Reading Review on Tao and Zen

If you’ve ever been curious about how Zen and Taoism relate, Zen Buddhism developed out of Mahayana Buddhism as it spread into China, where it was influenced by Taoism. Both traditions share similarities, especially in their emphasis on non-attachment and understanding life through direct, lived experience rather than abstract thinking. Zen tends to place more focus on meditation and insight, while Taoism often centers on cultivating and aligning with natural energy and flow.

I recently read The Cat and the Moon, which tells the story of a cat observed and deeply appreciated by a group of Buddhist monks. Through simply being itself, the cat seemed to offer lessons, and the monks learned through their attention and the compassion they extended toward it. The insights came not from instruction, but from observation and presence.

I also started reading Tao: The Way of Water, which uses water as a metaphor for how to move through life. Water flows effortlessly, adapting to whatever it encounters, and this reflects a way of living that doesn’t rely on force or resistance. Instead of pushing against obstacles, it suggests trusting the natural course of things and allowing life to unfold, believing that this flow can guide us where we’re meant to go.