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Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life
Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, a God-realized being named Lao-tzu in ancient China dictated 81 verses, which are regarded by many as the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. The classic text of these 81 verses, called the Tao Te Ching or the Great Way, offers advice and guidance that is balanced, moral, spiritual, and always concerned with working for the good.
In this book, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer has reviewed hundreds of translations of the Tao Te Ching and has written 81 distinct essays on how to apply the ancient wisdom of Lao-tzu to today’s modern world. This work contains the entire 81 verses of the Tao, compiled from Wayne’s researching of 12 of the most well-respected translations of text that have survived for more than 25 centuries. Each chapter is designed for actually living the Tao or the Great Way today. Some of the chapter titles are “Living with Flexibility,” “Living Without Enemies,” and “Living by Letting Go.” Each of the 81 brief chapters focuses on living the Tao and concludes with a section called “Doing the Tao Now.”
Wayne spent one entire year reading, researching, and meditating on Lao-tzu’s messages, practicing them each day and ultimately writing down these essays as he felt Lao-tzu wanted you to know them.
This is a work to be read slowly, one essay a day. As Wayne says, “This is a book that will forever change the way you look at your life, and the result will be that you’ll live in a new world aligned with nature. Writing this book changed me forever, too. I now live in accord with the natural world and feel the greatest sense of peace I’ve ever experienced. I’m so proud to present this interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, and offer the same opportunity for change that it has brought me.”
In this book, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer has reviewed hundreds of translations of the Tao Te Ching and has written 81 distinct essays on how to apply the ancient wisdom of Lao-tzu to today’s modern world. This work contains the entire 81 verses of the Tao, compiled from Wayne’s researching of 12 of the most well-respected translations of text that have survived for more than 25 centuries. Each chapter is designed for actually living the Tao or the Great Way today. Some of the chapter titles are “Living with Flexibility,” “Living Without Enemies,” and “Living by Letting Go.” Each of the 81 brief chapters focuses on living the Tao and concludes with a section called “Doing the Tao Now.”
Wayne spent one entire year reading, researching, and meditating on Lao-tzu’s messages, practicing them each day and ultimately writing down these essays as he felt Lao-tzu wanted you to know them.
This is a work to be read slowly, one essay a day. As Wayne says, “This is a book that will forever change the way you look at your life, and the result will be that you’ll live in a new world aligned with nature. Writing this book changed me forever, too. I now live in accord with the natural world and feel the greatest sense of peace I’ve ever experienced. I’m so proud to present this interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, and offer the same opportunity for change that it has brought me.”
392 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Wayne W. Dyer
389 books3,077 followersWayne Walter Dyer was a popular American self-help advocate, author and lecturer. His 1976 book Your Erroneous Zones has sold over 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all time. It is said to have "[brought] humanistic ideas to the masses".
He received his D.Ed. degree in counseling from Wayne State University. He was a guidance counselor in Detroit at the high school level and a professor of counselor education at St. John's University in New York.
He first pursued an academic career, publishing in journals and running a successful private therapy practice, but his lectures at St. John's, which focused on positive thinking and motivational speaking techniques, attracted students beyond those enrolled. A literary agent persuaded Dyer to package his ideas in book form, resulting in Your Erroneous Zones; although initial sales were thin, Dyer quit his teaching job and began a publicity tour of the United States, doggedly pursuing bookstore appearances and media interviews ("out of the back of his station wagon", according to Michael Korda, making the best-seller lists "before book publishers even noticed what was happening"
He received his D.Ed. degree in counseling from Wayne State University. He was a guidance counselor in Detroit at the high school level and a professor of counselor education at St. John's University in New York.
He first pursued an academic career, publishing in journals and running a successful private therapy practice, but his lectures at St. John's, which focused on positive thinking and motivational speaking techniques, attracted students beyond those enrolled. A literary agent persuaded Dyer to package his ideas in book form, resulting in Your Erroneous Zones; although initial sales were thin, Dyer quit his teaching job and began a publicity tour of the United States, doggedly pursuing bookstore appearances and media interviews ("out of the back of his station wagon", according to Michael Korda, making the best-seller lists "before book publishers even noticed what was happening"
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January 22, 2023
*edit* Fourth reading begun January 2023
I'm profoundly depressed, to the point I'm struggling to get out of bed or emote. If only the sun would come out.
So I will listen to this book a fourth time and try to make my own sun.
***
If you think that the Truth can be known From words,
If you think that the Sun and the Ocean Can pass through that tiny opening called the mouth.
O someone should start laughing!
Someone should start wildly laughing— Now!
--Hafiz, about the elusive nature of Tao p102
It's difficult to overstate the impact CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Dr. Wayne Dyer has had on my life. I don't make that statement with the expectation that that will be true for anyone or everyone else who reads this review or this book. It might not even have been true for me, if I had read it at another time in my life. Sometimes the right books come to us at the right time.
In this book, Dr. Wayne passes the teachings of the Tao Te Ching through his signature self-help-ish lens, and turns it into a sort of map for living in contemporary times for the overwhelmed, unhappy person. Since that's pretty much exactly what I was (for me, as a result of mental illness) CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS spoke to me from a very deep place.
One of the things I loved about this book and the Tao Te Ching is that it all makes room for speculation and doubt. I remember encountering the quotation I shared above and thinking to myself, "okay, Dr. Wayne knows some of this sounds a little preposterous, even Lao-tzu did, so there's no conflict here; I just have to know this is a little ridiculous. I have to know that I can laugh!" What a freeing lesson that was for me -- that everything I was reading didn't need to fit into a logical structure I myself had built. That all of life didn't need to make sense to me!
