Legend tells us that the Tao Te Ching was authored by Lao-tzu, a prophet who was also the keeper of the imperial archives in the ancient capital of Luoyang. Seeing the continual decay during a period of warring states, Lao-tzu decided to ride westward into the desert. At the Hanku Pass, a gatekeeper named Yin Hsi, knowing of Lao-tzu’s reputation for being a man of wisdom, begged him to record the essence of his teaching. Thus, the Tao Te Ching was born out of 5,000 Chinese characters.
In all my reading on the origins of the Tao Te Ching, I never found a definitive historical record of its writing . . . yet today it survives in thousands of versions in virtually every language. In fact, after reading this classic text one morning and then taking in a different interpretation that afternoon, I was hooked. I ordered more translations, five of which were quite old and five of which were more modern (you’ll find their titles in the Acknowledgments). Since neither Lao-tzu nor the origins of his verses are historically certain, I was fascinated by the different ways the 5,000 characters were interpreted by scholars in the editions I studied—especially when you consider that many of these ancient Chinese symbols are no longer in use and invite differing translations themselves.
I then felt called upon to write an essay for each verse that showed its valuable wisdom applied to the 21st century. From those ten translations I’d gone over, I pieced together the 81 passages in Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, based on how they resonated with me. This book is my personal interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, each verse of which gave me an insight into life and nature. As you read on, know that these pages were pasted together from what I personally felt were the most useful aspects of those ten different translations I studied, and I apologize for any exclusions (or if the inclusions don’t seem to be a perfect fit).
One of the many gifts of the Tao Te Ching is its mind-stretching quality, especially in the way that Lao-tzu uses irony and paradox to get you to look at life. If you think that being forceful is the appropriate response, Lao-tzu urges you to see the value in being humble. If action seems called for, he asks you to consider nonaction. If you feel that grasping will help you acquire what you need or want, he counsels you to let go and be patient.
And just what is this thing called “the Tao”? As we’re told in the 1st verse, to name it is to lose it, so here’s the best that I can come up with: The Tao is the supreme reality, an all-pervasive Source of everything. The Tao never begins or ends, does nothing, and yet animates everything in the world of form and boundaries, which is called “the world of the 10,000 things.”
Commentaries on the Tao Te Ching generally interpret Tao as “the Way,” Te as “the shape and power” (that is, how the Tao manifests), and Ching as “book.” Every translation I read referred to the Tao as the Way with a capital W, and Te as adding light or color to the Way. Well, as I look at the name I’ve carried with me for over 65 years, Wayne Dyer, I realize what may have attracted me to studying and writing these essays! As you can see, the first three letters of my name make up the word Way, while a dyer is one who adds light or color. It’s no wonder why I’ve been so totally involved in reading, writing, interpreting, and, most significantly, putting into practice these 81 verses.
In The Wisdom of China and India, Dr. Lin Yutang states, “If there is one book in the whole of Oriental literature which should be read above all others, it is, in my opinion [Lao-tzu’s] Book of Tao. . . . It is one of the profoundest books in the world’s philosophy . . .” As you read Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, you’re going to find your way through Lao-tzu’s mystical and practical philosophy, along with the joy of applying it to your life in today’s modern world.
Writing this book was a complete surrender to ideas that didn’t always seem to fit a linear rational approach, and it has changed me in a way that’s like the Tao itself: unexplainable and unnameable. Once I knew that I’d be spending a year on this project, its creation came about in the following way, which I have journaled for you:
I awake before 4 a.m., meditate, consume juices and supplements, and enter my sacred writing space. On a table, I have some framed drawings of Lao-tzu: In one he’s clad in simple robes, in another he’s standing with a staff, and in a third he’s astride an ox. I ease into my work and read one
