I prefer to solve problems in one go if possible, but this will prove impossible on many occasions. Why? Because of lack of information, resources or self-discipline. On many occasions, I will discover too late that problems are more complex, serious, and wide-ranging than originally estimated. Lao-Tzu must have come to the same conclusion when…

Once upon a time, a middle-aged executive was facing such severe problems that he decided to visit a Taoist hermit and ask for advice. The trip consumed one and half days because of the poor infrastructure in the area where the hermit lived. The local airport had few connections and featured a rental car office…

It takes a long time to become a Taoist, but it’s also possible to draw immediate benefits from Taoism. We can benefit right away from applying its principles even if we do not understand all their ramifications. I have witnessed how some people improved their situation practically overnight by applying Lao-Tzu’s insights. I believe that…

Since the popularisation of existentialism by Albert Camus (1913-1960) and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), philosophy has focused on the human condition. Thousands of volumes have been written on what it means to be human, the stress derived from self-consciousness, the difficulties in achieving happiness and how to make the best of one’s life. Strangely enough, existentialists…

There is no historical evidence that Lao-Tzu was materially deprived and, in ancient Taoist writings, I fail to see any praise for poverty, prolonged fasting, or renunciation to pleasure. The Taoist preference for a simple lifestyle does not imply poverty, let alone self-sacrifice for the benefit of a higher goal. Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu confirmed the…

Western culture has incorporated every element of Taoism, but it has baptised each of them differently, making them hard to recognize at first sight. Taoist ideas are known to anyone interested in productivity, personal growth, and peace of mind, but chances are that the knowledge of Taoist insights has been conveyed by teachers that never…

Let me dispel right away any hope of miracles by using Chi energy, or by performing Taoist rituals. The advantages derived from Taoism come from its philosophical principles, not from mystical elements. I am afraid that, for many people, the concept of Taoism is insolubly linked to the concept of Chi energy because that’s the…

I can understand the bewilderment felt by many Westerners when they are first confronted with Taoist ethics. When they ask what virtues Lao-Tzu recommended, they do not expect to hear me say: Taoism is not about virtue; it is about aligning our actions with the Tao. My short answer will, of course, not suffice them.…