Yoshida Kenko (CE 1283-1350) wrote: "To sit alone with a book spread before you in intimate conversation with unseen generations is a pleasure beyond compare." Frank MacHovec, a retired psychologist who found this quotation, is in agreement with these sentiments. He began studying Eastern philosophies in the Korean War and has mined many meanings out of Asian wisdom over the years.

This paperback is a handy compendium of spiritual teachings from Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Yoga, Tai Chi, Shinto, Confucianism, Feng Shui, and Falun Gong. The reader seeking enlightenment from these varied sources will also find excerpts from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, I Ching, The Book of Tao and Kakuan's Bull. MacHovec states: "Multiple and hidden meanings are part of mystical thought and crucial to Eastern religions and philosophies." Here is a sampler on quotations from the Tao:

"The Danger of Extremes
"There is a danger in extremes. Pull a bowstring too far and you wish that you had let it go. Hone a sword blade too well and it wares too soon. Fill your house with jade and gold and you invite thieves. Be arrogant and proud and you hasten your own failure. Reach your goal and be satisfied to go no further. This is the way of the Tao."

"The Risk of Extremes
"Whoever stands on tiptoe is unsteady. Whoever walks with long strides cannot long keep up the pace. Those who make a show of themselves cannot really shine. Those who seek glory cannot become the best leaders. The self-righteous lose the respect of the people. The self-centered lose the love of the people. In Tao these are excessive and inappropriate. Even in worldly matters they should be avoided and the followers of Tao avoid them."

"Why Avoid Extremes?
"Who tries to win the world will lose it. The world is sacred and beyond reach. Trying to seize it interferes with nature. According to the Tao some things proceed and others recede. Some things move quickly, others slowly. Some succeed by strength, others by weakness. Some are active, others passive. The truly wise avoid extremes, excess and exaggeration."