The Ho-Shang Kung Commentary on Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching

by Ho-Shang Kung

"Wonderful work and translation. I am growing spiritually from reading it!" - Dr. Michael Saso, Professor Emeritus of Religion, University of Hawai'i, Ph.D Classical Chinese/Anthropology. Author of 15 books on Eastern religions, including, "Teachings of Taoist Master Chuang." Back cover Central to Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and neo-Confucianism, the Tao Te Ching may be the single most influential Eastern philosophical text of the last 2300 years. Ho-Shang Kung (circa 100 AD) clarifies the language and metaphors of the Tao Te Ching, while offering a Sage’s insights into how they may be applied to the cultivation of wisdom, vitality, longevity, harmonious leadership, and Taoist virtues such as naturalness, sincerity, and ease. With an intimate understanding of the culture and history within Lao Tzu’s verses, Ho-Shang Kung’s commentary has played an indispensable role in deepening the understanding of the Tao Te Ching for mystics, philosophers, and scholars alike. Guided by Ho-Shang Kung's commentary and linguistic analysis, Dan G. Reid provides a translation which is both eloquent, and exceptionally faithful to the Chinese text. With an audience of scholars and Taoist practitioners in mind, a Classical Chinese reading guide is provided, and the Chinese text appears alongside the commentary. Dan G. Reid’s translation of the Tao Te Ching also appears separately for focused study. “Reid has translated the beguiling verse of this ancient text within the framework of the 2,000-year-old Ho-Shang Kung Commentary, an obscure but authentic commentary that clarifies many points which have baffled both Chinese scholars and Western translators. ... Like the great English translator Arthur Waley, Dan G. Reid taught himself how to read classical Chinese, so he brings his own viewpoint to his work, not the views of a particular "school of thought" in Sinology. Translating the Tao Teh Ching has long been regarded as the ultimate litmus test for a translator of Chinese. Reid has passed the test with flying colors." - Daniel P. Reid (no relation), translator of "My Journey in Mystic China" (Chinese memoirs of the late writer & translator John Blofeld), author of "The Tao of Health, Sex, & Longevity" and "The Tao of Detox" "Ho-Shang Kung lived in today’s Langya area of Shandong Province. He was an accomplished Taoist alchemy practitioner and it is said that he became an immortal on Tiantai mountain – nowadays Rhi-Zhao county, Shandong Province. His commentary on the Tao Te Ching naturally carries a deep understanding of Taoist meditation, and differs greatly from that of other commentators who tried to explain the Tao Te Ching only philosophically. Written at a time when there were almost no related commentaries, it has long been the most popular. To translate it by following the exact meaning is not an easy task, but Dan G. Reid is well capable of such a task. By reading this commentary, readers can gain additional perspective and understanding of this ancient classic.” - Master Hu Xuezhi, author of Revealing the Tao Te Ching. Master Hu teaches Taoist meditation and philosophy on Wudang Mountain “Lao Tzu's work is so many layered and open to interpretation in many different ways. It is always good to see how the ancients understood it. (Ho Shang Kung is traditionally said to have lived in 160 BCE though he might have lived at a later date). The greatest spiritual teachings have a way of evolving over time as they are understood and used in different times and places. Certainly Lao Tzu's book is a good example of this. Ho Shang Kung's commentary... offers us a unique and powerful way of working with what later came to be known as Nei Dan or Internal Alchemy. In this ancient work we see how the teachings of the Tao Te Ching evolved over time, as they continue to do so even today." - Review by Solala Towler in The Empty The journal of Taoist philosophy and practice, Spring 2016 issue

Genres: Philosophy

306 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2016

Reviews

[C Settles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good translation of Tao Te Ching with Kung Hoshang's commentary in parallel. Kung's commentary is much cited in Taoist discussion forums. As a result, my expectations were high but the work did not live up to them, sad to say.