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Tao Te King

Lao Tzu

4.27 · Rating details · 123,944 ratings · 5,147 reviews

A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition.
Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching, or -The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue, - is one of the true classics of the world of spiritual literature. Traditionally attributed to the legendary -Old Master, - Lao Tzu, the Tao Teh Ching te ...more

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Hardcover, 112 pages

Published 2011 by Altamira (first published -600)

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Jun 06, 2007 trivialchemy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: antiquity, philosophy

The book that can be reviewed is not the constant book.

The review which reviews can be neither full of review nor lacking.

But as the river changes course over seasons must the reviewer neither review nor not review, but follow the constant review.

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Jun 28, 2007 Gerry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm an unbeliever and have been since the first time I played hooky from Sunday services and the Eye in the Sky didn’t say boo. So it may seem strange that I’m reviewing the Tao Te Ching, the widely known and influential Taoist text, written by Lao-Tzu and poetically translated in this edition by Stephen Mitchell. For me, the Tao Te Ching is more folk wisdom than religious treatise and is more useful than a million sermons.

Where the Tao Te Ching parts company with religious attempts at morality ...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: theosophy, 06th-century-bc, china, culture, asia, buddhism, religion

Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching, also known by its pinyin romanization Dao De Jing, is a Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage Laozi.

The text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC, but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written—or at least compiled—later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi.

The Tao Te Ching, along with th ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Dolors rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Those wanting to hear the other version

Recommended to Dolors by: the voices

Shelves: read-in-2014

“The Tao is always nameless” (Chapter 71)

Trying to narrow down the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching with limiting words is to violate its primordial essence. How can one describe the Universe, the natural order of things, the incessant flowing from being to non-being, the circular unity of a reality traditionally mismatched in dualistic terms?

The Tao Te Ching doesn’t provide answers because there needn’t be questions, just the harmony of moulding to the landscape rather than trying to impose a p ...more

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Aug 17, 2007 Burt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Philosophers, Followers of Eastern Thought

Shelves: philosophy, required_reading

This is, by far, my favorite translation of the Tao Te Ching. I own a few others and they're all well and good, but this one is the one I continually read from and refer to when people ask me about the Tao.

The translation is well done, it captures the nature of the text well, and it flows fairly evenly. It's not overly flowery or ornate, it gives you the basics of what you need to understand the various entries and assist in understanding what Tao is (i.e. the the Tao named Tao is not the great, ...more

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Mar 13, 2009 Eddie Watkins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adventures-in-thought, old-chinese-poetry, spirituality

There are many translations of the Taoteching, nearly every one of which is probably worth reading, but this is my favorite version. I can’t attest to the accuracy of the translation, but having read so many different translations of the same text I feel like in some strange way I have a grasp of the original; as if a blank space (the Chinese original) has been given shape and definition by all the English versions surrounding it. But anyway... while I like the spare sensitivity of the language There are many translations of the Taoteching, nearly every one of which is probably worth reading, but this is my favorite version. I can’t attest to the accuracy of the translation, but having read so many different translations of the same text I feel like in some strange way I have a grasp of the original; as if a blank space (the Chinese original) has been given shape and definition by all the English versions surrounding it. But anyway... while I like the spare sensitivity of the language in this version, what makes this version extra special are the added bonuses: an engagingly detailed introduction exploring the life of Lao Tzu, what amounts to an original thesis on the very meaning of “tao”, and commentaries (on specific lines, even specific words) appended to each of the 81 entries that have been culled from centuries upon centuries of critical commentary, by scholars and eccentric mystics alike.

There is recent scholarship that is making the argument that instead of meaning “way” or “path”, which is usually taken to mean how we as people conduct ourselves in accordance with a mysterious spiritual principle, that “tao” actually refers to the Moon and its various phases and paths in space, with particular emphasis on the darkness of the new moon and its significance as potential in darkness. The new moon “hides” its fullness. The fullness is there in potential, unspent. I like this. There’s something pleasingly primitive about it (gimme that old-time religion!), i.e. something real and tangibly mysterious, but also something practical and spiritual – a connector between eye and heart that through some subtle gravity guides our feet along a path.

The commentaries that follow each poem or entry are fascinating and just scratch the surface of what I understand is a vast accumulation of scholarship on this text. The commentaries are often wildly contradictory and tangential, obsessive to an anal nth degree, but also at times wise in their own right. These commentaries have been written by official scholars, by mendicant monks, and even one or two extreme eccentrics living on the fringes of society unaffiliated with any institution. At the back of the book are short biographies of each commentator, which is fascinating reading in itself. It all adds up to evidence that this is a living book, with enough clear and direct meaning to be perpetually valid, and enough obscurity to be endlessly pondered.

