Literary Treasure | Tao Te Ching

Best Translation | Tao Te Ching | Lao Tzu

books:


	• Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu Shambhala, 1990 - 116 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

The best translation I've ever had

They say this is the best and it is. Very well done.

Literary Treasure

Since there are multiple ways to translate the text, the reader should familiarize him/her self with more than one translation. Due to the poetic dialect used in the text and the use of various plays on words, a particular line can have multiple meanings. In addition, some translators tend to edit out/modify what they feel are mistakes on the part of the original. For this reason, no one single translation is a complete work.

Furthermore, this text should be viewed within the context of Taoism's shamanic origins and traditions. To refrain from doing so, would remove the message from it's original context. Then again, the text has been re-interpreted many times by various elements of Chinese society, so an originally intended defenition may be somewhat moot in our time. The great thing about the text, is that it can be (and has been) re-interpreted in any historic period, and still retain it's unique message.

The text is a series of verses offering advice on how to lead a virtuous life in the context of the Tao, advice to a ruler on benevolence, and a guide to becoming a sage. Since the meanings are multiple, it can also be interpreted in the context of martial arts (Taiji Quan,) and various other pursuits. All in all, a valuable text for anyone looking to expand their spiritual views. A must for any scholar of Taoism.

for more information click here

Best Translation

I am ultra sensitive to translations, so I compared about a half dozen for this important work. Of all that I have read, this is by far the most "true" translation I have read. It is the one I recommend.

for more information click here

Simply by writing this I depart from the Tao.

Named for the mythical (?) and mystical kingdom in the East, Shambhala Publications is known for bringing some of the greatest and sometimes most obscure philosophical writings of Mankind to the attention of the general public. Heavily (though not exclusively) concerned with Buddhist and Taoist thought, Shambhala Pocket Classics are an attractive set of unabridged minibooks which fit comfortably in a shirt pocket, making them perfect for reading on planes, trains, and automobiles. Titles in the set include THE BOOK OF TEA, THE ART OF PEACE, ZEN FLESH ZEN BONES, THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, POEMS BY EMILY DICKINSON, THE ART OF WAR, THE WAY OF THE JEWISH MYSTICS, and this unequalled classic, TAO TEH CHING (roughly translated as "The Book of The Way").

TAO TEH CHING is ascribed to Lao-Tzu ("The Old Boy"), an approximate contemporary of Confucius, who when asked to summarize his own philosophy, produced this incredible little volume before vanishing into the trackless wastes of central Asia. Long considered by Westerners to be the very essence of Oriental inscrutability, TAO TEH CHING attempts to quantify the immeasurable and speak the ineffable. The Old Boy is far less opaque than he is accused of being; it is simply that human language is too limited to concretize the ideas of TAO TEH CHING. Literally thousands of translations exist, all different. Many people have attempted to describe the Tao (pronounced "Dow" or "Taw" depending on the local dialect). No one has yet succeeded. The mere act of description is a delimitation. Conceptually linked to flowing water or a candle flame, Tao is the natural order of things (but even that fails to suffice). The Tao, like Quantum Physics, must be grasped intuitively. The Book of the Way had a grand effect on Chinese Confucianism, on Japanese Shinto, and on Indian Buddhism as they spread throughout the Far East. Lao-Tzu's spare, clear and indescribable vision ultimately gave rise to Zen, with which it shares the necessity of direct experience. Neither religion nor philosophy, TAO TE CHING is one of the most brilliant and enigmatic writings to come from the mind of man.

for more information click here

One of the best books I have ever read.

The Tao Teh Ching is a great source of perennial philosophy... truth that withstands the test of time. I highly recommend it. It is a life changing read for those who are willing to meditate long upon it.

Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching, or "The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue," has probably had a greater influence on Asian thought that any other single book. It is also one of the true classics of world literature.

Traditionally attributed to the near-legendary "Old Master," Lao Tzu, the Tao Teh Ching teaches that the qualities of the enlightened sage or ideal ruler are identical with those of the perfected individual. Today, Lao Tzu's words are as useful in mastering the arts of leadership in business and politics as they are in developing a sense of balance and harmony in everyday life. To follow the Tao or Way of all things and realize their true nature is to embody humility, spontaneity, and generosity.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

hot