Absorbing and implementing the lessons from CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS have definitely CHANGED MY LIFE. My mental health has improved in ways I'd be hardpressed to completely describe. But I can say this: I'm driving a car again after being unable for ten years. I've started venturing into public spaces alone again, after being unable for more than five years. My personal relationships have improved and I feel a greater sense of vulnerability, the good kind, and satisfaction in those relationships. Is this all because of CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS?
Well, yes. And because of what I did with it. Because it's one of those books that can change your life. For me, it was a missing piece that I added in with at least a dozen other treatments and therapies that had also changed my life for the better...but never quite got me all the way there. To happiness. Fitness. Satisfaction. To driving a car again. Running to the library for a new book. Retreating into peaceful silence instead of jumping onto every one of my mother's taunts. For all that, I needed The Way, as only Dr. Wayne could describe it.
Rest in peace, Dr. Wayne 💜🙏
Rating 5 stars
Finished September 2022 (second reading; planning a third for December)
Recommended for people who like self-help books; anyone who wants to change the way they think; readers interested in the Tao
✔️September Pick 10/10
✔️52 Book Club 52 Book Challenge: a book that sparks joy
✔️Nothing But Challenges 2022 Author Alphabet Challenge: [D.] Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Third reading completed December 2022.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
I'm profoundly depressed, to the point I'm struggling to get out of bed or emote. If only the sun would come out.
So I will listen to this book a fourth time and try to make my own sun.
***
If you think that the Truth can be known From words,
If you think that the Sun and the Ocean Can pass through that tiny opening called the mouth.
O someone should start laughing!
Someone should start wildly laughing— Now!
--Hafiz, about the elusive nature of Tao p102
It's difficult to overstate the impact CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Dr. Wayne Dyer has had on my life. I don't make that statement with the expectation that that will be true for anyone or everyone else who reads this review or this book. It might not even have been true for me, if I had read it at another time in my life. Sometimes the right books come to us at the right time.
In this book, Dr. Wayne passes the teachings of the Tao Te Ching through his signature self-help-ish lens, and turns it into a sort of map for living in contemporary times for the overwhelmed, unhappy person. Since that's pretty much exactly what I was (for me, as a result of mental illness) CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS spoke to me from a very deep place.
One of the things I loved about this book and the Tao Te Ching is that it all makes room for speculation and doubt. I remember encountering the quotation I shared above and thinking to myself, "okay, Dr. Wayne knows some of this sounds a little preposterous, even Lao-tzu did, so there's no conflict here; I just have to know this is a little ridiculous. I have to know that I can laugh!" What a freeing lesson that was for me -- that everything I was reading didn't need to fit into a logical structure I myself had built. That all of life didn't need to make sense to me!
Absorbing and implementing the lessons from CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS have definitely CHANGED MY LIFE. My mental health has improved in ways I'd be hardpressed to completely describe. But I can say this: I'm driving a car again after being unable for ten years. I've started venturing into public spaces alone again, after being unable for more than five years. My personal relationships have improved and I feel a greater sense of vulnerability, the good kind, and satisfaction in those relationships. Is this all because of CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS?
Well, yes. And because of what I did with it. Because it's one of those books that can change your life. For me, it was a missing piece that I added in with at least a dozen other treatments and therapies that had also changed my life for the better...but never quite got me all the way there. To happiness. Fitness. Satisfaction. To driving a car again. Running to the library for a new book. Retreating into peaceful silence instead of jumping onto every one of my mother's taunts. For all that, I needed The Way, as only Dr. Wayne could describe it.
Rest in peace, Dr. Wayne 💜🙏
Rating 5 stars
Finished September 2022 (second reading; planning a third for December)
Recommended for people who like self-help books; anyone who wants to change the way they think; readers interested in the Tao
✔️September Pick 10/10
✔️52 Book Club 52 Book Challenge: a book that sparks joy
✔️Nothing But Challenges 2022 Author Alphabet Challenge: [D.] Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Third reading completed December 2022.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
May 23, 2013
A book by Wayne W. Dyer is typically a book I would not pick up. But this particular book of his was about the Tao Te Ching written by Lao-tzu in ancient China about 2500 years ago……a book I typically pick up on a regular basis (cause I love it.)
The Tao is only 81 verses long, but there have been many translations over the years. The one I am most familiar with is the translation, Tao Te Ching : A New English Version written by Stephen Mitchell, and is probably the easiest to follow. Dyer used several translations in the writing of this book (which is unfortunately named) including the version I mention above.
Wayne Dyer took a year to study each verse, research it, and write an essay on each one giving his thoughts on what each verse meant. He put a lot of work into it and I thought he did an excellent job, though I’m not sure I would have came up with the same thoughts myself…….but that’s why I read, for different ideas.
I didn’t read this book as it was intended to be read. I plowed straight through it instead of reading one verse and essay a day, and let each one sink in for that day before moving on. I plan on re-reading it that way……maybe even moving it up to four days for each verse and writing out my take on it and post it here..…somewhere, when and if time permits.
The one thing I took away from this book is that ‘force’ is never effective, in any circumstance. I have tried my whole life to force things to happen, and the results have not been positive. A person can plan, prepare and pursue, then you just got to let things play out as they are supposed to.
There is something I would like to mention about the author. He lives what he believes and what he writes……he practices the Tao. He gives his money away, pretty much all of it…..and there is always more that comes back to him in return. He’s one of the good guys.
The Tao is only 81 verses long, but there have been many translations over the years. The one I am most familiar with is the translation, Tao Te Ching : A New English Version written by Stephen Mitchell, and is probably the easiest to follow. Dyer used several translations in the writing of this book (which is unfortunately named) including the version I mention above.