The translator is an American who goes by the name Red Pine. He’s almost 70 now and has been a practicing Buddhist for years, but more in the wandering independent scholar Gary Snyder type style. He’s also translated the Diamond Sutra, poems of Han Shan (Cold Mountain) and Stonehouse, and some other Buddhist texts. In every work of his I’ve read there’s serious scholarship in evidence, but also a free spirit and independent thinker with a unique store of fresh air.
...more

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May 28, 2019 Gerrie Williams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is an amazing. I've read many books out there and this is the best one. Very enjoyable read! I highly recommend it. I bought this book at discounted price from here: https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-L... ...more

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Aug 18, 2018 Florencia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chinese, philosophyland, religions-myths-and-other-stories

Concatenated thoughts. Review #1 ✔ - #2

They come to be and he claims no possession of them,
He works without holding on,
Accomplishes without claiming merit.
Because he does not claim merit,
His merit does not go away.

The Tao Te Ching is a classical text credited to Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu (6th century) and on which Taoism is based. It consists of 81 short chapters written in poetic form which, using a pithy language brimming with evocative and, at times, repetitive contradi ...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Heidi Parton rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This version irritates me a lot, largely because of Stephen Mitchell's arrogance in writing it (I'll go into that in a bit). This is not a translation (which Mitchell was at least gracious enough to make clear in the back of the book); it's a translation of various translations. The problem with this is that a translation of a translation turns out the same way that a copy of a copy does: while some of the original words and phrases are identifiable, there's a lot that's lost or skewed.

For examp This version irritates me a lot, largely because of Stephen Mitchell's arrogance in writing it (I'll go into that in a bit). This is not a translation (which Mitchell was at least gracious enough to make clear in the back of the book); it's a translation of various translations. The problem with this is that a translation of a translation turns out the same way that a copy of a copy does: while some of the original words and phrases are identifiable, there's a lot that's lost or skewed.

For example, here is a good translation of the first line of Ch. 3 by D.C. Lau: "Not to honor men of worth will keep the people from contention."

Stephen Mitchell's translation of the same line is: "If you overesteem great men, / people become powerless."

The original Wang Bi character in question is 爭, or zhēng, which means "dispute," "strive," "contend," "fight," etc. It does not mean "powerless." By free-handing the translation, Mitchell alters the meaning of the text. While it doesn't damage the understanding of someone already familiar with Taoism and its literature, it does mislead those new to Taoism who seek an authentic introductory text to understand the philosophy.

As I mentioned above, what really irritates me is Mitchell's arrogance regarding his version of the text versus the original Chinese versions and the translations that more closely adhere to their meaning. In the question-and-answer section located in the back of the book, the querent says: "But it's one thing to translate Rilke and the Book of Job when you read German and Hebrew; it's quite another to translate books like the Tao Te Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, or Gilgamesh without any knowledge of the original languages." Mitchell's response is: "Yes, it's a different kind of venture, but not so different as you might think. Of course, I wouldn't dare work with a text that I didn't feel deeply connected to--I used to speak of my 'umbilical connection' to Lao-tzu. I had discovered the Tao Te Ching shortly before I began Zen training in 1973." Later, the querent asks: "You knew what Lao-tzu was talking about, through direct experience [in Zen meditation] of your own?" And Mitchell replies: "That's where my confidence came from." Essentially, Mitchell is claiming that his text is authentic because of his felt spiritual connection to its author, rather than it being an accurate translation of the text. But isn't the best translation one that is authentic on multiple levels, emotionally and literally? However, if I had to choose, I'd rather read a translation that is accurate and discover the emotional resonance on my own. Also, FYI: Zen is a school of Buddhism, not Taoist, though it was influenced by Taoism. They share some similar values and qualities, but they are distinct.

Mitchell continues: "There was also the excitement of the aesthetic challenge. Some calculated that by 1986 there were 102 translations of the Tao Te Ching into English alone. I had read six or seven of them, and although I loved the content, the language was mediocre at best: not much poetry in it, not much sparkle. This may sound arrogant too, and irrational. How can you fall in love with a book whose actual words bore you? But that's what happened." This sentiment, I think, is the source of all the problems I have with the text. It's completely non-Taoist. If Mitchell had paid attention to even his version of the last chapter, 81, which reads: "True words aren't eloquent; / eloquent words aren't true," he would have seen the folly of his approach. Instead, he decided that he'd rather cut entire paragraphs, rearrange the remaining words, and even alter the meaning to better suit his aesthetic values. His disregard for accuracy and his preference for his concept of beauty over truth not only shows a complete lack of respect for the text, the tradition and its culture of origin; it's also just not scholarly.

