William Martin

“[An] inspiration.”— Alice Walker, The New York Times Book ReviewChange and anger are in the air. Looking for answers to today’s wrenching challenges, William Martin turns to the Tao Te Ching and finds that while Taoism is known for its quiet, enigmatic wisdom, the Tao can also have the cleansing force of a rushing river.Through his interpretation of this ancient Chinese text, Martin elucidates revolutionary messages condemning power-seeking and greed. He emphasizes that humans have a “natural virtue” that can help them heal the planet; shows how Taoism’s simplicity can be subversive and its flexibility a potent force; and reassures that “when injustice is the rule, justice always lies in wait.”Provocative and stirring, Martin’s Tao flows within and through those who ride the waves of anger and frustration and gently guides them to true freedom.“We have learned the secret of Injustice feeds our determination. Hate increases our love. Wounds bring forth our healing, and fear uncovers our courage and serenity.”— from The Activist’s Tao Te Ching

Classic Taoist wisdom applied to the world of parenting, guiding mothers and fathers to meaningful conversations and relationships with their children.William C. Martin has freshly reinterpreted the Tao Te Ching to speak directly and clearly to the most difficult of modern tasks -- parenting. With its combination of free verse and judicious advice, The Parent's Tao Te Ching addresses the great themes that permeate the Tao and that support loving parent- child relationships: responding without judgment, emulating natural processes, and balancing between doing and being."A masterpiece. William Martin captures the essence of what it means to raise a child. Urgently needed, this precious book lifts parenting to new heights."-- Judy Ford, author of Wonderful Ways to Love a Child and Wonderful Ways to Be a Family

Completing the trilogy that began with the Parent's Tao Te Ching (praised as "pure gold" by Hugh Prather) and continued with the Couple's Tao Te Ching ("a singular book," said George Fowler), William Martin now distills and freshly reinterprets the Tao for "sages," or those in the second half of life. As Martin writes, sages are the "primary keepers and transmitters of wisdom, culture, values, and spirituality." Martin's free-verse interpretation captures the ancient spirit of Lao Tzu's text, yet speaks directly to modern readers. The text is accompanied by a visual interpretation of the Tao in more than 50 original ink-brush drawings. Like the Parent's Tao and Couple's Tao before it, the Sage's Tao has the hallmarks of a classic. "You have ceased trying /To tie up all loose ends./You have discovered/That life does not need to be neat/You have more questions than answers,/And this is a great delight to you./You trust the mystery of life/Without having to possess it." - from the book

Following the successful debut of the Parent's Tao Te Ching -- William Martin now reinterprets the Tao for couples.With The Parent's Tao Te Ching, William Martin beautifully re-interpreted Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching -- one of the world's oldest and most widely read books of wisdom -- expressly for parents. Now, he distills and freshly re-interprets the essence of each of the Tao's 81 chapters to speak directly and clearly to couples.William Martin's indelible, spirited, and sage advice, rendered in free verse, captures the ancient spirit of Lao Tzu's original text, yet speaks directly to modern lovers--and to the full sweep of their experiences and emotions. A deeply felt alternative to advice books that urge readers to manipulate their partners rather than to love them, The Couple's Tao Te Ching is for everyone who has embarked upon a loving relationship, which, as William Martin says, "can be the most rewarding and enlightening adventure possible."

The Tao Te Ching—one of the most loved and widely translated books in human history—has appeared in countless English-language versions. But no modern translation has yet captured the essential thrust of Lao Tzu's work as a practical guide to living an awakened life. Now William Martin, whose acclaimed previous reinterpretations of the Tao (for parents, couples, and elders) have introduced or reacquainted this classic text to thousands of readers, strikingly translates the Tao's eighty-one chapters to uniquely address someone on a Tao—or path—with a practice. Martin frames his new translation with two illuminating, groundbreaking sections: "A Path," which introduces the Tao's nonlinear construction and explains how it works its themes; and "A Practice," which provides practical guidance for readers exploring each of the Tao's themes in depth. Martin's genius in this new translation uncovers how directly the Tao speaks to readers on or about to embark on a spiritual journey.