Wayne Dyer took a year to study each verse, research it, and write an essay on each one giving his thoughts on what each verse meant. He put a lot of work into it and I thought he did an excellent job, though I’m not sure I would have came up with the same thoughts myself…….but that’s why I read, for different ideas.
I didn’t read this book as it was intended to be read. I plowed straight through it instead of reading one verse and essay a day, and let each one sink in for that day before moving on. I plan on re-reading it that way……maybe even moving it up to four days for each verse and writing out my take on it and post it here..…somewhere, when and if time permits.
The one thing I took away from this book is that ‘force’ is never effective, in any circumstance. I have tried my whole life to force things to happen, and the results have not been positive. A person can plan, prepare and pursue, then you just got to let things play out as they are supposed to.
There is something I would like to mention about the author. He lives what he believes and what he writes……he practices the Tao. He gives his money away, pretty much all of it…..and there is always more that comes back to him in return. He’s one of the good guys.
July 27, 2010
At some point today, notice an instance of annoyance or irritation you have with another person or situation. Decide to do the Tao (or practice the Way) in that moment by turning inward with curiosity about where you are on the continuum between desire and allowing. Permit the paradox of wanting the irritant to vanish and allowing it to be what it is.
As I was attempting to read through and absorb this very first lesson, I was given an excellent opportunity to put it into practice. My 13 year old son was thoughtful enough to provide several irritants in quick succession that included complaints, demands, banging on the table with drumsticks, tormenting the cat and then tossing the cat into my office onto the back of my chair, pounding the piano and calling it music, switching to trumpet playing where he snuck up behind me quietly and blasted the trumpet right behind my head, slamming doors, yelling "Mom! Mom!" for no reason, singing off key loudly, and sharing his opinion with me of why he prefers his friend Cole's mother to myself. I attempted to permit the paradox and allow it to be what it is, but I would need several Xanax to pull that off so ended up back where I just wanted the irritant to vanish and called his father to come and get him early. At first the ex said that wasn't possible and I again got to feel annoyance and irritation, but took a few deep breaths, poured some rum into my diet Coke and put on my iPod set to Beth Orton's "Ooh Child." Sure enough, I started to feel better and eventually the ex showed up and they drove off together, leaving me with the peace I sought. On to the 2nd Verse, "Living the Paradoxical Unity." (???)
UPDATE, July 10: I'm really enjoying the book and learning a lot that I can apply to my life. As part of the 24th verse, "Living Without Excess," there is this lovely poem by Hafiz:
Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the earth,
"You owe
Me."
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.
I finished reading the book all the way through and though I don't take every single verse of the Tao to heart, there is enough good here that I purchased my own copy, since I also had a 40% off coupon and got the paperback. I especially enjoyed the poem above, and this:
Woman With Flower
I wouldn't coax the plant if I were you.
Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.
Let the soil rest from so much digging
and wait until it is dry before you water it.
The leaf is inclined to find it's own direction;
give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself.
Much growth is stunted by too careful prodding, too eager tenderness.
The things we love we have to learn to leave alone.
Naomi Long Madgett
As I was attempting to read through and absorb this very first lesson, I was given an excellent opportunity to put it into practice. My 13 year old son was thoughtful enough to provide several irritants in quick succession that included complaints, demands, banging on the table with drumsticks, tormenting the cat and then tossing the cat into my office onto the back of my chair, pounding the piano and calling it music, switching to trumpet playing where he snuck up behind me quietly and blasted the trumpet right behind my head, slamming doors, yelling "Mom! Mom!" for no reason, singing off key loudly, and sharing his opinion with me of why he prefers his friend Cole's mother to myself. I attempted to permit the paradox and allow it to be what it is, but I would need several Xanax to pull that off so ended up back where I just wanted the irritant to vanish and called his father to come and get him early. At first the ex said that wasn't possible and I again got to feel annoyance and irritation, but took a few deep breaths, poured some rum into my diet Coke and put on my iPod set to Beth Orton's "Ooh Child." Sure enough, I started to feel better and eventually the ex showed up and they drove off together, leaving me with the peace I sought. On to the 2nd Verse, "Living the Paradoxical Unity." (???)
UPDATE, July 10: I'm really enjoying the book and learning a lot that I can apply to my life. As part of the 24th verse, "Living Without Excess," there is this lovely poem by Hafiz:
Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the earth,
"You owe
Me."
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.
I finished reading the book all the way through and though I don't take every single verse of the Tao to heart, there is enough good here that I purchased my own copy, since I also had a 40% off coupon and got the paperback. I especially enjoyed the poem above, and this:
Woman With Flower
I wouldn't coax the plant if I were you.
Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.
Let the soil rest from so much digging
and wait until it is dry before you water it.
The leaf is inclined to find it's own direction;
give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself.
Much growth is stunted by too careful prodding, too eager tenderness.
The things we love we have to learn to leave alone.
Naomi Long Madgett
January 9, 2008
Wayne Dyer chose a most appropriate title for this book because changing your thoughts WILL change your life.This book came along at the perfect time for me because I realized my thoughts were getting in the way of me finding true happiness and purpose in life. Unfortunately most of us are riddled with negative thoughts throughout the day, whether it's what we believe to be true about ourselves, or what we assume others are thinking about us. Both will bring nothing but frustration, low self-esteem with no direction or hope for the future.
This book is wonderful because its written so that you only read a few pages each day....so that you can sit with the words and think about how to actually apply it to your everyday life.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to move forward, learn how to clean their plate each day of expectations of self and of others, and find true peace and happiness in their life.
It will help you see how God saw us living in this world.
This book is wonderful because its written so that you only read a few pages each day....so that you can sit with the words and think about how to actually apply it to your everyday life.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to move forward, learn how to clean their plate each day of expectations of self and of others, and find true peace and happiness in their life.
