In the early 90’s I wrote:

 

The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu is among the most widely translated and cherished books in the world. Singular in its lucidity, revered across cultural boundaries for its timeless wisdom, it is believed among Westerners to be Lao Tzu’s only book.

Few are aware that a collection of his oral teachings on the subject of attaining enlightenment and mastery were also recorded in a book called the Hua Hu Ching (pronounced “wha hoo jing”). The teachings of the Hua Hu Ching are of genuine power and consequence, a road map to the divine realm for ordinary human beings.

Perhaps predictably, the book was banned during a period of political discord in China, and all copies were ordered to be burned. Were it not for the Taoist tradition of oral transmission of sacred scriptures from master to student, they would have been lost forever.

 

I no longer believe that,

I got snookered, mea culpa, sorry.

I also don’t reckon a person called Lao Tzu ever

existed, as you can read here. It’s impossible to ascertain,

it seems to me, and ultimately doesn’t matter. As Yuanwu wrote,

“Among the enlightened adepts, being able to speak the Truth

has nothing to do with the tongue, and being able

to talk about the Dharma is not

a matter of words.”

 

I hope what’s in

Hua hu Ching  can be of use to

some without overly troubling

the sleep of scholars.

 

 

If you

correct your mind, the

rest of your life will fall into place.

This is true because the mind is the governing

aspect of a human life. If the river flows

clearly and cleanly through the

proper channel, all will

be well along its

banks.

 

The

Integral Way

depends on decreasing, not increasing;

to correct your mind, rely on not-doing. Stop thinking

and clinging to complications; keep your mind detached and whole.

Eliminate mental muddiness and obscurity; keep your mind

crystal clear. Avoid daydreaming and allow your

pure original insight to emerge.

Quiet your emotions

and abide in

serenity.

 

Don’t

go crazy with the

worship of idols, images, and ideas;

this is like putting a new head on top of the head

you already have. Remember: if you can

cease all restless activity, your

integral nature will

appear.

 

from Hua hu Ching, Chapter 45

 

ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,

Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for

iPad, Phone, Kindle, Nook,

or Android

 

 

You

can now buy

Hua hu Ching as part of a

five-app bundle of Taoist classics 

for iPhone or iPad for less than

the cost of one hardcover

book.