Another interesting admission made by Mitchell is that he spent only four months writing this version. "By contrast," he says, "it had taken me seventeen years to finish my translation of the Book of Job. So, obviously, I was getting more focused, or more efficient..." I disagree with him there--it's not obvious to me that he was any more focused or more efficient. The vast difference in time spent translating Job and rewriting the Tao Te Ching instead tells me that he worked very hard to faithfully render the former and just cobbled together the latter. Mitchell actually reads and understands Hebrew, so it's likely that he was aware of the nuances of the language and therefore understood the importance of accurately rendering the text into English. Mitchell doesn't read any Chinese. If the language is incomprehensible to him, how can he possibly grasp the nuances of the characters in order to accurately translate them for others?

This isn't to say that his version is completely wrong. Many sections are fairly accurate (like the line in Ch. 81 that I mentioned above). But there are also many places in his text that are inaccurate to the point of misconstruing the core concepts of the belief system.

So if you're new to Taoism and are looking for a translation that accurately communicates Taoist beliefs and sensibilities, I suggest that you go somewhere else. There are many other translations that more accurately render the Tao Te Ching in English. Each has its own particular "flavor" and may contain slightly different words or rhythms, but most aim to faithfully present an accurate translation of the text that, while not serving every culture's aesthetic requirements, is very beautiful in its own way and has a lot of wisdom to offer, regardless of cultural and generational differences in taste. Here's a good website to get you started: http://wengu.tartarie.com/wg/wengu.ph... The site provides not only several different translations, but also the original Wang Bi text with translations of each character.

If, however, you're already familiar with the Tao Te Ching and other Taoist literature, Mitchell's book at least serves as a good example of Taoism's effect on contemporary American culture. ...more

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Dec 13, 2017 Florencia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chinese, philosophyland, religions-myths-and-other-stories

Concatenated thoughts. Review #1 - #2 ✔

Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.

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Feb 16, 2014 7jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religion-other

(review after rereading:)
This book's contents and history have both a sense of vagueness, but not in a bad way, in my opinion. It's somewhat uncertain when it was written (circa 4th-3rd century BC), the author's life details are largely invented, and the existence of the author is not quite certain either (Lao Tzu is just his title, and also it's not known if the text is by one author, or a group of authors worked over some years). It was first translated in the late 1700s, and the oldes existin (review after rereading:)
This book's contents and history have both a sense of vagueness, but not in a bad way, in my opinion. It's somewhat uncertain when it was written (circa 4th-3rd century BC), the author's life details are largely invented, and the existence of the author is not quite certain either (Lao Tzu is just his title, and also it's not known if the text is by one author, or a group of authors worked over some years). It was first translated in the late 1700s, and the oldes existing copy is from circa 300 BC.

It's a bit hard to categorise: ethics? religious? philosophy? But really, in my view any of those would do. In a way it felt a bit like Dhammapada, which I've read earlier, in that even if you're not interested in the religion it's part of, it will still appeal, and is a pretty easy a read. I read it quite quickly now.

Taoism is clearly put as an opposite way of thinking against Confucianism - which shows in some parts of this text - the latter being based on duties to the community and the family, but somewhat rigidly black and white at its hardest. Taoism is in its end less rigid, putting weight on the coexistence of the opposites, reverence of nature, flexibility and not being too controlling. The Tao is a force in the world, not completely graspable or something one can give a finite meaning, but which balances our world. It is gentleness, avoiding conflict of grasping, seeking peacefulness, simplicity, detachment and humility. Making the point without engaging in rhetoric and arguments.

The book's message is simple, the prose spare with plenty of natural imagery. The wisdom (the Tao) of the book is feminine, yin in balance with the yang (while in Confucianism the yang seems sometimes bit heavily-leaned on).

The message seems simple, yet is deep. Quite a few sentences bounced out of the text as familiar, things I've seen quoted. Reading and rereading each page will most certainly happen for me in the future. The whole thing reads just like a beautiful ancient Chinese nature painting... and the view is beautiful, peaceful. Such is this book. ...more

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Oct 27, 2018 Sean Barrs rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: poetry

This was immensely interesting to read, though I found myself somewhat aggravated by the passivism that ran through the writing.

It's almost like a poetical treatise on humility, but what of ambition and a drive to make the world a better place? Should we all accept our station in life and never aim to improve? I think not. It accepts things as they are (however they are) and cannot conceive of a better future. Everything should stay the same, and exist within the natural order of things.

But ho This was immensely interesting to read, though I found myself somewhat aggravated by the passivism that ran through the writing.

