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This week we talk to Monk Yunrou about Taoism in the modern world
Taoist Monk Yunrou in as author, activist, and tai chi master, Yunrou (formerly known as Arthur Rosenfeld) has a lifelong relationship with Taoism. A 35-year master of Taoist arts, he was born in America and ordained a monk, by official leave, at the Pure Yang Temple in Guangzhou, China. Combining his overarching spiritual focus with a Yale literary education, the pursuit of natural history at the University of California and Cornell, he is an authority on the cultural, social, and spiritual dimensions of Eastern thinking for the Western world.
Yunrou contributes to such publications as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Parade, and has been profiled and cited in Newsweek, and other national magazines. His blog on The Huffington Post is frequently cited by other websites, including The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, and Reuters. He has appeared on national TV networks including Fox News, and interviewed on various podcasts and radio shows. From 2010 – 2013, Yunrou hosted the hit (56MM households tuned in) national public television show Longevity Tai Chi with Arthur Rosenfeld.
His latest book is called Yin: A Love Story
In This Interview, Yunrou and I Discuss…
- The One You Feed parable
- The Tao Te Ching– Eric’s favorite translation
- How the Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao
- Seeing things in terms of binary opposites working harmoniously together.
- What Taoism is
- The differences between Taoist meditation and Buddhist meditation
- Tai Chi and the deep integration to Taoism
- The culture which the Tao Te Ching was written
- Some of Eric’s favorite sections from the Tao Te Ching
- How there is no connection between money and happiness
- The lack of connection we have to the modern world
- History of Lao Tzu
- The concept of stewardship
Monk Yunrou Links
Jacob says
Among the best eps. yet. I’m so glad you had this guest on the show. I hope you bring him back, cycle in some more Taoist thinkers, or both.
Eric Zimmer says
Thanks!
Rannoch Donald says
Very much enjoyed this episode. I very much enjoyed Yunrou’s book on Tai Chi. He’s a rare creature, someone who effectively bridges the thinking of east and west without doing disservice to either.
Eric Zimmer says
Thanks for the feedback. We enjoyed it also.