What's This Tao All About?

On this episode, Tod talks with Buddy C., the host of the “Tao of Our Understanding” podcast that looks at Taoism through the lens of addiction and recovery. Here, Buddy discusses how Taoism helped him overcome addiction and his recovery-focused version of the Tao Te Ching, “Powerless But Not Hopeless.”

GoFundMe: Care for Dr. Carl Totton in His Final Days

Tod and George examine Chuang Tzu’s inner law, a chapter that discusses whether we should be directed by our inner vice or outside forces. Plus, Tod answers an interesting philosophical question from his 8-year-old son, and George shares a gratitude practice.

GoFundMe: Care for Dr. Carl Totton in His Final Days

Tod and George discuss Chuang Tzu’s “Man is Born in Tao” and examine how we know whether we are connected to the Tao or not. Plus, a children’s TV show is getting into Taoism and why popcorn is cannibalism.

GoFundMe: Care for Dr. Carl Totton in His Final Days

Tod and George start their investigation into the works of Chuang Tzu with Thomas Merton’s translation of his pivotal chapter, “Man of Tao.” We also meet our new co-host, George Thompson and Tod shares an update on Dr. Carl Totton’s health.

GoFundMe: Care for Dr. Carl Totton in His Final Days

GoFundMe: Care for Dr. Carl Totton in His Final Days

Tod shares an update on Dr. Totton’s health, discusses the show’s future, and looks back at Dr. Carl’s thoughts about the circle of life.

This special episode is a compilation of clips from the show where Dr. Carl Totton and Tod Perry discuss the basics of Taoism. In “Taoism” they discuss the big question, “What is Tao?” and dive into the concepts of Wu-Wei, Te, and Pu. They also discuss practices such as meditation and qigong and examine one of Taoism’s greatest minds, Chuang-Tzu.

Dr. Totton and Tod have a rare interview with best-selling author Benjamin Hoff who introduced millions to Taoism with his popular books “The Tao of Pooh” and “Te of Piglet.” Now, after a nearly 30-year hiatus, Hoff is back with “The Eternal Tao te Ching: The Philosophical Masterwork of Taoism and its Relevance Today.”

In this interview, we discuss some major discoveries that Hoff made while making his own translation of the “Tao Te Ching.” Including chapters he doesn’t believe are written by “The Old Master” and who the true identity of the original author.

You can purchase his book here.

Dr. Totton shares how his training in Taoist practices has helped him overcome a series of strokes. Later, he shares his new acronym for decision-making in-the-moment, “L.E.A.P.”

Dr. Totton and Tod breeze through three more chapters of the “Tao Te Ching.”