It's almost like a poetical treatise on humility, but what of ambition and a drive to make the world a better place? Should we all accept our station in life and never aim to improve? I think not. It accepts things as they are (however they are) and cannot conceive of a better future. Everything should stay the same, and exist within the natural order of things.

But how do we define the natural?

VI

The Spirit of the valley never dies
This is called the mysterious female.
The gateway of the mysterious female
Is called the route of heaven on earth.
Dimly visible, it seems as if it were there,
Yet use will never drain it.

The poem speaks of mother nature as replenishing and everlasting; she will always endure and is the gateway to heaven on earth, to our own nirvana. We can never completely spend her. The metaphor is for the path as Taoism and nature are one and the same here. For the speaker, Taoism (or the way) is the most natural of things we can partake in. We will also never drain the benefits of it and they will also last perpetually. And these ideas for me felt strong and real, but the writing also muses over empire.

XXIX

Whoever takes the empire and wishes to do anything to it
I see will have no respite. The Empire is a sacred vessel and
nothing should be done to it. Whoever does anything to it
will ruin it; whoever lays hold of it will lose it.
Hence some things lead and some follow;
Some breath gently and some breathe hard;
Some are strong and some are weak;
Some destroy and some are destroyed.
Therefore the sage avoids excess, extravagance and arrogance.

I take so much issue with this quote. In what way can we ever refer to an Empire as natural? Empire's are always built with the blood of someone else. The quote also shows how people are all different, though it concludes that this is simply the way of things. A weak person should not try to make himself strong. Such a thing is an excess. We should simply stay humble and never challenge the norms of an Empire. (Seriously?)

And that's when I stopped listening to what the book had to say. As an historical piece it's interesting to study, but I take absolutely no stock in the words. ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Farhan Khalid rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: china, philosophy, religion

When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created

When people see things as good, evil is created

The master leads by emptying people's mind

The Tao is like an empty vessel

It can never be emptied and can never be filled

Master doesn’t take sides

The spirit of emptiness is immortal

The location makes the dwelling good

Depth of understanding makes the mind good

A kind heart makes the giving good

Integrity makes the government good

Accomplishment makes your labors good

Proper timing makes a decision go ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Jonathan O'Neill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 ⭐

I have delved deeper into the ‘Tao Te Ching’ in my review of the more scholarly translation by D.C.Lau which you can find HERE.
In this space I just want to focus on what Ursula K. Le Guin brings to the table and what exactly makes her rendition of the classic, unique from the plethora of other translations and renditions that are available.

I have to commend D.C.Lau for his fantastic translation of the Tao, which includes a wonderful introduction as well as two very informative appendices. B 4.5 ⭐

I have delved deeper into the ‘Tao Te Ching’ in my review of the more scholarly translation by D.C.Lau which you can find HERE.
In this space I just want to focus on what Ursula K. Le Guin brings to the table and what exactly makes her rendition of the classic, unique from the plethora of other translations and renditions that are available.

I have to commend D.C.Lau for his fantastic translation of the Tao, which includes a wonderful introduction as well as two very informative appendices. But as his expertise really shines through in these elaborate discussions on the history and meaning of the text, so too does Ursula’s incredible talent as a writer, a poet and a humble student of the Tao throughout the entirety of this 126-page book.

”Most translations have caught meanings in their net, but prosily, letting the beauty slip through. And in poetry, beauty is no ornament; it is the meaning.”

Le Guin’s rendition is one for the modern reader. Where some of the passages in other translations make it clear that this was, in many ways, a manual for rulers; Le Guin takes liberty in changing certain phrases to relate more to the everyday individual. I loved the confidence she showed in taking on and re-interpreting this ancient work, whilst always showing respect to the material and addressing, clearly, any amendments that she made. With regard to Chapter 24, Ursula says: ”My version of the first four lines of the second verse doesn’t follow any scholarly translations, and is quite unjustified, but at least, unlike them it makes sense without horrible verbal contortions”. Regarding Chapter 72, she says: ”I take the liberty of reading this chapter as a description of what we, we ordinary people, should fear. The usual reading is in the manual-for-princes mode”. I love this type of honest commentary from Ursula, and it’s prevalent throughout the Chapter Notes as well as the Footnotes at the bottom of most pages which are just phenomenal, short and sharp insights into the text, nearly as sagacious as the passages of the Tao themselves.

”To those who will not admit morality without a deity to validate it, or spirituality of which man is not the measure, the firmness of Lao Tzu’s morality and the sweetness of his spiritual counsel must seem incomprehensible, or illegitimate, or very troubling indeed”.

