Well, that didn't go very far. There are a lot of wise sayings in the Tao de Ching. But, they are just sayings. Like the Songs of Solomon or Proverbs. Good ways to look at some things but not fully inspired of God.
The Tao de Ching is only mentioned in the history part of this book. As part of her Introduction says:
"In this book, you will be traveling through the spiritual terrain
of Taoism. On your journey, you will see shamans dressed in animal skins
dancing the patterns of the stars as they fly to the sky and
tunnel beneath the earth; you will see talismans displaying
symbols of power that are designed to heal, protect, and
ward off malevolent spirits; you will see people sitting,
standing, or sleeping in unusual postures, cultivating the
breath of life and longevity; you will see colorful
tapestries, images of deities and immortals, huge brass
cauldrons, altars with sticks of incense, and oil lamps
burning eternal flames. On this journey, you will see,
etched on bamboo sticks, hexagrams, the symbols of
change, used by diviners to interpret the pattern of events in
the universe; you will also see ordinary people tending the
aged and the sick, teaching the young, and helping others
who are less fortunate than themselves; you will hear the
loud clang of cymbals and drums, the shrill and melodious
sound of flutes, and slow, rhythmic voices chanting to the
beat of a wooden block. You will hear the silence of a
meditation hall, the soft gait of feet walking on the
flagstones of monastic cloisters, and the occasional sound
of a bell amid the rustle of leaves. All these are features in
the spiritual landscape of Taoism—a tradition of wisdom
accumulated over thousands of years that has changed
human consciousness, and yet been changed by it.
This book is a guide, and a guide differs from a textbook
or an anthology of translated texts.
First, a true guide is based on the personal experience of
someone who has traveled the terrain; one cannot write a
guide about places one has not been to. Information
contained in a guide is not based on book knowledge alone
but on experience.
Second, a true guide has a perspective and does not
pretend to be objective. What is seen is never independent
of the observer. As a guide to the spiritual landscape of
Taoism, this book shows things that I have experienced and
enjoyed.
Third, a true guide does not pretend to be complete. Any
landscape, physical or spiritual, is rich beyond imagination.
This book is meant to give you enough information to get
started. It is a map and field guide to a territory; it is not the
territory itself.
Finally, a guide alerts travelers to possible dangers. The
spiritual landscape is both attractive and forbidding, and
travelers need to be aware of hazards along the way.
Therefore, throughout the book, I shall point out which are
the safest paths and which are the hazardous routes in the
spiritual terrain of Taoism.
This book is divided into three parts: History of Taoism,
Systems of Taoism, and Taoist Practices."
