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The Sage's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for the Second Half of Life
Completing the trilogy that began with the Parent's Tao Te Ching (praised as "pure gold" by Hugh Prather) and continued with the Couple's Tao Te Ching ("a singular book," said George Fowler), William Martin now distills and freshly reinterprets the Tao for "sages," or those in the second half of life. As Martin writes, sages are the "primary keepers and transmitters of wisdom, culture, values, and spirituality." Martin's free-verse interpretation captures the ancient spirit of Lao Tzu's text, yet speaks directly to modern readers. The text is accompanied by a visual interpretation of the Tao in more than 50 original ink-brush drawings. Like the Parent's Tao and Couple's Tao before it, the Sage's Tao has the hallmarks of a classic. "You have ceased trying /To tie up all loose ends./You have discovered/That life does not need to be neat/You have more questions than answers,/And this is a great delight to you./You trust the mystery of life/Without having to possess it." - from the book
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2000
75 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
William Martin
18 books159 followersWilliam Martin is an award-winning author whose work expresses the practical wisdom and inspiration of Taoist thought for contemporary readers. He is the spouse of Nancy, the father of Lara and John, and the grandfather of Jillian and Andrew.
A native of California, Bill graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Electronic Engineering. After four years working for the Navy as a research scientist, he returned to graduate school. He earned a Masters degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He did not find himself fitting within the Christian Church clergy structure so, guided by his love of the Tao Te Ching, he began to seek his own way. He spent two decades in private practice as a Marriage and Family Counselor in Phoenix, Arizona, and taught counseling for many years at Rio Salado College in Phoenix. He has been a student of the Tao for four decades.
In 1998 he and Nancy decided to simplify their lives so they sold most of their possessions, left their careers, gathered their remaining belongings into a 5X8 foot U-Hall trailer and moved to the Oregon coast. Nancy worked at a small Inn and Bill wrote a book. In 1999, after a year of strolling along the beaches, walking through the forests, and feeling the intense joy of the natural world, they moved to the mountains of Northern California. They live a somewhat private existence, connecting with their close friends and with their individual work. They walk, read, enjoy qigong and cherish their life together. Nancy is a traditional bookbinder, restoring old books and creating hand-bound editions of new ones (www.nwbookbinding.com). Bill continues to write and paint in the Taoist tradition.
A native of California, Bill graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Electronic Engineering. After four years working for the Navy as a research scientist, he returned to graduate school. He earned a Masters degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He did not find himself fitting within the Christian Church clergy structure so, guided by his love of the Tao Te Ching, he began to seek his own way. He spent two decades in private practice as a Marriage and Family Counselor in Phoenix, Arizona, and taught counseling for many years at Rio Salado College in Phoenix. He has been a student of the Tao for four decades.
In 1998 he and Nancy decided to simplify their lives so they sold most of their possessions, left their careers, gathered their remaining belongings into a 5X8 foot U-Hall trailer and moved to the Oregon coast. Nancy worked at a small Inn and Bill wrote a book. In 1999, after a year of strolling along the beaches, walking through the forests, and feeling the intense joy of the natural world, they moved to the mountains of Northern California. They live a somewhat private existence, connecting with their close friends and with their individual work. They walk, read, enjoy qigong and cherish their life together. Nancy is a traditional bookbinder, restoring old books and creating hand-bound editions of new ones (www.nwbookbinding.com). Bill continues to write and paint in the Taoist tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 3, 2017
This was a quick read since I just did not find much substance. The author was verbose and very repetitive of the same catchy word phrases one often sees in books for people in self-discovery, but simply lacked meaningful insights. There was little understanding exhibited in his writing of the aging process, including the challenges of chronic illness/pain that typically come to us all, and its effects on physical and mental well-being, and no insights regarding the challenges of modern day social, family, or societal interactions and pressures. I'm not a sage, but I found this overall pretty superficial.
July 7, 2021
I don't know anything about Taoism, but I bet this isn't it. Large parts of it are wise, being about non-attachment as part of aging well. However, a lot of it just stinks of privilege. Consider:
"You do not need to add to your IRA
for another five years
in order to retire.
Retire now!
Retire from worry.
Retire from the pursuit of possessions.
Retire from complaining.
Retire from the strain
of seeking security.
Retire from unhappiness."