Bestselling Taoist author William Martin brings the power of the Tao to the essential practice of forgiveness, creating a unique path from guilt, blame, and shame to peace of mind and freedom.How do we forgive when forgiveness seems impossible? William Martin, author of the bestselling The Parent's Tao Te Ching , provides practical and time honored answers. He weaves excerpts from the ancient sacred Taoist scriptures together with insightful teaching stories, bringing the practice of forgiveness to readers of all spiritual backgrounds. Each chapter contains two parts-a journey toward forgiveness and a practical exercise in forgiving-and also includes personal anecdotes, poems, and simple exercises.With the devastating personal and societal damage caused by resentment, anger, guilt, and shame in mind, Martin patiently and compassionately helps readers overcome the ills of "holding on" with the openness of the Tao. In this accessible work, he illustrates how forgiveness is freedom and that the pathway to overcoming anger is also the way to spiritual liberation.

Eighty-one reflections that offer refreshment to pastors. Scores of pastors from numerous denominations have found these reflections a pungent reminder of who they are as ministers of Christ.

Those who care for the ailing, whether helping someone recover, grapple with a long-term disability, or face a terminal illness, often feel alone, overwhelmed, exhausted. William and Nancy Martin have worked as counselors, hospice trainers, and Zen guides — and as caregivers themselves. With empathy and insight, they offer readers solace drawn from the eternal wisdom of the Tao Te Ching .Like the original Chinese text, this book contains eighty-one chapters. Each chapter includes a poem for caregivers, evocative of the verses of the Tao Te Ching , followed by a reflection that presents practical guidance for navigating the emotional and physical hardships of caregiving. The resulting resource gently awakens readers to the grace, growth, and even joy possible at each step along their path.

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, one of the world’s most widely read books of wisdom, reminds its readers that the sage has been venerated in China for thousands of years. In this free-verse interpretation of the Tao, William Martin subtly and powerfully captures the complex emotions connected with growing older. He encourages today’s sages to recognize their inestimable worth in a youth-centric world that often goes astray: “Will I be able to harvest my life in compassion and love for the world? Will I find in my own heart the wisdom for which I long? This question trumps all others for me. I suspect it is the same for you.”

30 Days of Tao is a daily guide for learning to live with ease and contentment amidst the chaos of modern life. William Martin's month-long journey into the "effortless ease" of Taoist living turns the assumptions of modern society upside-down: more may not be better; faster may not be more effective; multitasking may be a myth; and information may not be wisdom. Feeling that life need not be a problem to be solved, but a gift to be experienced, Martin explores ways to quiet the chatter of the conscious mind and live from a more spacious kind of thinking. He makes the novel suggestion that, "it really doesn't have to be that hard." Though categorized as a "self-improvement" book, Martin says that, "Self-improvement only insures that there will always be a self to improve. Perhaps we should look elsewhere for hints on living a satisfying and productive life."

Best selling Taoist author, William Martin ("The Parent's Tao Te Ching, The Sage's Tao Te Ching, and others) has created a fictional portrait of what life might be like lived with a sense of grace and flow. The coastal community of Carson Beach, Oregon, is home to a set of remarkable characters. Ordinary on the surface, the world of James Cooper, owner and head cook at "The Happy Frog" cafe, is peopled with an assortment of extraordinary people. Connie Delaney is Cooper's assistant and resident fey woman. Connie's long-time life partner, Mary O'Hara is Director of Animal Medicine at the Oregon Wildlife Refuge. A Japanese doctor, A Chinese artist, an Irish State Police Detective, and the proprietress of a unique bookstore comprise a magic circle of friends. Into this circle comes Carl DeWilde, a refugee from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who arrives in Carson Beach, impelled by a dream of "dancing feet." Caught by a sign proclaiming, "The Happy Frog Cafe - Welcome Weary Traveler." "That's me," Carl thought, and entered a world that would transform his life.William Martin's first work of fiction, "Tales of the Happy Frog" brings us a world of realistic hope that we may all be part of something larger and more unified that we had ever imagined. We look forward to many more books exploring the magic of Carson Beach.

