Thomas Cleary has passed

[RobB]

https://www.shambhala.com/remembering-thomas-cleary/?fbclid=IwAR1LnYnA1OdtNUA8A62Dkk54IbSkoXda3q6MylznoAGt_E6tDKSfgas5svs

 

One of the constant names from my reading over the years. RIP.

[steve]

Dedicated much of his life to making Chinese wisdom accessible to the English speaking world.

Rest in peace Mr. Cleary.

_/\_/\_/\_

[Gerard]

Thank you Thomas Cleary for leading me to the HIDDEN WORLD after reading:

 

OPENING THE DRAGON GATE: THE MAKING OF A MODERN TAOIST WIZARD (1996).

 

[rsalazar]

Thank you for giving me a glimpse of the vast world, Rest in peace Thomas Cleary

[silent thunder]

On 6/29/2021 at 3:44 PM, Gerard said:

Thank you Thomas Cleary for leading me to the HIDDEN WORLD after reading:

 

OPENING THE DRAGON GATE: THE MAKING OF A MODERN TAOIST WIZARD (1996).

 

That book cracked through my awareness like lightning through a clear sky.  Like a drink of clear cool water in the desert.

 

Spurred me to begin investigating and working with the Tao and eventually to getting the opportunity to study with Master Wang.

 

So many of Mr Cleary's books line my shelves.  He was a real gift in my life and to those of us whose lack of language would have kept these doors closed our entire lives.  Rest in Peace Good Sir.

[Taomeow]

RIP Thomas Cleary.  You are remembered with gratitude.

 

The first time I ever heard this name, many years ago, was from an elderly taoist nun, who believed she was the only ordained American taoist nun back then.  She would occasionally mention a guy named Tom, someone she used to hang out with, a translator.  She told me about The Taoist Classics he translated, and I wound up buying the first volume.  "Chuang-tzu" was the first part of that volume, I opened it, and Chapter 1 was called Freedom.  So far so good.  I read the opening paragraph.

 

"In the Northern Deep there is a great fish, thousands of miles long.  It turns into a giant bird whose back is thousands of miles in size.  When it gets aroused and takes to flight, its wings are like clouds covering the sky."

 

I felt right at home right away.  Delighted.  Taking off on the wings of the great fish-bird Peng.  

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Taomeow
Typo corrected

[Gerard]

6 hours ago, silent thunder said:

So many of Mr Cleary's books line my shelves.  He was a real gift in my life and to those of us whose lack of language would have kept these doors closed our entire lives.

 

Same goes with this other MUST-READ book:

 

My Journey in Mystic China: Old Pu's Travel Diary (2008) by John Blofeld  (Author), Daniel Reid (Translator).

 

It will open you eyes to the amazing and longest lasting civilization that China is or should I say was  due to the untold and deep damaged caused by Maoists and now fully embracing the Western was. I nearly cried when I finished reading this book! My favourite chapter is the author's encounter with the Taoist 'immortal.'

 

Sorry for the off-topic post. 
 

 

 

[silent thunder]

Blofeld is incredible.  Another treasure.

 

His book The Secret and Sublime: Taoist Mysteries and Magic is an account of his years seeking out and meeting with Taoist Sages in China circa 1930's.  To date, the most expensive book I've ever purchased and worth every penny.  Had to lurk used booksellers for almost a year before happening on a price I could swallow.

 

This excerpt of his meeting with Tseng Lao-weng was the reason I sought out the book.  @rene shared it here and it resonated like few other passages I've encountered. 

 

 

How fortunate we all have been that men such as John and Thomas not only wanted to learn, but share what they encountered for the benefit of others...

[Gerard]

From the linked passage:

 

"He wished only to make me see for myself that Buddhists do not have a monopoly of wisdom."

 

Clap, clap, clap. It happens to the very date today. Just go to YT and search for any videos about Buddhism. They want to patronise this ENLIGHTENMENT AND BUDDHA issue as if it was the ONLY & REAL TRUTH.

 

Yes Thomas & John both helped to open the ancient wisdom of the longest lasting civilisation  to the rest of the world (and most of it is still unaware of it).

 

George Gurdjieff is another author I came across when I first started on this path and I owe him a lot too!