In addition to her fantastic commentary on the chapters of the Tao, Le Guin also brings her own insight to the questionable origins of the text through analysis of the poem structures within. At one stage, regarding Chapter 42, Ursula explains: ”The last stanza is uncharacteristic in it’s didactic tone and in assimilating the teaching to a tradition… I was inclined to dismiss it as a marginal note by someone who was teaching and annotating the text”.. Regarding Chapter 44, she states: ”The intense, succinct, beautiful language of the first verses of the poem is sometimes followed by a verse or two in a more didactic tone, smaller in scope, and far more prosaic. I believe some of these verses are additions, comments, and examples, copied into the manuscripts so long ago that they became holy writ”. What a keen mind. D.C.Lau comes to the same conclusion for similar reasons.

I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of the Tao Te Ching and am pleased I started my Ursula K. Le Guin journey here. She reveals in the ‘Sources’ section that the title for her 1971 Science Fiction novel, ‘The Lathe of Heaven’ came from an incorrect translation of a passage from the Chuang Tzu(Another essential Taoist text) by James Legge. Joseph Needham, the great scholar of Chinese Science and Technology would later explain to her that when the Chuang Tzu was written, the lathe hadn’t been invented. I’m very curious to read ‘The Lathe of Heaven’ to see how much of an influence Le Guin’s lifelong study of Taoism had on the work.

“The way is more than the cycle of any individual life. We, rise, flourish, fail. The way never fails. We are waves. It is the sea. ...more

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Jan 29, 2021 Jonathan O'Neill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 ⭐

The Tao is definitely the most beautifully elusive and intangible philosophy that I've had the pleasure of trying to wrap my head around. Everything about it drips with mystery and mysticism, right down to it’s purported author, the enigma that is Lao Tzu. I really made an effort to understand what was meant by each and every poem. I read Ursula K. Le Guin’s rendition alongside this, more scholarly translation, by D.C.Lau and I listened to multiple audio versions, driving to and from work, bu ...more

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Sep 04, 2017 Brian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-philosophical, changed-my-life, favorites, non-fiction

4.24.19
I read this translation by Sam Torode every day on my phone, with a hard copy of another translation I will review soon. The simplicity of Torode's translation makes it my favorite so far and lines up with the Taoist philosophy of simplicity. I may consider other works translated by Torode. He has some interesting works out there, such as "The Song of Solomon."

Update: 3.14.18
Third translation I've read, my favorite of the three. I love this book of philosophy. It gives great common sense ...more

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Jan 31, 2015 ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos)(RK) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-asia, dao

This version of the Dao De Jing, translated by Richard John Lynn, is highly recommended to those who are not looking for the touchy feely Laozi. Rather it is a translation for those interested in ancient Chinese thought. A wonderful translation.

The Dao De Jing was probably written, by author or authors unknown, in the fourth century B.C.E. and "is primarily addressed to the ruler who would be a sage-king and is mainly concerned with achieving the good society through harmony with nature....". Th This version of the Dao De Jing, translated by Richard John Lynn, is highly recommended to those who are not looking for the touchy feely Laozi. Rather it is a translation for those interested in ancient Chinese thought. A wonderful translation.

The Dao De Jing was probably written, by author or authors unknown, in the fourth century B.C.E. and "is primarily addressed to the ruler who would be a sage-king and is mainly concerned with achieving the good society through harmony with nature....". This version includes an interpretation of the text written by Wang Bi (226-49 C.E.) not long before his premature death. Both Wang Bi and the translator or this edition, Richard John Lynn, have maintained the original intent of the Dao De Jing in not bringing in any mystical or religious concepts, which by Wang Bi's time were part of the popular view of Daoism.

In reading this version, I perceive more clearly than in most versions three strands of thought. (I acknowledge that this thing may be sliced in many other ways. See for example Michael Lafarge's quite good translation.) The first strand is basically a description of how the sage-ruler behaves/develops, 'De' (virtue, potential). The second strand is a guide to self cultivation, how to become a sage, and the third is an articulation of the basis for the other strands (and everything else, 'the myriad of things'), the 'Tao'(the nature of the universe). These strands are not kept discrete but are, rather, presented as a synthesis.

As noted above, both Wang Bi and Lynn have avoided mystical language with the result that many of the terms with which readers of other translations are familiar are translated differently. Thus: "wuwei" usually translated as "no action" is here presented as "no conscious effort". The effect of this is important in that "no action" suggests that the agent accomplishes ends by doing nothing, a mystical concept which captures the modern reader's imagination. The words "no conscious effort" suggests more of a lack of purpose. The ruler acts but not to his own ends but rather in accordance with the unfolding nature of the universe, the Tao. To act out of the Tao is to act out of nothingness, as opposed to acting out of the myriad of things which will mislead and lead to disaster.