It will help you see how God saw us living in this world.
February 5, 2013
Assuming these new age self-help gurus are guilty of being woo-woo shamans until they prove otherwise has generally spared me a lot of disappointment, though I do try to avoid being cynical if I can help it. My first encounter with Wayne Dyer, however, doesn't break the mold as one could've guessed from my one-star rating.
My low opinion isn't so much about the content of Dyer's ongoing ramblings he's packaged as "advice". "Let's be nice, less controlling of other people, more mindful of our impact on the environment... (among other things)" is by no means a bad set of rules to lead your life by. But are they really a revolution in personal growth and ethics to anyone who's ever read a work of philosophy, psychology or even other new age trite of this sort before? Even conceding that, my main grievance with the work is Dyer's suspect methodology.
The two things that immediately ought to get your spidey senses tingling regarding Dyer's interpretation are:
A) He derived his insights based on a set of English translations of a text originally written in ancient Chinese;
B) He's surgically removed the text from its cultural, historic and religious context and is treating every little ambiguity in it as a "fill in the blank" game;
But let's tackle them one at a time.
A): The Language
Knowing that there are scholars who devote their entire academic careers to the "Dao De Jing" with the knowledge of:
1) The languages (ancient and modern Chinese);
2) The context;
3) The various versions (!) of the actual text;
4) The commentaries;
let's grant that Dyer is still entitled to his interpretation written during the course of a year he, as I assume from the constant references made in the book itself, spent in Maui (must've been nice).
I am not one of the scholars, if you're wondering - but that just emphasizes my point even more - if someone of such limited erudition as yours truly can make the points I'm making, imagine what a more learned person's more meticulous examination could conjure up.
Let's grant him some more ground to stand on. Having suffered through a few semesters of ancient literary Chinese courses (basically - the written language in which all of these classical Chinese texts were written), I have some sympathy for not wanting to undertake a task as daunting as learning a foreign language purely for a, lest I'm unaware of any existing or upcoming continuations, one-time project like this.
But what does it tell of his intellectual integrity, respect for the readers and the source material alike, to not even seriously acknowledge that he never consults the actual text in its original form? If not through deliberate study of the language and Chinese characters, then least of all with the help of scholars and/or people proficient in the language?
Instead - he plays a 2500+ year long, language-crossing game of "broken telephone" in good faith that his most immediate sources will be good enough. Or did he seriously think that the numerous occasions he meditated in front of the image of Laozi (as he keeps reminding us in the book) somehow allowed him to bypass the language and temporal barrier separating them? Add to that Laozi's as a person's historicity is dubious at best, thus making Dyer's spiritualist shenanigans unintentionally funny (even if you're not a materialist, you'd have to admit that contacting a person who may never have existed, this side or beyond the grave, would surely be challenging, to not say impossible).
If you think the language issue is divorced from reality, and Dyer can still successfully derive meaning from good translations (though how would he know the quality of a translation in any meaningful manner without the knowledge of the original text?) - here's an example how Dyer's reliance on an English translation distorted his reasoning about what the 71st chapter of the "Dao De Jing" is actually about (I'm putting it in spoiler tags in case you're not interested in such an in-depth analysis):
B) Context
The "Dao De Jing" is a very oblique and eclectic text; there's lots of imagery, metaphors, and Daoistically-loaded words (the uncarved wood, the One, the ten-thousand things, the mysterious female, etc.). The meanings of its verses are ambiguous on a lot of occasions, but with the advances in Daoist studies, it's not nearly the open-ended enigma Dyer wants it to be. Even with Laozi, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
As much as we'd like to think of it as an ancient self-help manual filled with universal truths that resonate throughout the ages and helps us better our lives even in the 21st century - the implications, when looking at the text in its context, are not nearly as romantic.
Consider the following:
1) The obvious: you had to be literate (which very, very few people were at the time, need I remind you) to be able to read it at the time it was written, so it might have not been intended for the general public to enjoy at their leisure;
2) Its ambiguity may not have merely been nice sounding words, but actual code to make the true meanings obscure and esoteric, thus intelligible only to those "in the know" (in fact, a lot of Daoist texts later in history practice this);
3) When it speaks of warfare and governing the country - it's actually meant to be advice for rulers how to conduct wars and govern a country;
4) Some verses might not have any higher aspirations than to simply upset the sensibilities of the Confucians of the time - especially when it speaks of death (big no-no to Confucians) and the futility of rituals;
That said, I don't think this makes it impossible to use the "Dao De Jing" to find meaning and utility in your day to day life, but even if one grants that, one has to admit Dyer's interpretations are all over the place, lazy, and at times completely nonsensical.
I'm still confused whether he wants Daoism, as derived from the text, to simply be what he thinks Buddhism is; whether he interprets everything along the lines of some all-religions-are-really-one-and-the-same-at-their-heart reasoning (he makes allusions that the Dao is really God, slips in references to Sufi poets, quotes from the Bible to back up his reasoning, etc.); or whether there's still some completely different bundle of contradictions in his repertoire.
In light of this it's unsurprising how he completely misses the true Daoist flavor of the text at the most basic levels. "Doing" the Dao (as he instructs you time and time again at the end of each chapter) deliberately should've struck him as completely counter-intuitive to the Daoist idea of non-action (Wu-wei) if he really became such an expert on the text's intricacies; for someone who bemoans the woes of the "ego", he sure can't stop basking in his self-importance, imposing to you how trying this challenge was with his first-world problems (making through a 90 minute yoga session), even referring to himself as a master of the Dao at some point.