The author and his wife gave up their physical home and now live in an RV. That's nice. It's also a goal that so many younger people will never be able to achieve, since they are working their butts off to simply keep a roof over their heads. "Possessions" are something they'll never have in order to give up. This is the "minimalism as new luxury" mindset, and I hate it.
Also:
"I often find myself dismissed
by the younger, driven folk,
as that quiet older gentleman
who sits and drinks his coffee as he writes
at the corner table by the window.
This is fine by me."
WOW! being a sage gives you mind-reading powers! Who knew? I can tell you that the "younger, driven folk" are probably envying his life.
So there is some good stuff in here, but the bad is just flabbergasting.
"You do not need to add to your IRA
for another five years
in order to retire.
Retire now!
Retire from worry.
Retire from the pursuit of possessions.
Retire from complaining.
Retire from the strain
of seeking security.
Retire from unhappiness."
The author and his wife gave up their physical home and now live in an RV. That's nice. It's also a goal that so many younger people will never be able to achieve, since they are working their butts off to simply keep a roof over their heads. "Possessions" are something they'll never have in order to give up. This is the "minimalism as new luxury" mindset, and I hate it.
Also:
"I often find myself dismissed
by the younger, driven folk,
as that quiet older gentleman
who sits and drinks his coffee as he writes
at the corner table by the window.
This is fine by me."
WOW! being a sage gives you mind-reading powers! Who knew? I can tell you that the "younger, driven folk" are probably envying his life.
So there is some good stuff in here, but the bad is just flabbergasting.
April 21, 2011
This book literally BLEW ME AWAY! I was so profoundly touched by the simple wisdom in this age-old book - and I'm just 28 yrs. young. I know this book is supposedly for the second half of life - but the information will change the way you view your world. I was so touched by the information in this book - after reading it several times through - I ordered 3 copies. I gave one to my grandfather on his 77th birthday - and of course he turned to the 77th verse of the Tao te Ching to see what it had in store for him. Also, I sent one to the President, Mr. Obama and also to the Mayor of my City, here in Fayetteville. I received beautifully-written letters back from the President and Mayor of my city thanking me for my generous gift. I just feel it is important to get these types of books into the hands of our leaders. It could have the potential for shifting all of our realities.
Any book by William Martin is truly a wonderful read. Please enjoy.
Any book by William Martin is truly a wonderful read. Please enjoy.
January 23, 2022
Verbose, empty language, purporting to be taoistic - the sage empties his mind - the sage fills his mind. I see many people find these books helpful, which shows that meaning is be found anywhere. You can meditate on a stone or a leaf or this book. Martin's found a shtick that sells. A salute to capitalism, but not the Tao.
April 21, 2017
Every page of this book resonates with me! I want to get it for a gift for all my friends.
December 23, 2022
This is not meant to be a review, but rather a collection of quotes that made me reflect a lot.
”Our thoughts are becoming clearer, and our needs are becoming more simple. Enough to eat, a comfortable bed, and the glow of friendship suffice to delight us. Isn’t it wonderful to have friends visit and to talk of gentle, hopeful things? How pleasant to enjoy the aroma of morning coffee and a sip of sherry before bed. We have earned the right to enjoy every ordinary moment.”
”The simple home is happiest.”
”Let us instead encourage their dreams, support them with our wisdom, and bless them with our prayers. It is only fitting that the young inherit the world. So did we.”
”Don’t accept the modern myths of aging. You are not deciling. You are not fading away into uselessness. You are a sage, a river at its deepest and most nourishing. Sit by a riverbank sometime and watch attentively as the river tells you of your life.”
”There is a backpack in the mind which over the years has become filled with rocks and stones. You do not have to carry them anymore. You can empty your pack and carry only compassion.”
”Having few posessions means freedom from worry and fret.”
”Younger people are often afraid to dive deep so they remain tossed by the waves. But you can learn to see beneath the surface of behavior, and live in the deeper waters where it is always cool and still. The next time the behavior of others, close at home or across the worls, disturbs you, sink deep into the waters of your life. There you will find all you need.”
”If today you seek to increase your net financial woth you may or may not succeed. If today you seek to increase your serenity and wisdom, I guarantee you will succeed.”
”Each book, program and newspaper must be approached with subtle awareness. Do I read and watch for wisdom, or to torture my fears and reinforce my prejudices? What is being nurtured within me?”
