I had almost given up hope. I've seen enough translations of the Tao Te Ching to last a lifetime. I'm not interested in learning how to apply Taoist philosophy to my career. What I want is to learn more about actual Taoism, about how Taoists practice and live. Just when I was about to give up any hope of ever finding the information I wanted, along comes Taoist Master Chuang. It's an excellent book, clearly written and filled with detailed practical examples of Taoist practices, ritual, worship, and magic. I especially enjoyed the author's vivid depictions of a slew of modern Taoists. Some of the images conformed to my preconceptions, and some did not. But all were fascinating. I also think the "history of Taoism" section is fabulous. This seems to be an insider's view, something that we don't normally see in typical academic works. All in all, this was a great surprise and a great book.

Can I just get in line behind everyone else here? This is a unqiely excellent book. I highly recommend it. There are soooo many books about Daoism, except that almost none have any real relevance to Daoism whatsoever. Here we have a scholar who seems to have a deep understanding of Taoist practice. But this is a book about his training at the hands of a true Daoist Master, so I guess that's to be expected. Nonetheless, this is a real, authentic, detailed view of Taoist practice. Not highflying philosophy or navel-gazing, but real descriptions of real practices. Some of the activities described in this excellent book are astoundingly complex. It's as if someone realized the concept of yin-yang, and kept developing it without cessation for a long, long time. Eventually, detailed practices regarding ritual, spirits, magic, personal transmutation and more arose. This is basically the history of Taoism itself, as reflected in the knowledge of one intensely experienced Master, as told by his spiritual disciple. My only complaint with this book? I wish it were twice as long.

I have an MA in Taoism, and I'm considering going after my PhD. I've spent lots and lots of time reading through dusty books on Taoism, and I can assure everyone that I think this is one of the best. In an area where translations of the Tao Te Ching abound, this is one of the few works that provides real detail regarding Taoist practice. Instead of philosophy and spiritual fluff, this book really relates what it is like to be a Taoist in the world of dust. Only after reading and re-reading this wonderful book could I really begin to see how Master Chuang captures the heart of Taoism in concrete actions, and how he does this on behalf of his community. Everyone interested in Taoism should read this book!

Having studied Taoism under an orthodox Taoist priest in China, I found this book an excellent resource. I highly recommend it to all academic students, researchers, and serious practitioners of Taoism.

I've been studying Taoism and Taoist methods for a while now, but have always sensed that I was missing "something". Somehow, I knew I just wasn't getting the whole picture. Prof. Saso's book has taken me closer to seeing what Taoism really is than I'd ever expected to be taken. As a companion book to the Laozi(Tao Te Ching) and Zhuangzi(Chuang-Tzu), I'd say "The Gold Pavilion" is indispensible. I've learned that those beautiful, yet frustrating ancient texts are speaking as much to the internal self as to the external world. This is Taoism the way the Asian practitioners see it, and they've been following the Way for a couple thousand years. Need I say, "Highly Recommended"?

Evidence abounds that Taoism, at long last, is attracting the serious attention that it deserves, and that it is only a matter of time before it takes its place among the major Eastern religions which, in the last century, have put down roots in the West. If ever there was a need for a sober, disciplined approach to the subject, it is now. And Professor Saso's has admirably risen to the occasion in this work. There is little here to appeal to the dilettante, or to the commercial purveyor of New-Age erotic fantasy. What the reader will come away with is a new appreciation for and deeper understanding of a religion which antedates Christianity and is at least as old as Buddhism --- a religion which speaks to aspirations and concerns of a humanity which has seemingly lost its way. Readers who are shopping for yet another source of distraction or amusement are well advised not to be detained by this book. But for the reader who is looking for a single, level-headed introduction to Taoism, "The Gold Pavilion" will be an indispensable addition to his/her library.

"Blue Dragon White Tiger" is an in-depth description and explanantion of the underlying philosphies that have permeated Chinese culture from antiquity to the present day. This is not an exhaustive history, but an exploration of the major philosophies/practices that underpin Chinese society and cultural norms. Chief among these are the yin/yang concepts of the "I Ching" and the five-element (wood, fire, metal, water, earth) system of natural processes of change. My teacher Michael Saso is an initiated Taoist priest and ordained Buddhist priest, so he is able to give us a look at the various rites of passage of Chinese culture such as birth, death, marriage and the annual cycle of festivals from the inside out. He not only describes rituals as an observer, but understands the underlying energetic processes such as Taoist emptying that inform and empower the rites. This level of understanding is rare in the West, to say the least. While there are surely descriptions of these rites elsewhere, the inner meaning based on experience from practicing the Taoist alchemical inner transformation and emptying yogas eludes the most educated and astute scholar-observer. It is precisely this meaning that the author provides. He ends with an overview of the state of religion in China today. Each chapter has notes and a select bibliography, however there is no index.