And that brings me to the most uneasy question about this whole endeavor - Dyer's motivation. Is he merely a clueless buffoon, who didn't know there's actually so much more going on with this Dao thing than this one text, and wasted a year under the illusion that he's seriously practicing its "wisdom"? Or was this just the next project of a businessman who knew he could recycle what he has probably "taught" for years anyway and patch it onto the text as the insights drawn from it? So he's either ignorant and lazy or calculating and insincere, and neither prospect makes me warm up to him.
If you want to read it for Dyer's pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-spiritual, fluffed up (whatever happened to the 81st verse's "fine-sounding words are not true"?), equally ambiguous and nonspecific directions, knock yourself out. Probably nothing in this review could have dissuaded you from doing otherwise anyway.
If you want to read it to learn about the "Dao De Jing," this is hardly the best book for it.
My low opinion isn't so much about the content of Dyer's ongoing ramblings he's packaged as "advice". "Let's be nice, less controlling of other people, more mindful of our impact on the environment... (among other things)" is by no means a bad set of rules to lead your life by. But are they really a revolution in personal growth and ethics to anyone who's ever read a work of philosophy, psychology or even other new age trite of this sort before? Even conceding that, my main grievance with the work is Dyer's suspect methodology.
The two things that immediately ought to get your spidey senses tingling regarding Dyer's interpretation are:
A) He derived his insights based on a set of English translations of a text originally written in ancient Chinese;
B) He's surgically removed the text from its cultural, historic and religious context and is treating every little ambiguity in it as a "fill in the blank" game;
But let's tackle them one at a time.
A): The Language
Knowing that there are scholars who devote their entire academic careers to the "Dao De Jing" with the knowledge of:
1) The languages (ancient and modern Chinese);
2) The context;
3) The various versions (!) of the actual text;
4) The commentaries;
let's grant that Dyer is still entitled to his interpretation written during the course of a year he, as I assume from the constant references made in the book itself, spent in Maui (must've been nice).
I am not one of the scholars, if you're wondering - but that just emphasizes my point even more - if someone of such limited erudition as yours truly can make the points I'm making, imagine what a more learned person's more meticulous examination could conjure up.
Let's grant him some more ground to stand on. Having suffered through a few semesters of ancient literary Chinese courses (basically - the written language in which all of these classical Chinese texts were written), I have some sympathy for not wanting to undertake a task as daunting as learning a foreign language purely for a, lest I'm unaware of any existing or upcoming continuations, one-time project like this.
But what does it tell of his intellectual integrity, respect for the readers and the source material alike, to not even seriously acknowledge that he never consults the actual text in its original form? If not through deliberate study of the language and Chinese characters, then least of all with the help of scholars and/or people proficient in the language?
Instead - he plays a 2500+ year long, language-crossing game of "broken telephone" in good faith that his most immediate sources will be good enough. Or did he seriously think that the numerous occasions he meditated in front of the image of Laozi (as he keeps reminding us in the book) somehow allowed him to bypass the language and temporal barrier separating them? Add to that Laozi's as a person's historicity is dubious at best, thus making Dyer's spiritualist shenanigans unintentionally funny (even if you're not a materialist, you'd have to admit that contacting a person who may never have existed, this side or beyond the grave, would surely be challenging, to not say impossible).
If you think the language issue is divorced from reality, and Dyer can still successfully derive meaning from good translations (though how would he know the quality of a translation in any meaningful manner without the knowledge of the original text?) - here's an example how Dyer's reliance on an English translation distorted his reasoning about what the 71st chapter of the "Dao De Jing" is actually about (I'm putting it in spoiler tags in case you're not interested in such an in-depth analysis):
B) Context
The "Dao De Jing" is a very oblique and eclectic text; there's lots of imagery, metaphors, and Daoistically-loaded words (the uncarved wood, the One, the ten-thousand things, the mysterious female, etc.). The meanings of its verses are ambiguous on a lot of occasions, but with the advances in Daoist studies, it's not nearly the open-ended enigma Dyer wants it to be. Even with Laozi, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
As much as we'd like to think of it as an ancient self-help manual filled with universal truths that resonate throughout the ages and helps us better our lives even in the 21st century - the implications, when looking at the text in its context, are not nearly as romantic.
Consider the following:
1) The obvious: you had to be literate (which very, very few people were at the time, need I remind you) to be able to read it at the time it was written, so it might have not been intended for the general public to enjoy at their leisure;
2) Its ambiguity may not have merely been nice sounding words, but actual code to make the true meanings obscure and esoteric, thus intelligible only to those "in the know" (in fact, a lot of Daoist texts later in history practice this);
3) When it speaks of warfare and governing the country - it's actually meant to be advice for rulers how to conduct wars and govern a country;
4) Some verses might not have any higher aspirations than to simply upset the sensibilities of the Confucians of the time - especially when it speaks of death (big no-no to Confucians) and the futility of rituals;
That said, I don't think this makes it impossible to use the "Dao De Jing" to find meaning and utility in your day to day life, but even if one grants that, one has to admit Dyer's interpretations are all over the place, lazy, and at times completely nonsensical.
I'm still confused whether he wants Daoism, as derived from the text, to simply be what he thinks Buddhism is; whether he interprets everything along the lines of some all-religions-are-really-one-and-the-same-at-their-heart reasoning (he makes allusions that the Dao is really God, slips in references to Sufi poets, quotes from the Bible to back up his reasoning, etc.); or whether there's still some completely different bundle of contradictions in his repertoire.
In light of this it's unsurprising how he completely misses the true Daoist flavor of the text at the most basic levels. "Doing" the Dao (as he instructs you time and time again at the end of each chapter) deliberately should've struck him as completely counter-intuitive to the Daoist idea of non-action (Wu-wei) if he really became such an expert on the text's intricacies; for someone who bemoans the woes of the "ego", he sure can't stop basking in his self-importance, imposing to you how trying this challenge was with his first-world problems (making through a 90 minute yoga session), even referring to himself as a master of the Dao at some point.