Lao Tzu's classic book, The Tao Te Ching, is one of the most translated books in the world. William Martin, one of today's foremost Taoist authors has added one more. As he says, "I have translated and interpreted the Tao Te Ching for thirty years and I never tire of exploring its fathomless depths. Recently I guided a group of students from several different countries through an intensive email exploration of this classic book. As part of that exploration titled Walking the Tao, I wrote a new translation especially for these fellow travelers. I wrote it from my current (2015) understanding and life situation and it emerged quickly and easily. I meant it simply as a touch point for this small group of students. However the feedback regarding this translation was so overwhelmingly positive that I have decided to incorporate it into a little ebook." Join him in this modern, practical, and inspirational "Walk through the Tao"

Taoist author, William Martin offers daily reflections of life as reflected in Lao-Tzu's classic book of wisdom. Each day begins with a few lines from The Tao Te Ching in Martin's own translation, followed by a short poetic reflection and a question for reflection. "It is not a devotional book," Martin says, "because the Tao does not need devotion. It flows through us every moment whether we are aware of it or not. Actually it IS us." The book offers 350 days of reflections. "The other two weeks of the year are for the reader to put words aside," says Martin. The conviction that too many words make for confusion rather than clarity is central to the Taoist approach to literature. The simple verses in this book may offer a opening to Life Itself - that which is real, rather than conceptual.

Describing himself as a "quiet revolutionary," award-winning author William Martin continues to interpret the ancient wisdom of Lao-Tzu, the Chinese Sage whose little book, "The Tao Te Ching," published over 2,500 years ago, remains one of the most translated and read books in history. In this collection of short essays and wisdom poetry, he offers a glimpse of what the "revolutionary" life of Taoist living might look like in today's society; how it might transform our work, our leisure, our communities, our families, and our lives.

Award winning Taoist author, William Martin, has explored the classic, "Tao Te Ching," in a daily personal journal that he shares with readers in this edition. Each entry combines verses from the Tao with his own poetry and prose in an intimate and practical manner. He states, "... The Tao Te Ching stands as perhaps the most revolutionary, transforming, and counter-cultural treatise ever written. If you spend a small portion of each day with it, letting it’s message gradually seep through your conditioned defenses, you will find your life profoundly changed and your perception of the present social order turned on its head. This book is a record of my own continuing journey day by day with the Tao Te Ching. Each entry begins with a few lines from the Tao Te Ching in my own translation/interpretation, followed by a short piece of my own poetry and a paragraph of prose reflection. I don’t represent these entries as “wisdom,” but simply as honest reflections on the paradoxes and conundrums of my life, viewed from a Taoist perspective as they unfold day by day. They are brief, in keeping with Lao-Tzu’s classic warning, “Those who speak, do not know. Those who know, do not speak.” They are also repetitive because Lao-Tzu repeats certain fundamental themes throughout his book. These themes also repeat in my life, presenting themselves over and over, each time from a slightly different perspective. Each repetition spirals my understanding ever deeper into the Mystery of being alive. As always, I do not speak as one who “knows.” I speak as one who wonders, wanders, and ponders the Mystery of life, which will always be unspeakable, but always available to the direct experience of anyone who pays attention."

Award winning Taoist author, William Martin, explores the fascinating paradox of "quietist activism" in this series of short essays. As Martin states, "The Tao Te Ching is potentially the most subversive, radical, and revolutionary book in print. If we were to live according to its principles, we would turn society 180 degrees, and allow for a natural, vital, and compassionate alternative." His essays explore such themes as "Revolution," "Opinions," "Rules?" and "Blame." He brings the confidence and serenity of a Taoist life into the world of social activism and revolution, seeing the two approaches as necessary components of true transformation.

Lao Tzu's classic book, The Tao Te Ching, is one of the most translated books in the world. William Martin, one of today's foremost Taoist authors has added one more. As he says, "I have translated and interpreted the Tao Te Ching for thirty years and I never tire of exploring its fathomless depths. Recently I guided a group of students from several different countries through an intensive email exploration of this classic book. As part of that exploration titled Walking the Tao, I wrote a new translation especially for these fellow travelers. I wrote it from my current (2015) understanding and life situation and it emerged quickly and easily. I meant it simply as a touch point for this small group of students. However the feedback regarding this translation was so overwhelmingly positive that I have decided to incorporate it into a book." Join him in this modern, practical, and inspirational "Walk through the Tao"