The tantric teachings of Buddhism have little to do with the 'enlightenment-by-sex' teachings that can be found aplenty in New Age book stores, which my teacher Michael Saso shows in this book. Although it is not aimed at addressing this issue directly, the title might lead the casual observer to the wrong conclusion. This book highlights the Tendai Japanese vajrayana tradition, and goes very in-depth in describing tantric practices. Very detailed descriptions of mudras (hand movements) and other practices provide the reader with a depth and breadth of information which reveal the truer nature of tantra. An ordained Tendai priest (one of probably less than 10 non-Japanese Tendai priests), he was required to do 30 straight days of running practice (you'll have to read the book) before he was taught some of the information found in "Tantric Art". His descriptions of the use and purpose of mandalas show us that the mandala paintings found in New Age book stores have got the process backwards. Mandalas are representations of meditative experiences made after masters had the experience, not fanciful imaginings that the artist hopes will produce meditative experiences. Those interested in vajrayana Buddhism will find this a valuable tool to compare with Tibetan vajrayana on an in-depth level. There is little in the way of philosophy, it is mostly a description of the practices and explanation of how and why they function as they do.

In this book, my teacher Dr. Saso illuminates 'the various themes and rituals which the Taoist makes use of in his role of ritual functionary for the believers in the Chinese religion.'(p.5) The 'rite of cosmic renewal' refers to the 'Chiao festival', a ritual occuring only once every 60 years. Those familiar with lunar astrological calendars will recognize the sixty-year cycle of elements and animals symbolic of the energetic shifts and changes of the world around us.

This first in-depth look by a Westerner at such a normally closed-door ritual is divided into five chapters. First, the yin-yang theory is explained as the basis of Chinese religion. Then is a description of the ritual from the viewpoint of an outside observer. Chapter three describes the philosophical basis of the ritual of renewal. The next chapter is perhaps the rarest of all, an EXPLANATION of the Chiao festival from the inside, through the eyes and understanding of a Daoist priest, which the author is. Saso is perhaps the only non-Chinese to have a 'register' or 'lu', a record or list of spirits the person has been taught to summon and control. Chapter five rounds out this unique study with a look at the state of Daoism as it currently exists in modern China.

It is highly unlikely that such a 'view from the inside' of this arcane, once-in-a-lifetime event will be available until after the next cycle begins, in the year 2030. Serious students of religious Daoist practice will learn much from this study.

This is the original edition of the book now offered as "Taoist Master Chuang." My teacher Michael Saso is an initiated priest of Daoism and offers an in-depth examination and explanation of contemporary Daoist practices based on the verbal instructions from Master Chuang that are seldom even spoken about to Westerners, much less actually spoken TO them as a disciple. The later edition provides some further explanation of certain points that were not clear to readers, so must readers will prefer that edition. The serious scholar and/or practitioner will find the differences between the two generally minor.

This is an excellent book for anyone serious about living a healthy and long life. The recipes are (for the most part) easy and delicious! There are, however, two minor problems I found in the book which staved off a 5 star rating. The first is some of the recipe instructions are vague and imprecise. While this can be easily bypassed by anyone used to cooking for themselves, for a young american used to fast food and moron-proof instructions some mistakes are un-avoidable. I still can't cook fried tofu as he suggests without it sticking horribly to my wok (which has undergone the procedure to make it non-stick.) The second problem is somewhat minor but a tad irritating. While he provides 81 chapters, one for each chapter of the Tao-Te-Ching not every chapter contains a recipe. Some of them merely contain descriptions of Dri yogurt and Tibetan barley bread without any recipes. In all fairness both of those meals would be impossible to fix since Dri milk is un-known in this country and Tibetan bread requires a brick oven so why include them at all? This was a little disappointing but all in all, I really do love this book and highly recommend it!

Do yourself a giant favor: BUY THIS BOOK; it offers simple, healthy food in accordance with the balance of nature. For those who are familiar with the healing power of food combining (discussed elsewhere), this book will offer a boon in terms of recipes and ingredient ideas. For those convinced of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, look no further. Mr. Saso's attempt to provide simple, healthy, nutritious, traditional Taoist cuisine succeeds. The book provides easy to follow recipes that are sure to satisfy any palate and purify any digestive system. It is in agreement with the practice of "eating to live" as opposed to "living to eat". It also offers some "food for the mind" in the form of meditative quotations from the Tao Te Ching.

Gluttons, gourmands, and other undisciplined or apathetic eaters, be forewarned, this book is not for you unless you are seeking a way out of the misery and drudgery of your personal eating habits. Say goodbye to post-dinner "tightness" in the belly; kiss those belly-bombers goodbye; away with those airy interludes and inopportune dashes to the loo. Those are a nuisance of the past. Human digestive systems were not meant to eat the way we eat in our modern society. That is a cold, hard fact; accept it. Say hello to an ancient diet; so ancient it is radical; so radical it is new; so new you can't believe it is so ancient; so practical and you begin to wonder why the rest of the world doesn't know about it. Then you wonder: "Why do I believe that the way I was taught to eat by my parents is the only true absolute way?" Buy this book. If not this book then get another, but enlighten your Self, learn the principles of food combining, and spread the word. Seek the Tao, learn the Tao---it will change your life for the better.

I wish you a healthy gastronomy and the resulting personal serenity it will bring for the rest of your life. You owe them to yourself, don't you think!

I have used this book for the past 2 years and my mental state and health have improved dramaticlly, I can't say enough about this wonderful book. The recipies taste good.. Most of the other books I have read are written by fruads or people with no real knowledge of Taoist beliefs and are usually New-Agers.