Wang Bi begins his introduction to the work with "The way things come into existence and efficacy comes about is that things arise from the formless and efficacy emanates from the nameless. The formless and the nameless [Dao] is the progenitor of the myriad of things.". I tend to view this as I do the concept of the "big bang' in popular physics. There is nothing there and then there is an explosion out of which all that exists emanates. The "Dao" is the ever expanding universe and everything that exists and happens within it. (This last bit is totally my own fabrication to put the concept into terms which I can grasp. It works for me for now.)

Thus, the Dao is conceived of as coming out of nothing and as ever changing. It cannot be named because it does not exist as a thing. It has no form or substance and is always becoming. It cannot be known. To act in accordance with it is therefore to act according to the changing universe as an unfolding, not as a thing to be learned.

The process of becoming a sage is thus a process of coming to be aware of how the Dao unfolds. To know the essence of the Dao is to know that it is empty, that it is nothing. To understand this is to be 'authentic'. I struggled with Lynn's translation of "zhen" as 'authentic' because of the connotations carried by that English term, especially as we use it in terms of 'being authentic to the self'. Lafargue translates "Zhen" as 'genuineness' which, for me, carries the same meaning but without the same connotations. "Zhen" is used to refer to the relation to the emptiness of the Dao. One thus becomes 'authentic', not by aligning one's life with the self, but by developing an ever-changing, ever-becoming self that moves with the Dao and thus acts with the Dao. The sage-king is one who rules with the Dao by taking action only within the emptiness of the Dao. In other words, the sage-king goes with the flow.

This a very different way of conceiving of the world and how we react within it. Unlike Western thinkers, the ancient Chinese thinkers did not value learning about the world. Nor did they look to an afterlife, ancestors or gods to bring their lives into accord with the universe. (I shall continue to read this stuff until I can feel like I actually grasp it.) ...more

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Jan 13, 2017 Onaiza Khan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites, philosophy

This is just mindblowing.

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Sep 21, 2016 Krystal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, owned, classics, hippie-stuff, think-deep

A short read but worth taking the time with.

I really enjoyed mulling over the short passages, and taking the time to re-read them and really think about what the words meant. So many incredibly great lines, full of inspiration.

It will confuse people looking for face-value prose but for the deep thinkers this will really challenge you to think about life in all its intricacies, and to question your own nature. Great read.

Highly recommend for the more spiritually inclined, or those looking for pur ...more

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Aug 29, 2007 Evan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The description of this book is wrong:

"Like Stephen Mitchell, acclaimed author and poet Ursula K. Le Guin has attempted a nonliteral, poetic rendition of the Tao Te Ching"

It's nothing like Mitchell's pretty but totally opaque translation. LeGuin gives you readable ideas, arguments in poetry, a philosophy to ponder. Of all the translations I have encountered, this is the only one that gives you a point of entry into the rich treasury of ideas in the Tao Te Ching. ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Jeremy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy

This has got to be one of the most perennially beguiling, elliptical things ever written. And it seems all the more mysterious to me because so much of it is couched as this extremely practical, almost Machiavellian political advice. Having been schooled entirely in the western intellectual tradition, with its notions of hierarchy, dualism and progression (historical, socio/cultural or otherwise), this was a complete mind-fuck to me. It sort of reminds me of Heidegger, with those really crazy, c ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Gabrielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, own-a-copy, philosophy, asia, classics, mandatory-reading, reviewed, read-in-2019, poetry, to-read-again

I knew Ursula Le Guin was interested in Taoism : one only has to read “The Left Hand of Darkness” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), her Earthsea stories (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), or even “The Dispossessed” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to see an ever-present underlying theme of balance, of difference and unity – and of compassion. But I had no idea she had actually written an English version of the “Tao Te Ching” until Saturday, when I was idly browsing t I knew Ursula Le Guin was interested in Taoism : one only has to read “The Left Hand of Darkness” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), her Earthsea stories (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), or even “The Dispossessed” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to see an ever-present underlying theme of balance, of difference and unity – and of compassion. But I had no idea she had actually written an English version of the “Tao Te Ching” until Saturday, when I was idly browsing the Buddhism section of a book store. I didn’t even catch it: my husband saw it and handed it to me. Obviously, I bought it, because, you know, Ursula Le Guin is one of my heroes and two of the above-mentioned books are works that have changed my life. If there was any version of the Tao that I was going to read, it was definitely going to be this one.

