When I was a boy, I didn’t get specific lessons on how to live. I got stories. If I asked why I had to believe some concept, a person like my grandmother might reply with something like, “It is true because of what happened to the Yellow Emperor,” and then...
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When I was a boy, I didn’t get specific lessons on how to live. I got stories. If I asked why I had to believe some concept, a person like my grandmother might reply with something like, “It is true because of what happened to the Yellow Emperor,” and then the story would follow. What intrigues me is that this habit hasn’t changed even after China’s revolution, rapid modernization, digital technology, and global culture. People still say, “It’s true because . . .” before they invoke a story that is more than two thousand years old.
Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with the universe. It is a tradition that has become widely popular in Europe and North America over the past fifty years—largely through its core text, the Tao Te Ching. Taming Tigers & Butterfly Dreams is filled with over 140 ancient stories that express great truth by fusing anecdotes—many of which are foundational stories related to the Taoist path—with philosophy. The stories a
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