”If you truly want to leave the world a better place, you must release your need to do so. Dedicate your remaining years to seeing the world as a better place, rather than making it better.”
”Great accomplishments do not bring peace. Massive failures do not bring despair. The choice between peace and despair is an inner choice that may be made at any moment.”
”There are so many wonders yet to see. Don’t waste today on reinforcing your views and opinions. Learn something wholly new about your spouse, your child, your friend, your world.”
”Attention to detail comes with growing older. Things that once were done unconsciously now take conscious effort. This is a wondrous benefit. A slower walking pace reveals songbirds never seen before. A slower working pace reveals opportunities never explored before. A slower living pace reveals beauty never experienced before.”
”Welcome each dawn with expectation and glee. Let the day flow into you, and out of you, in contentment and joy.”
”Looking back on life we see that nothing remained the same. Things came and went without our permission or control. The future will unfold in the same manner. What is there to do but sit in mindful appreciation and watch it come and go.”
”Let the yin and yang of life do their dance in perfect harmony. Everything has its place and time. The coming and the going is not a problem. It is not stability that you need, it is balance.”
”Life is always too short. We will never be able to see everything we wanted to see, do all the things we wanted to do, or achieve all the successes we thought so important. But to arrive at a quiet mind, and a serene spirit, is the supreme accomplishment. If we do this, we have done all.”
”Our thoughts are becoming clearer, and our needs are becoming more simple. Enough to eat, a comfortable bed, and the glow of friendship suffice to delight us. Isn’t it wonderful to have friends visit and to talk of gentle, hopeful things? How pleasant to enjoy the aroma of morning coffee and a sip of sherry before bed. We have earned the right to enjoy every ordinary moment.”
”The simple home is happiest.”
”Let us instead encourage their dreams, support them with our wisdom, and bless them with our prayers. It is only fitting that the young inherit the world. So did we.”
”Don’t accept the modern myths of aging. You are not deciling. You are not fading away into uselessness. You are a sage, a river at its deepest and most nourishing. Sit by a riverbank sometime and watch attentively as the river tells you of your life.”
”There is a backpack in the mind which over the years has become filled with rocks and stones. You do not have to carry them anymore. You can empty your pack and carry only compassion.”
”Having few posessions means freedom from worry and fret.”
”Younger people are often afraid to dive deep so they remain tossed by the waves. But you can learn to see beneath the surface of behavior, and live in the deeper waters where it is always cool and still. The next time the behavior of others, close at home or across the worls, disturbs you, sink deep into the waters of your life. There you will find all you need.”
”If today you seek to increase your net financial woth you may or may not succeed. If today you seek to increase your serenity and wisdom, I guarantee you will succeed.”
”Each book, program and newspaper must be approached with subtle awareness. Do I read and watch for wisdom, or to torture my fears and reinforce my prejudices? What is being nurtured within me?”
”If you truly want to leave the world a better place, you must release your need to do so. Dedicate your remaining years to seeing the world as a better place, rather than making it better.”
”Great accomplishments do not bring peace. Massive failures do not bring despair. The choice between peace and despair is an inner choice that may be made at any moment.”
”There are so many wonders yet to see. Don’t waste today on reinforcing your views and opinions. Learn something wholly new about your spouse, your child, your friend, your world.”
”Attention to detail comes with growing older. Things that once were done unconsciously now take conscious effort. This is a wondrous benefit. A slower walking pace reveals songbirds never seen before. A slower working pace reveals opportunities never explored before. A slower living pace reveals beauty never experienced before.”
”Welcome each dawn with expectation and glee. Let the day flow into you, and out of you, in contentment and joy.”
”Looking back on life we see that nothing remained the same. Things came and went without our permission or control. The future will unfold in the same manner. What is there to do but sit in mindful appreciation and watch it come and go.”
”Let the yin and yang of life do their dance in perfect harmony. Everything has its place and time. The coming and the going is not a problem. It is not stability that you need, it is balance.”
”Life is always too short. We will never be able to see everything we wanted to see, do all the things we wanted to do, or achieve all the successes we thought so important. But to arrive at a quiet mind, and a serene spirit, is the supreme accomplishment. If we do this, we have done all.”
October 16, 2017
Excellent food for thought.
