Nuggets from the Dao

I became acquainted with the Tao Te Ching in the late 1970s while attending an environmental education seminar in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The facilitator, Steve Van Matre, read several passages from the Gia-fu Geng and Jane English recent translation.<br/><br/>Upon returning home, I picked up a copy of the Tao Te Ching, and began my study of Daoism. While I found the text inspirational, and a worthwhile guide to a virtuous life, I oftentimes found the writing cumbersome.<br/><br/>Over the next few years, I acquired some of the many interpretations of Lao Tsu’s work, but not until I came across one by J.H. McDonald, was I remotely satisfied with what I was reading.<br/><br/>However, after several years of studying the text, I began to make deletions of what appeared to be excess explanations in each chapter. This did allow for a clearer understanding, but there were still too many distractions. More had to be cut to free the nugget of truth hidden in each chapter/poem.