And that brings me to the most uneasy question about this whole endeavor - Dyer's motivation. Is he merely a clueless buffoon, who didn't know there's actually so much more going on with this Dao thing than this one text, and wasted a year under the illusion that he's seriously practicing its "wisdom"? Or was this just the next project of a businessman who knew he could recycle what he has probably "taught" for years anyway and patch it onto the text as the insights drawn from it? So he's either ignorant and lazy or calculating and insincere, and neither prospect makes me warm up to him.
If you want to read it for Dyer's pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-spiritual, fluffed up (whatever happened to the 81st verse's "fine-sounding words are not true"?), equally ambiguous and nonspecific directions, knock yourself out. Probably nothing in this review could have dissuaded you from doing otherwise anyway.
If you want to read it to learn about the "Dao De Jing," this is hardly the best book for it.
February 27, 2009
I don't think I read this book in the manner in which it was intended. It is a deconstruction of the 81 verses of the Tao. At the end of each chapter, there is a daily assignment to practice the discussed mantra. I powered through the book like a novel, either at the gym or on the subway. I feel like that was the wrong way to do it because I didn't take an afternoon to spend time with a frog, or take an hour long walk to observe nature, or find a homeless person and send him/her a prayer of happiness, or give away a gadget that I do not need. (I don't have gadgets that I do not need.) I did however practice forgiveness and understanding to the people in my life that were causing me angst. I did extend unsolicited kind gestures when I had the opportunity. I did avoid all gossip and slander. And I did learn to train my thoughts away from conflict, strife, and pain.
Even if you don't read this book in contemplative meditation, there is a lot to be gained from it. Much of it is repetitive but that is inevitable because it is one man's interpretation of 81 verses of positive thinking and really, there are not 81 mutually exclusive ways to change your life by changing your thoughts. In fact, the repetition can be useful because it reinforces thoughts that I want to become second nature. Or first nature.
Even if you don't read this book in contemplative meditation, there is a lot to be gained from it. Much of it is repetitive but that is inevitable because it is one man's interpretation of 81 verses of positive thinking and really, there are not 81 mutually exclusive ways to change your life by changing your thoughts. In fact, the repetition can be useful because it reinforces thoughts that I want to become second nature. Or first nature.
October 1, 2007
EXCELLENT book. Wonderfully expressed interpretations of the Tao Te Ching. If everyone lived by these simple guildlines and wisdom, there would be no war, no crime and a unity that is unfathomable based on our current world. One can't help but feel wonderful while reading this book. Great source of "grounding." GREAT read, just before bed.
June 24, 2021
This is a book you work from again and again. I have pretty much completed the 81 verses but will be choosing one daily to mull over from here on out. I love this book. It has helped me with letting go of control...or at least becoming aware of my issues and laying them down over and over and over again.
For some spiritual food in the mornings with coffee, this is my book. I feel the change.
For some spiritual food in the mornings with coffee, this is my book. I feel the change.
August 13, 2012
I cannot get thru this book!
Both the Tao and Wayne W.Dyer have good teachings, have good deep points. But for me, Wayne Dyer comments/opinion about MOST of the Tao's passage are irrelevant and SOOOOOO unconnected.
I think it is a big mistake to research and study the Tao from the 'translations', I think if he really wants to study the Tao deeply then it must be from the original Chinese! I mean, it is okay for us (who are not writing a book) to study and compare the Tao from the translations... BUT to write a book about Tao and publish it, I don't think it is wise at all to base his studies from merely the translations! I find it's ridiculous!
Another thing is that Wayne Dyer use the passage in the Tao completely for his own teaching. So I find that he use all the passage, and commenting them, directing them into his own teaching, which is completely irrelevant. Especially if you are Chinese and know a little bit about the background of the Tao or the background of the culture, it's just ridiculous! I listen to this book, feeling as if the Chinese culture, the Tao is being somewhat Christianized, and I feel like listening the Tao while the message is just Wayne Dyer!
I think this book has completely degenerate the deep meaning of the Tao.
Someone asked me what do I think about this book, and I answered "Well, the Tao is nice and deep. Wayne Dyer is nice and he has a great, calming sound. So, if I only listen and completely stay in the present, stay in each words and in each sentence, then it is a nice book. But if I try to connect the sentence to the previous sentence, then I get headache and it doesn't connect, it doesn't make sense. If I try to connect the passage and his whole comment on it, I get upset because it's just NOT CONNECTED. But he has a great calm voice, so as long as I stay present and not try to figure out what is he talking about, then this is a good book!"
Anyway, after listening to 7 of the passages. I just dropped it altogether and decided I need to just read the Tao, without any comments! Some of the passage of the Tao DOES NOT need any commenting, it's a pointer... a point to get you inside to the Tao. You just have to live it, not to comment it.
Well, I cannot get thru this book for this time and I won't waste my time to take it up again since I still have many other books... perhaps one day when I have free time I will try to take it up again, and perhaps then it will change my mind, who knows?
Both the Tao and Wayne W.Dyer have good teachings, have good deep points. But for me, Wayne Dyer comments/opinion about MOST of the Tao's passage are irrelevant and SOOOOOO unconnected.
I think it is a big mistake to research and study the Tao from the 'translations', I think if he really wants to study the Tao deeply then it must be from the original Chinese! I mean, it is okay for us (who are not writing a book) to study and compare the Tao from the translations... BUT to write a book about Tao and publish it, I don't think it is wise at all to base his studies from merely the translations! I find it's ridiculous!