A reinterpretation of Chinese philosophy from the perspective of age seventy. If only I had photographic memory,as well as, discipline, I, too, could be a sage. Truth is spoken here, but can you accept it. Are you able to let go of those ideals that hindered our ability to let go? To be contented with fewer things, less power. Can you not be so quick to offer up controversy, to speak less often? Would our wisdom be invited if we embraced pause? I fall short, but it is good food for thought.
A reinterpretation of Chinese philosophy from the perspective of age seventy. If only I had photographic memory,as well as, discipline, I, too, could be a sage. Truth is spoken here, but can you accept it. Are you able to let go of those ideals that hindered our ability to let go? To be contented with fewer things, less power. Can you not be so quick to offer up controversy, to speak less often? Would our wisdom be invited if we embraced pause? I fall short, but it is good food for thought.
Read
April 26, 2021This is just the book I needed! I found it by "chance" in a thrift store. I am 84 and have been becoming concerned because my mind has been telling me a lot of disturbing things -- all of which are almost surely not true. As someone interested in Buddhism and Taoism, I was interested in this little book. When I got it home and started reading it, I became full of gratitude. I became encouraged. I became hopeful. I recommend it without reservation to all, but especially to those over 70. It is a real jewel. A book to have on one's bedside reader, to refer to again and again.
November 24, 2017
It's been described as "simple wisdom." That it is. Most interesting to me is the advice to relax as a sage, or an elder.
If nothing else, it piques my interest in reading a translation of the actual Tao.
If nothing else, it piques my interest in reading a translation of the actual Tao.
May 18, 2025
A morning read with snippets of meaning for each day. Rather than reading this short book in one sitting, I chose to read a passage each morning and contemplate its meaning throughout the day. A lot of times I reread them to allow time to absorb the depth of the concept.
July 21, 2025
I am interested in reading about specifically how Eastern philosophy and spirituality can apply to life in a Western country, and this book fits that concept well; however, I'm not sure if it was executed in the best way possible. It was an extremely quick and comfortable read, but not very thought-provoking. I appreciated seeing how William Martin translated the original text in ways that apply to people past middle age, but a lot of what he said became rather repetitive and lacking in depth. For spiritual texts, I do think it's important to leave room for personal interpretation as well as what the original author may have been trying to say, and a lot of that was eliminated with themes being spoon-fed to the author. That being said, I think it's a good way to introduce concepts of mindfulness and acceptance of aging to older people in Western societies, in a way that is easy to digest for someone not heavily interested in deep-diving into Daoism.
August 17, 2025
If you have a lean in this direction philosophically speaking and you have reached a certain age, I think you will find some passages worth reading and considering. I read it kind of like a devotional only reading 2-3 pages per day to let it sink in.
June 20, 2018
Wonderful transposing of timeless verse.
August 9, 2019
Enjoyed!
I really enjoyed this translation. I’m going to be reading this over and over to keep myself in check as I age.
I really enjoyed this translation. I’m going to be reading this over and over to keep myself in check as I age.
Want to read
March 19, 2017Looking forward to reading this book.
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July 22, 2009
This book is part of a trilogy:The Parent's Tao Te Ching, The Couple's Tao Te Ching and the one John and I are reading each morning - Second Half of Life Tao Te Ching. In daily readings Martin writes about being a sage, a wise person in the second half of life. The sage, venerated for thousands of years in Chinese and other traditional societies, offers those growing older an ideal model in behavior and attitude. This book is a gem and we are enjoying the reminders and blessings of "older" mature life.
October 14, 2011
So wise grasshopper! Good simplistic lessons of the Tao - When we first begin to learn, things become more and more complex. Now things become simpler and simpler. Let the yin and yang of life do their dance in perfect harmony. Everything has it's place and time.
April 17, 2015
The wisdom of the Tao for those of us in the (ahem) second half of life. A lovely interpretation for those of us of a certain age and peaceful illustrations. If you enjoy variations on the Tao, you'll enjoy this.
July 14, 2009
Poetic guidance for healthy perspective on the second half of life.
August 14, 2012
Beautifully written and a book I will always return to for inspiration.
April 4, 2014
This is great for Sageing discussions with partners or alone. Bill and I take time most days to discuss it and may journal also.
December 27, 2014
one the best collections of insights on aging
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews