Category Archives: Tales from the Dao

Solala Towler’s Column from Empty Vessel

On Eating and Tasting For Tea

[Tales from the Dao 道的传说] On Eating and Tasting For Tea From Solala Towler On Eating The Master was traveling with some of her students. At one of their stops they were served the meat of a pig. The students … Continue reading

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Tales of the Dao — Playing with the Fish

[Tales of the Dao] Playing With the Fish  Solala Towler Zhuangzi often ridiculed the strenuous efforts of his contemporaries to attain immortality by subjecting themselves to various ascetic practices. At the same time, he was concerned about how the human … Continue reading

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The Way of Wu Wei

[Tales from the Dao]  The Way of Wu Wei by Solala Towler   Wu wei (oo way) is one of the most difficult yet pivotal concepts in Daoist philosophy. Roughly translated, it means “doing nothing.” The true meaning of the … Continue reading

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Old Man of the South Pole

[Tale from the Dao] Old Man of the South Pole by Roy Hanney Shòu Xīng 寿星, is the Star of Longevity. The earliest known record of Shòu Xīng as a deity is the Shǐ jí 史籍 (historical records, 149–90 BC). … Continue reading

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Hearing of An Immortal

[Tales from the Dao] Hearing of An Immortal (An Excerpt From The Zhuangzi) Submitted by Solala Towler   Daoist texts are full of stories about Immortals. They are said to live for hundreds of years. They are magical beings, able … Continue reading

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Tales from the Dao-Looking Up

Looking Up by Solala Towler My personal practice these days consists, in a large part, in something I call Looking Up. By Looking Up I mean, number one, to physically look up. It is amazing how often we travel down … Continue reading

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Tales from the Dao

Every Breath A Prayer by Solala Towler We talk a lot about breath in Daoist meditation and qigong practice. It is the breath that anchors our practice. It is the breath that is the doorway between realms. It is the … Continue reading

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On Eating

On Eating by Solala Towler The Master was traveling with some of her students. At one of their stops they were served the meat of a pig. The students were horrified to see the Master calmly eating this forbidden food. … Continue reading

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Tales from the Dao

“Crazy” Tuanmu Shu Solala Towler Tuanmu Shu had inherited his family fortune, said to be worth ten thousand pieces of gold. He never had to work and lived in a fabulous mansion, surrounded with gardens, lakes, terraces, and pavilions. His … Continue reading

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Tales from the Dao

Playing With The Fish by Solala Towler   Zhuangzi often ridiculed the strenuous efforts of his contemporaries to attain immortality by subjecting themselves to various ascetic practices. At the same time, he was concerned about how the human mind—so vast, … Continue reading

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