The way that can be walked
is not The Way
The name that can be named
is not The Name
The word Tao can have a number of different meanings, but it does not have a literal translation (for a really good version of the Tao Te Ching try Jonathan Star's version The Definitive Tao Te Ching. This is the main source of my translations). Usually it is translated as "the Way", but it can also
The term "way" could mean a direction or, by association, a method (a "way" of doing things). It can also mean a state of being, like in the term "that's the way it is". However, I am a little sceptical of this last suggestion, as it is too close to "te" or "virtue".
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I have had only glimpses of the Tao, but I find it impossible to say what it is. The best that I can describe it is a "clarification" or "illumination" coupled with a overwhelming sense of unity. These glimpses are rare, but I try to live in readiness for them. This is the reason for my attempt at recording my life as a modern Taoist - to share my experiences and findings with, hopefully, others who have also seen the Tao, and to try to seek the Tao where and when I can. In the world we live in today, it is difficult. I am no different from anyone else: I have a family, a mortgage, a job and all the pressures that come from
And if you wish to share too, then I welcom
References:
1: see Tao Te Ching - Chapter 14
2: The Book of Lieh Tzu - Book 3: "Dreams"
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