Another thing is that Wayne Dyer use the passage in the Tao completely for his own teaching. So I find that he use all the passage, and commenting them, directing them into his own teaching, which is completely irrelevant. Especially if you are Chinese and know a little bit about the background of the Tao or the background of the culture, it's just ridiculous! I listen to this book, feeling as if the Chinese culture, the Tao is being somewhat Christianized, and I feel like listening the Tao while the message is just Wayne Dyer!
I think this book has completely degenerate the deep meaning of the Tao.
Someone asked me what do I think about this book, and I answered "Well, the Tao is nice and deep. Wayne Dyer is nice and he has a great, calming sound. So, if I only listen and completely stay in the present, stay in each words and in each sentence, then it is a nice book. But if I try to connect the sentence to the previous sentence, then I get headache and it doesn't connect, it doesn't make sense. If I try to connect the passage and his whole comment on it, I get upset because it's just NOT CONNECTED. But he has a great calm voice, so as long as I stay present and not try to figure out what is he talking about, then this is a good book!"
Anyway, after listening to 7 of the passages. I just dropped it altogether and decided I need to just read the Tao, without any comments! Some of the passage of the Tao DOES NOT need any commenting, it's a pointer... a point to get you inside to the Tao. You just have to live it, not to comment it.
Well, I cannot get thru this book for this time and I won't waste my time to take it up again since I still have many other books... perhaps one day when I have free time I will try to take it up again, and perhaps then it will change my mind, who knows?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2011
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book! I had SO MANY "AHHA" moments it was unbelievable! I actually FEEL BETTER now that I have read this book! It has definitely CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER!! Here is a summary of my favorite parts...
Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Stay in this moment NOW!
You are DOING NOTHING, rather you are being DONE! Allow, let go of control, shift your awareness.
No storm lasts forever! When something seems incapable of handling, know that this too shall pass.
The more rules you make, the more rule breakers you create!
When your cup is full, stop pouring!
There is no way to happiness. HAPPINESS IS THE WAY! Look within to find happiness.
More is Less, and Less is More. The 80/20 rule: you only use 20% of what you have!
There is a TIME for EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING in its time!!
Hidden in all misfortune is GOOD FORTUNE!! (Very often FORTUNE is disguised as misfortune!)
Think small rather than big. Get great things done by thinking small.
Come to grips with the radical notion that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! What I have is ENOUGH!
See yourself in everyone you encounter. Leave your EGO at the door.
Make COMPASSION the essential foundation of your personal philosophy.
Trust in your own greatness!!
Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Stay in this moment NOW!
You are DOING NOTHING, rather you are being DONE! Allow, let go of control, shift your awareness.
No storm lasts forever! When something seems incapable of handling, know that this too shall pass.
The more rules you make, the more rule breakers you create!
When your cup is full, stop pouring!
There is no way to happiness. HAPPINESS IS THE WAY! Look within to find happiness.
More is Less, and Less is More. The 80/20 rule: you only use 20% of what you have!
There is a TIME for EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING in its time!!
Hidden in all misfortune is GOOD FORTUNE!! (Very often FORTUNE is disguised as misfortune!)
Think small rather than big. Get great things done by thinking small.
Come to grips with the radical notion that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! What I have is ENOUGH!
See yourself in everyone you encounter. Leave your EGO at the door.
Make COMPASSION the essential foundation of your personal philosophy.
Trust in your own greatness!!
March 2, 2009
this book arrived as a gift from a far away client...I don't believe she had any idea that I have been a dedicated student of the TAO te Ching for 38 years and that I collect translations. Dr. Wayne Dyer has created a thoroughly researched and thoughtful text for anyone interested in using the TAO as a life path.
December 20, 2022
I don't remember how this book came to be in my library, but I thought I'd give it a read, as part of my bookshelf cleanup project. I could only make it a third of the way through.
In fairness, I will say that it's a good concept for a book, and nicely structured. He takes one translation of the Tao Te Ching, and after each verse, he writes a little about what he thinks it means in our modern American world, and gives a little "homework" exercise, to help you put the ideas into practice in your life.
However, I do not think it means what he thinks it means. The verses themselves seem to be talking about living a peaceful life, and letting go of the desire and effort to resist or control life. But this author is writing a modern American improve-your-life book. If you follow this path, you will manifest all the worldly things you want--money, a good job, time and energy to do the things on your to-do list. He actually says “Just like everything else on our planet, money is available in limitless quantities.” (p22)
And there are so! many! exclamation marks! In my opinion, the word "contentment" should not be followed by an exclamation mark (which it is on page 18).
The last chapter I could manage starts with a verse where Lao-tzu refers to the Tao as “great”, as in boundless, infinite, eternally present. And then Dyer goes on to talk about greatness as in personal importance, superiority. “You’re the central character in this wonderful saga!” “Catch yourself in the midst of any utterance that reflects your belief that you’re average.”
Ugh, I'm done with this book.
In fairness, I will say that it's a good concept for a book, and nicely structured. He takes one translation of the Tao Te Ching, and after each verse, he writes a little about what he thinks it means in our modern American world, and gives a little "homework" exercise, to help you put the ideas into practice in your life.
However, I do not think it means what he thinks it means. The verses themselves seem to be talking about living a peaceful life, and letting go of the desire and effort to resist or control life. But this author is writing a modern American improve-your-life book. If you follow this path, you will manifest all the worldly things you want--money, a good job, time and energy to do the things on your to-do list. He actually says “Just like everything else on our planet, money is available in limitless quantities.” (p22)
And there are so! many! exclamation marks! In my opinion, the word "contentment" should not be followed by an exclamation mark (which it is on page 18).
The last chapter I could manage starts with a verse where Lao-tzu refers to the Tao as “great”, as in boundless, infinite, eternally present. And then Dyer goes on to talk about greatness as in personal importance, superiority. “You’re the central character in this wonderful saga!” “Catch yourself in the midst of any utterance that reflects your belief that you’re average.”
