John Vespasian

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    Taoist serenity in hostile environments

    According to the Taoist tradition, Chuang-Tzu once rejected a job offer in the royal court. The king had offered a sizeable salary plus lodging in the royal palace. Nevertheless, Chuang-Tzu rejected the proposal right away. Not only did Chuang-Tzu reject the proposal, but he did so rather disdainfully. He answered to the royal messenger that…

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    Taoism for stress reduction and inner peace

    Taoists routinely achieve stress reduction and inner peace by aligning their actions with the Tao. Their approach is strikingly different from other philosophies because Taoists place themselves on equal footing to the rest of the universe. In contrast to Christians as personified by Tomas of Aquinas (1225-1274) and Augustine (354-430), Taoists don’t place God or…

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    Misconceptions about Taoism and flow

    In Chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu formulates one of the most cryptic principles of Taoism. He enunciates that, in our pursuit of wisdom, each day we should add something and let go of something. In terms of harmony and flow, Lao-Tzu is recommending us to constantly remove obstacles (“let go of something”)…

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    Taoist happiness in a hostile environment

    Amidst economic crises, unemployment, inflation, violence, and social decay, many people may feel tempted to discard the teachings of Lao-Tzu as too idealistic. They argue that Taoism was a workable philosophy twenty-five centuries ago, but not any more because today’s environment is too hostile. Really? I reply to them that Taoism is particularly effective in…

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    Taoist quotes about flow

    Lao-Tzu made a straightforward recommendation to people who want to achieve flow in their work, relationships and other areas of their lives. Chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching warns us against wasting time with debates, grandiloquent declarations, and narrow ambitions. The key to achieving flow is to avoid conflicts, disruptions, and obstacles. The Taoist…

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    Taoist wisdom for personal growth

    I can summarise Taoist wisdom for personal growth in five words: Take the safe, enlightened path. I do not mean that we should fear everything, become paranoiacs, and hide under our bed. I just mean that Taoists prefer to cultivate their skills daily and expand their reach slowly, operating from their strengths. Lao-Tzu presents this…

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    Lao-Tzu’s biography

    There is only one thing we know for sure about Lao-Tzu: that the anecdotes about his life are very cool. They are in fact so cool that they seem borderline incredible. Nonetheless, they are worth retelling because they mirror his insights, and those possess crucial importance. Lao-Tzu lived in China in the 6th century BC…

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    Who founded Taoism and why

    When confronted with adversity, people react in accordance with their ideas. Sound, consistent ideas enable individuals to solve problems quickly and regain the lost ground. In contrast, confusion and contradictions are bound to make things worse. Lao-Tzu (6th century BC), a contemporary of Confucius, is credited with having initiated the body of thought that we…

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    The Taoist prescription for work-life balance

    Denying reality seems like a full-time job for many people. If they are confronted with problems, they will try to play them down and pretend that everything is fine. If the problems grow, no solution will be attempted, hoping that things will return to normal all by themselves. Finally, when the problems become overwhelming, it…

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    Taoism and work-life balance

    While millions of people today struggle to balance out their work and private lives, Taoist do it automatically and without effort. How is this possible? The Taoist work-life balance does not come from applying strict time controls, but from a unique sense for priorities. Diogenes Laertius (third century AD) tells us in his book “Lives…

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