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Ken Cohen – Taoism : Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power (2004)Overview and Introduction to the Basics of TaoismProduct DescriptionOne of the West’s few ordained Taoist priests introduces you to this ancient philosophy for effortless living on Taoism: Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power. In easy-to-follow language, Ken Cohen reveals Lao Tzu’s vast spiritual legacy, including: origins, philosophy, and religion; keys to ethical living, inner silence, and simplicity; Taoist meditations, prayers, and rituals, plus teachings on diet, poetry, feng shui, dream yoga; and much more. Audio CD DescriptionIn his 80th year, the great sage Lao-Tzu made a difficult journey to the western gate of China. He was disillusioned that others were unwilling to learn his path to natural goodness and harmony with nature. A border guard asked the old man to write down his wisdom. The result was the Tao Te Ching, which remains China’s most enduring sacred text. Now, over 2,000 years later, one of the West’s leading authorities on the Tao introduces listeners to this effortless philosophy for living on Taoism: Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Power. For the first time, listeners have at their fingertips a concise, spirited introduction to what is considered to be one of the most complex wisdom traditions. In easy-to-follow language, Ken Cohen unfolds Lao-Tzu’s vast spiritual legacy, from its historical origins to the prayers, rituals, and meditations that make it a vibrant philosophy for living in the modern world. Review by John D Daniels:Ken Cohen, like his friend and mentor Alan Watts, is not only a clear, strong writer; but also an inspiring lecturer/teacher.Taoism is a 4 1/2 hr. course covering Taoism as religion, as philosophy, its influence on the arts and science of China, and how it connects and contrasts with other systems of thought, both Chinese and Western.This course is presented on a practical basis with the goal of improving the quality of one’s life and health. This is demonstrated right from the start with Ken Cohen’s careful enunciation of Chinese words. Because of the relational nature of Taoist thinking, some areas could be difficult or even strange, except for the excellence of the presentation.An unusual section is given on Chinese (Taoist) poetry. This type of poetry strives to express directly an experience from Nature, the experience being more important than cleverness with words. The principles are illustrated using Ken Cohen’s own translations of classical poerty. Then he invites the listener to “cap” a poem by adding a line to one he provides. Finally the listener is encouraged to try alternating lines with friends, the poems finishing themselves.Feng Shui (geomancy) is presented through the relational “5 element” scheme. But it is also pointed out that the Earth can be considered to have “meridians” and by using standing meditation, one can relate the body’s meridians to those of the Earth.Not only for Feng Shui, but also for the other areas of Taoist thought, Ken Cohen emphasizes the bottom line is harmony, balance and sense. Anecotes drawn from a lifetime of study are included to help demonstate important ideas. Review by Gregamazon- Wonderful introduction to many aspects of Taoism -This is a great overview of Taoism, wonderfully illustrating its origins, history, and modern practice. It is focused very much on encouraging an experience of the Tao rather than dry academic material. The academic material presented is done so as to enhance the experience of the Tao. He does a great job of presenting the seemingly arcane and complicated topics in digestible, bite-size chunks – even divination! It seems the author’s specialities are feng shui and qi-gong. While other topics get a little bit of time, these two get a lot. I appreciated the author’s inclusion of meditation exercises, but these things don’t translate well to what I consider is the most common use of the audio CD: listening while driving. That said, I was impressed at his emphasis on cultivating tao and fostering an understanding of qi as relevant to all of the subtopics presented. I would recommend this CD/book to any friend interested in learning the basics of Taoism.