Tao Te Ching

Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living and one of the wonders of the world. In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching llods at the basic predicatment of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit. This book is about wisdom in action. It teaches how wo work for the good with the efforless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao (the basic principle of the universe) and applies equally to good government and sexual love, to childrearing, business, and ecology.

The Tao Te Ching is the most widely traslated book in world literature, after the Bible. Yet the gemlike lucidity of the original has eluded most previous translations, and they have obscured some of its central ideas. Now the Tao Te ching has been rendered into English by the eminent scholar and traslator Stephen Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell's Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a modern Zen classic, and his translations of Rilke and of the Book of Job have already been called definitive for our time.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Timeless, 2008-11-24
This book is a timeless guide for life. It is an important work that has helped to improve everyday living for countless individuals. Quite simply, it's a must read for anyone with an open mind and a willingness to improve their outlook on life and reduce stress.


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

BEWARE OF CLUELESS REVIEWERS!, 2008-09-01
The naysaying reviewers did not bother to read this book through. Nowhere does it claim to be a literal translation, and following the lessons are the author's notes, explaining exactly what he did or didn't add, and why, as well as references to what was replaced from the original -- much of which is as wonderful as the lessons themselves. There is so much beauty and depth in this "new version" that this reviewer can see no reason for the downright fury it seems to provoke in these other readers. Perhaps they should keep reading the Tao -- ANY version.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Best Translation Ever., 2008-08-28
So for those that are unaware, The Tao Te Ching is one of the simplest and easiest religious/philosophical writings to read through and this translation by Stephen Mitchell is probably going down as the penultimate version of the book.

The Tao consists of formulaic scriptures, to know is to accept not knowing, there is no love with out hate, and the like. It talks about balance within yourself and balance with nature to find happiness. Many of the metaphors are simple, but greatly resonate with almost anyone.

Most translations try to make this book more poetic and flourish the lines with pretty little metaphors. That is all fine and good, but what Stephen Mitchell did here was strip all of that poetic crap away and find the root in each word. Find what the writer, which is attributed to Lao Tzu, was attempting to say in it's purest form. By doing this, Stephen also found the real poetry, the real beauty in the simplicity. This was not the first Tao I have read, but by far is my favorite and I can hardly stand reading other versions now.

This is a book that is good for people who study philosophies and religions, but also for the lay man, even someone that is not looking for a religion or a new way of thinking, just as a beautifully written piece.

If you are tired of dogmatic writings, tired of being forced with guilt, and just want something that makes sense to most, even while debating interpretations, this is the version of the Tao to go with.

Worth every penny.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Tao Te Ching, 2008-07-20
If you buy this book and accept the knowlege bestowed upon you, it will transform you life forever.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Warhead?, 2008-07-16
The word warhead appears in this text. When I read it, I became suspicious of the entire book and the reading became unpleasant as a result. After reading reviews, my worst fear was affirmed: this is not the Tao Te Ching. This is more of a paraphrase of various translation with the author's own language thrown in.

I know that the Tao cannot be conveyed through words. It is better to say that the Tao Te Ching describes around it, like hands attempting to contain a ball, concealing it so that it cannot be seen while hinting at its shape and size. The ball is there, but the hands conceal it. Lift the hands and the ball shall be seen! It is not there, but it is. This book is like a pair of hands, but they are dirty. They have been sneezed in. It is impolite to offer one's hand to shake when it has been sneezed in!

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