have lots of patience and self-motivation. This book is also good for individuals not in relationship, because so much of the work is done on one's own. Because Chia's work derives from the Taoist tradition (as opposed to Tantric), there is more emphasis on the physical and practical than the mystical and emotional aspects of the work.