I had never read the “Tao Te Ching” before, which, considering I was raised by hippies, hung out with a bunch of esoterica enthusiasts for years, and have been practising Soto Zen for a while, is a bit surprising. But I guess I was just waiting for the perfect version of it to find its way into my hands (thank you, Jason!).

For each “chapter”, Le Guin added little notes, which she says are “idiosyncratic and unscholarly” and entirely her own personal reactions and ideas about the text. She says in the introduction that they can be ignored, but I found they really added depth to my experience of the text, refined the words on the page, and of course, gave me glimpses into the amazing lady’s mind. Le Guin’s turn of phrase is elegant, but also full of humour, and never ponderous.

The text’s emphasis on self-mastery, humility and moderation is an inspiring and gentle philosophy, that while not always directly applicable in the world, should be contemplated carefully. A lot of this, when looked at lucidly, is common sense and a sane perspective on living. In the crazy world we live in, we could all use that from time to time. This is definitely the kind of book that benefits from multiple reads, or oven opening it at a random page at one’s leisure. It might be short and quick to read, but it ought to be digested slowly. ...more

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May 24, 2018 Veronique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: r2018, stars-4-0, non-fiction

“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”

I’ve had this book for years and only now found the inkling to have a look. It is very slim and can be read quickly, although as all poetry, it takes time to properly ingest...

Lao Tzu seems to like 'twisting' words from noun to verb and vice versa. In that fashion, I was reminded of one of my favourite poems from Emily Dickinson (Much Madness is divinest Sense - 620) and William Blake. These are however quite diff ...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Darwin8u rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

The Tao Te Ching definitely shines without dazzling. It fits in for me with Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Sermon on the Mount. Books of universal wisdom, truth, and peace that should be read again and again and again. Straightforward words often do sound paradoxical.

...more

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Feb 12, 2009 James Henderson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, spiritual, study-group

The Tao Te Ching is a book that cannot be read directly. Unfortunately, I have little experience reading books indirectly, so I found this a difficult book to read, end even more difficult to discern what was being said by the author.
A friend told me that he thought Heraclitus, the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, was somewhat like Lao Tzu. Heraclitus said "you can't step in the same river twice". He believed that reality was a flux composed of a unity of opposites. I suppose it is possible to c The Tao Te Ching is a book that cannot be read directly. Unfortunately, I have little experience reading books indirectly, so I found this a difficult book to read, end even more difficult to discern what was being said by the author.
A friend told me that he thought Heraclitus, the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, was somewhat like Lao Tzu. Heraclitus said "you can't step in the same river twice". He believed that reality was a flux composed of a unity of opposites. I suppose it is possible to consider Lao Tzu's "the way" in this manner and see it as a unifying force. I liken it to the ancient Greek notion of substance that underlies all things but does not have a separate existence.

The Tao te Ching seems to suggest action is good, except when inaction is required; that it is good to experience things with an open mind, but do not become too attached to one way of looking at reality for it may suddenly be going in the other direction. In other words, it is difficult to determine exactly what this book is saying, especially when it suggests that words cannot describe the way; thus the way is not that which is called by that name (don't worry - I don't know what that means either).

The best thing about the Tao te Ching is that the act of reading it stirs your mind, gets you thinking about deep questions and others. That alone makes it worth the effort, even though it may take a lifetime to make some progress toward answers.

Perhaps it is appropriate to turn to a twentieth century poet and thinker for some Tao-like advice. Here is a stanza from "Burnt Norton"

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

T. S. Eliot, FOUR QUARTETS

...more

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Jun 29, 2015 Vipassana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, far-east, non-fiction, philosophy

It is by being alive to difficulty that one can avoid it.

As much as I wished to write a review for Tao Te Ching, I'd abandoned the prospect of writing a review a couple of days ago. Too many changes over the past few days that I couldn't summon the will to write as I had intended to. To bring a little peace, I opened my journal to write and my eyes fell to the last line I'd written, the line I've quoted from Tao Te Ching, and it almost magically assuaged the tremors of my mind.

Whether Lao Tzu was a real person is uncertain. D. C. Lau, whose splendid introduction and notes I cannot commend enough for the ease of understanding it provides a lay person, surmises that this may just be an anthology of aphorisms. Lau reveals the synthesis behind his interpretation frequently, giving the reader a sense of The mystery behind the origin adds to the endearing quality of this work. It is very kind and this kindness can be attributed to no one in particular.

Perhaps this work is more of a guide to governance than a broad philosophical treatise. This work is from the Warring States period so it also possible that any work of philosophy could not ignore the demands of the time. The principle subject is that of 'the way'.

