Wisdom is the essence in the art of living well. Life is always
full of challenges throughout its many different phases and stages. To live as
if everything is a miracle, we need wisdom, which is different from knowledge;
the latter is collection of data, while the latter is the assimilation and
application of the data collected. A knowledgeable person is not necessarily
wise. Wisdom requires much thinking of the mind, which is the capability to ask
questions that leads to asking more questions and seeking answers from the
questions asked. Albert Einstein once said: “Thinking is hard, and
that’s why so few people do it.” We have to think in order to be wise.
Tao wisdom is the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient
sage from China, who was the author of the immortal classic Tao Te Ching, one of the most translated works in world
literature. Tao wisdom is profound human wisdom that enables you to live as if everything is a miracle.
The interpretations of Tao Te Ching are
as many as its translations. Each author is looking at Lao Tzu‘s immortal
classic from his or her own perspective, and this is also one of the many
reasons why Tao Te Ching is
eye-opening and thought-provoking. The Bible and Tao Te Ching are
among the most translated and extensively read books of all time, and for a
good reason: one is about God’s wisdom, and the other is about human wisdom.
My own translation of Tao
Te Ching is
based on my belief that Lao Tzu’s masterpiece is about the Creator of the
universe, and that with true human wisdom man sees not only the manifestations
but also the mysteries of God’s creation. Therefore, without the profound human
wisdom, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to understand and thus
believe in God.
Throughout the entire script of Tao Te Ching’s 81 short chapters in only 5,000 words,
Lao Tzu never used the word “God”, “Creator” or “Higher Being”; instead, he
simply used the word “Way”, which, to me, implies the “pathway” to
understanding the mystery of God and His Creation. Remember, Lao Tzu was born
several hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. It
should also be pointed out that Tao wisdom, which is the wisdom of Lao Tzu,
later on evolved into a religion (Taoist religion) in China; but Lao Tzu never
intended his wisdom to turn into a religious belief.
TAO: The Way to Biblical Wisdom is divided into four parts.
The book is about true human wisdom without the “conditioned” thinking of contemporary wisdom. Without the “reverse” mindset of Lao Tzu, man may have difficulties in understanding true human wisdom, let alone the spiritual wisdom of God expressed in the Bible.
Part One is about my reasons for writing the book, and also why Tao Te Ching is a “must read” for anyone who seeks real human wisdom.
Part Two is my own translation
of the 81 chapters of Tao Te Ching with
respect to the Bible; each chapter is followed by some selected Bible verses
for further reflection on what Lao
Tzu has said.
Part Three is about
the essentials of Tao wisdom with detailed explanation in plain English and
with everyday life examples to help the reader understand the profound wisdom
of Lao Tzu.
Part Four is an explanation
of how Tao
wisdom may help the reader understand God’s wisdom in the Bible. Tao is the Way
to Biblical wisdom.
Don’t miss the opportunity to get both human and spiritual wisdom.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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