Ugh, I'm done with this book.
May 30, 2012
It's always good to think positive! And there are some good suggestions in this book. BUT, there is a difference between thinking positive and wishful thinking. Those that would claim 'the power of intention' as a scientific law would do well to understand that from a scientific standard - this is laughable. At best, it is a theory surrounded by belief - not facts, but supposition of facts.
Just because someone believes something, doesn't make it so.
The notion of believing we can manifest whatever we want may sell a lot of books, but there is a difference between a person's internal reality, and provable external reality. And if a person believes that there are no limitations to the power of thought on external reality... well... aren't dealing in reality. But it's a nice thought.
Just because someone believes something, doesn't make it so.
The notion of believing we can manifest whatever we want may sell a lot of books, but there is a difference between a person's internal reality, and provable external reality. And if a person believes that there are no limitations to the power of thought on external reality... well... aren't dealing in reality. But it's a nice thought.
September 12, 2018
I like all the words of wisdom imparted through out this book, however, having just lost my mother, the references to our mother and the feminine that is within each of us that we should embrace was especially touching! Always love the concept that kindness and humility will ultimately win against anger and abuse. I think I’ll go buy a copy of this book and actually read it because I listened to it and there’s so many words of wisdom I would like to go back and review. Go do the Tao now!
September 29, 2015
This is a bizarre book. It is a rewriting/reflection and expansion of Tao Te Ching. The Tao is a small 'book' - a series of verses - that are inspiring and encourage meditation and quietness.
Enter Wayne Dyer. He has written a 394 page book that expands on the Tao. This is the equivalent of transforming Shakespeare's sonnets into a Mills and Boon novel.
This expanded book does stress silence, smallness, reflection and care. These are important attributes. But the Tao can fulfill this place. We do not need an expanded and Americanized version of the Tao.
Enter Wayne Dyer. He has written a 394 page book that expands on the Tao. This is the equivalent of transforming Shakespeare's sonnets into a Mills and Boon novel.
This expanded book does stress silence, smallness, reflection and care. These are important attributes. But the Tao can fulfill this place. We do not need an expanded and Americanized version of the Tao.
November 24, 2015
This is one of those book that are much easier to read then apply. I'm really not sure how something so simple as living in the present moment could be so hard to remember but it is, worrying about the past,scared about future. Dr Dyer has an easy way of writing that makes you want to keep trying to improve yourself. He is right throughout the book simple positive thoughts, you do have the control. Change your perspective,change your world for the better.Best when reread as needed to remind yourself you do have control on what you think all the time!
July 21, 2008
I actually borrowed this from the library as a book on cd. I played it in my car as I was driving my children all over for swimming lessons, to the park, wherever. It is fantastic! My husband actually listened to it and suggested that we purchase it for our own collection. It quotes all of the verses of the Tao and gives you practical ways to live the way of the Tao. It definitely changed my life.
October 2, 2016
I read this slowly, about one verse a night. I really appreciated Dr. Dyer's analysis after every verse. It really helped it sink in and connected the verses to the modern world. From here, I will use a regular copy of the Tao Te Ching to reflect on each night. But I am grateful for this interpretation. Don't judge this book by the cover!
June 19, 2010
One of my favorite writers and people in this world. Takes the Tao Te Ching and transforms it into something we can relate to, with meditations and wonderful "nuggets" of information - bringing this spirituality into my every day life has helped me immensely. Wonderful read for anyone
June 16, 2012
Wayne Dyer is a favourite of mine and autographed my hardback copy of this book in January when I was in Maui. This ancient wisdom is timeless. We study personal leadership for years and now here it all is, presented as a basic truth of human existence.
August 14, 2012
I love this guy. Always have. A true philosopher, a spirit we should all listen to. He takes an in depth look at the Tao, an ancient spiritual directive text. I love it. I will read it off and on for filling my spiritual cup.
August 14, 2010
I liked this book. It gave me a few good ideas. I usually like more suggestions on how to take action. A always seem to get something out of each book and this one was no different.
January 18, 2015
Loved this book, so many of the ideas are what I have always believed...
June 13, 2021
Întrece cu mult celelalte cărți despre dezvoltare spirituala/ personală. Am citit-o încet, câte un capitol când simțeam nevoia să o fac. O să revin la ea, citind câte puțin, când voi simți nevoia.
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May 26, 2022AMAZING BOOK, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE OF ALL TIMES
June 6, 2022
Love these type of books they really ground you in the most magical way
May 10, 2021
Acel Tao care poate fi rostit nu este Tao cel veşnic. Numele care poate fi numit nu este numele cel veşnic.Tao poartă un nume, dar este deopotrivă cu neputinţă să fie numit. După cum este cu neputinţă să numeşti originea tuturor lucrurilor; după cum Obârşia celor 10 000 de lucruri poartă un nume. Dacă rămâi neatins de dorinţe, vei înţelege misterul; dacă rămâi ancorat în dorinţe, vei vedea numai manifestările lui. Iar misterul însuşi este poarta către înţelegerea deplină.
September 28, 2019
Sometimes it can be easier to keep adding rather than stopping or reducing, but the way of the Tao is to “retire when the work is done; this is the way of heaven.” As the ninth verse states, “Sharpen a blade too much and its edge will soon be lost.” know when is enough and when to stop...
February 24, 2018
A profound & thought-provoking book! So many passages appealed to me, highlighted affirmations that really went straight to my heart. Something for everyone no matter what your beliefs are.
November 11, 2021
I read this interpretation of the Tao off and on throughout this year, in moments of darkness it offered a bit of light.
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