The way that can be spoken of (1)
Is not the constant way
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name

There is an allure of something as pervasive and fleeting as the Tao, in theory. In practice, acceptance of the idea is daunting task. Some ideas subvert conventionally held notions of strength by exposing it's limitations.

A man is supple and weak when living, but hard and stiff when dead. Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when living, but dried and shrivelled when dead. Thus the hard and the strong are the comrades of death; The supple and the weak are the comrades of life. (182)

Therefore a weapon that is strong will not vanquish; (183)
A tree that is strong will suffer the axe.

Reading Guha's India after Gandhi makes me think that any organized society in the present day can only thrive by killing the individual a little but the lofty ideas of Tao Te Ching speak of a different kind of leader who could ask, Even if a man is not good, why should he be abandoned? There is a great divide between the leaders who are sought today and what the Tao Te Ching recommends, that it seems unattainable but it is a vision that helps see the pitfalls of the kind of leaders upheld today.

The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. (39)

When his task is accomplished and his work done (41)
The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’

This is a book of ideas, and while I cannot grasp several, I hope to entertain them often.

--
July 11, 2015 ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 Jessaka added it · review of another edition

Shelves: religion

“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and eartn. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.”

The first time I read this, and it was years ago, I thought that the Tao was God, and some Taoist masters say as much. They also call it The Way, and so it is believed, at least by me, that they believe that they know the way, the path, that God wishes us to follow. Does God wish anything? I doubt “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and eartn. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.”

The first time I read this, and it was years ago, I thought that the Tao was God, and some Taoist masters say as much. They also call it The Way, and so it is believed, at least by me, that they believe that they know the way, the path, that God wishes us to follow. Does God wish anything? I doubt that very much. Fr me, we were created by this enErgy or Conscienceless, whatever you wish to call it, but it is impersonal.
So, I think of the Way as a path to follow that could lead to happiness, if not, at least a person would believe that they are doing what is right. But even that is questionable. Perhaps, you can sum it all up in this statement: “Do no harm to the earth and its inhabitants.”

As I was reading the rest of this book, I understood some of its teachings but most passed over my head. I will try other books on this subject.

But when a Tao master, in a book that I tried to read, stated that God is the Tao, and that the God is mercy, I felt that he is doing what the Tao says not to do, and this is: “The Tao that can be told is not the Tao.” Humans tend to give all kinds of human emotions to God. He is love, hate, judgmental, etc. He is, in fact, us.

I am in a discussion group where we were asked to write an essay on what we believed was the difference between religion and spiritualty. People quickly began writing. I just sat there. Spirituality and religion are the same to me because once you have decided that you are not religious but spiritual, you begin adding your own dogma, but of course, most so-called spiritual people believe in karma and other aspects of Hinduism, and whether they know it or not, it is dogma. And then they expect you to believe the same. I can’t begin to tell you how often I have been told that I must not say anything negative around them or how often I have been told that such and such a person has bad karma.

So, to me, like the Tao, spirituality cannot be explained.
...more

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Feb 04, 2008 Rob rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: aspiring sages

Shelves: non-fiction-for-humans

highlights:
3 - not collecting treasures prevents stealing.
13- accept disgrace willingly
23- he who does not trust will not be trusted
46- he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough
57- the more rules and regulations, the more thieves and robbers there will be

lowlights: eh, pretty much the whole translation. i guess this version is popular because it has nice calligraphy of the original chinese and BW photos of nature accompanying the english translation. but despite not having read ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Mimi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, poetry, philosophy, 2015, nonfiction

Interesting in that round-about way, the way ambiguous wordplay in poetry tend to be. Overall though it couldn't hold my attention for long. I had to stop and restart a page several times because my mind wandered. It had nothing to do with the content of the writing, but rather the soothing rhythmic "beat" that made it easy for me to not focus. Half the time I didn't even realized I was doing it until I reached a photo page.

This book might be better as an audio. That soothing rhythmic beat woul ...more

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Dec 11, 2007 Alex rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: achievers, lost souls, curious

To a Westerner, the Tao Te Ching presents another perspective for understanding meaning and effectiveness. For example, the Tao Te Ching shows how movement towards progress creates movement against progress, "Do not exalt the worthy, and the people will not compete... Do not display objects of desire, and the people's minds will not be disturbed. Therefore the ordering of the sage empties their minds, fills their bellies... and causes the wise ones not to dare to act. He does nothing, and there ...more

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About Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu

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Lao Tzu (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ; Wade-Giles: Laosi; also Laozi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Lao Zi, Laocius, Lao Ce, and other variations) was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching (often simply referred to as Laozi). His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism (pronounced as " ...more

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Quotes from Tao Te King

“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.” — 5344 likes

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.” — 4714 likes

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