Secret Teachings of the Tao Te ChingAcknowledgmentsPutting the Teachings into PracticeIntroduction: Conveying the Heart of Lao Tzu’s TeachingLao Tzu and the Tao Te ChingEssence IlluminatedA Fresh TranslationCosmic BridgeAn Extraordinary CollaborationNote to Women Readers1 -- Wordless Uttering of the TaoDefining the TaoCommunicable Tao and Incommunicable TaoThe Nature of the Tao2 -- Chi and Taoist Inner AlchemyThe Three MindsReturning to the SourceThe Flow of the Tao: Empty and Full3 -- Sensation, the Brain, and Taoist PracticeThe Brain: Perception, Emotion, and ResponseFive Colors Blind the EyesBeyond Ego Conflict4 -- Walking the Way: Energy TransformationThe Wisdom of the I ChingPractices for Energy Alchemy5 -- Embracing OnenessHarmonizing Hun and Po, Heaven and EarthTriple UnityReflections on Unification6 -- The Wisdom of the Taoist SageWhat Is a Sage?Wu Wei: The Action of the SageThe Character of the SageThe Path of the Sage7 -- The Nature of TeVirtuous ActionKind ActionTe Cultivation8 -- Governing Self and NationLiving SimplyThe Sage and the PeopleThe Role of GovernmentConflict9 -- Longevity and ImmortalityThe Psychology of ImmortalityChange and ChangelessnessTaoist Sexual Practices for Longevity and ImmortalityHarmony Is Eternal10 -- Trust and FaithSpeaking the Tao The Way of TrustworthinessThe Treasure of the TaoLao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching BibliographyThe Universal Tao System and Training CenterIndexIndex of Tao Te Ching Chapters

"It would be hard to find a better qualified interpreter of this classic than Mantak Chia. He deserves to be recognised as one the great figures in 20th and 21st century communication across health, spiritual and cultural boundaries."

Chapter 1--Wordless Uttering of the TaoThe Tao that is voiced is no longer that of eternal Tao.The name that has been written is no longer that of eternal name.The nameless is the beginning of the cosmic universe.The named is the mother of the myriad creatures.Being at peace, one can see into the subtle.Engaging with passion, one can see into the manifest.They both arise from a common source but have different names. Both are called the mystery within the mystery.They are the door to all wonders.Defining the TaoThe word Tao (pronounced "dow") is used with increasing frequency in English language and literature. Tao represents something that is profoundly subtle and impossible to grasp with the conceptual mind. For Lao Tzu, the Tao is a mysterious, numinous unity underlying and sustaining all things. It is inaccessible to normal thought, language, or perception. Understanding its meaning is paramount to viewing the magnificence of the cosmos, tapping into the mystery of the universe, and the origin of nature. It encompasses the vast, outer reaches of the universe; it is invisible, unfathomable, and unreachable; mystical beyond comprehension; forever silent, unmoved, and sublimely peaceful. Before the reality of the Tao, the voice can no longer utter sound, the eyes can no longer express their curiosity, and movement is halted. Philosophy cannot define it. Science cannot calculate it. To define the Tao is to listen to silence, observe nakedness, and activate stillness. It is to communicate with your inner voice, awaken your innate talent, find a home with eternal beauty, and release your full potential.To define the Tao is to stand on the highest mountain peak, swim in an ocean of love, and soar with the dove in the valley of death. To sense the Tao is to stand in a cool spring shower; to view the Tao is to observe from a high tower; to smell the Tao is to breathe in a fragrant flower. Communicable Tao and Incommunicable TaoCommunicable TaoThe Tao is expressed through our power of communication, from the primary power of the voice: the manifestation of inner consciousness and our spiritual trumpet. Verbalization is the gateway to the Tao through the breath of life and vibration of sound. At the time that oral communication no longer served our human needs and expectations, letters and numbers were employed symbolically.The voice is a powerful force that can reach from one person (dead or alive) to the multitudes, permitting the self to be expressed, to touch hearts, to justify morality, and verify deeds accomplished. Our inner justice is a direct spiritual communication that goes beyond ego-anticipation and social culture; it is an actualization process of human willpower.Lao Tzu states, The Tao that is voiced is no longer that of eternal Tao. The name that has been written is no longer that of eternal name. The Tao that is voiced is, in essence, the communicable Tao of inner self that connects deeply to both our microbiological and psychological self as well as our macrocosmic and celestial self. Inner VoiceWithout the inner voice, our most sacred spiritual vessel, God is not alive, the Tao is not present, and the self is not active. It characterizes the beauty, meaning, and strength of life. It can be silent or immeasurably powerful. We often turn a deaf ear to this inner voice and rely on the external world, on external authority and discipline, to define our life as something meaningful, leaving us with confusion and distortion of our life’s true meaning.In order to establish a clear relationship with the sacred vessel of our inner voice, the first set of meditation practices in this book begins with finding, restoring, and listening to our inner voice in any given circumstance or crisis. To develop your attunement to your inner voice:1--Sit upright with your spine straight. Be simultaneously relaxed and alert. Place one hand on top of the other, and place both hands over your heart. 2--Listen intently to the sound of silence. You will begin to recognize a combination of spiritual voice and personal voice.3--Pay attention to the most immediate direction and clear message. This is the manifestation of your inner voice.4--Verbalize it inwardly, whether or not it makes sense to you.5--Name it with no preconceived notion.6--Meditate upon it as a part of the visualized journey of your life before it actually takes place.7--Connect your own name with it. See how it conforms to you and your personality.8--Make it work for you. It is the divine plan and your decision must be made now.