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Tao Te Ching: A New English Version…
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Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics) (edition 2006)

by Lao Tzu, Stephen Mitchell (Translator)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
18,415217263 (4.23)1 / 222
"The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or "Book of the Way," is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the "Way": harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who was a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three great religions of ancient China. As one of the world's great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining enlightenment and self-awareness. With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life. This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching's eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Specially commissioned calligraphy for more than two hundred Chinese characters illustrates the book's essential themes"--… (more)
Member:acehrke
Title:Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics)
Authors:Lao Tzu
Other authors:Stephen Mitchell (Translator)
Info:Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2006), Edition: 1st., Paperback, 144 pages
Collections:Your library
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Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

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 Philosophy and Theory: Three Chinese classics18 unread / 18CosmicMiddleChild, March 2023

» See also 222 mentions

English (165)  Spanish (28)  French (8)  Italian (3)  Dutch (2)  German (2)  Portuguese (2)  Danish (1)  Swedish (1)  Portuguese (Brazil) (1)  All languages (213)
Showing 1-5 of 165 (next | show all)
It's hard to give such a legendary and profound work a 'rating' so my rating here is really for this particular translation and publication - and it is very good indeed. The language is generally very clear, if a little unpoetic at times, and the notes and commentary - as well as the introductory essays and appendix - are very useful guides to help understand more of what the text is saying.

If you are interested in the nature of our ongoing experience of living, in the idea or illusion of causality, what it is to know something, or what it means to act wisely or not, then you will want to keep some version of this text close to hand. For me it is a text to return to periodically, to remind me of a way of thinking that is too easily covered over by everyday ways of thinking. ( )
  breathslow | Jan 27, 2024 |
The way that can be reviewed is not the way ( )
  Robertgreaves | Nov 4, 2023 |
Obviously it's kind of ludicrous to "rate" the Tao Te Ching and I have no knowledge to rate Le Guin's translation so it's just a personal feeling about how much the chapters caught my imagination. I do appreciate the recurring themes but it does get quite repetitive with them and there were only a few that were put in a way that really grabbed me. I'm certain it's a me problem, hopefully one day I'll come back to it. ( )
  tombomp | Oct 31, 2023 |
I initially thought the book was just a lot of mumbo-jumbo but I warmed to it as I read on. It can perhaps be boiled down to 'Let Go', which is certainly wise. The translator readily admits to improviising quite a bit but I didn't have an issue with that. ( )
  heggiep | Sep 22, 2023 |
[This rating and review refers to the Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English translation.]
As far as I'm concerned this is the canonical translation of the classic. No forward or introduction, but it does have a cover blurb from Alan Watts. Beautifully printed, with each verse on a separate page with accompanying original text and background illustration. Better still, the translation has the rhythm and cadence of English free verse, and reads easily. This book is considered a world treasure, and this edition is by far my favorite. ( )
  dhaxton | Jul 2, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 165 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (381 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Lao Tzuprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Addiss, StephenTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
English, JaneTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Feng, Gia-FuTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hinton, DavidTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lombardo, StanleyTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ta-Kao, ChuTranslatormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ames, Roger T.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Arponen, AnnikkiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Blakney, R. B.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Blok, J.A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brändli, OdetteTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bynner, WitterTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Chang Chung-yuanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cleare, JohnPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dale, Ralph AlanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Despeux, CatherineAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Duyvendak, J. J. L.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ervast, PekkaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Etiemble, RenéForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hall, David L.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hansen, ChadTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Henricks, Robert G.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jerven, WalterTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Julien, StanislasTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kia-hway, LiouTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Knospe, HansTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Koskikallio, ToivoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lau, D.C.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Le Guin, Ursula K.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Legge, JamesTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
MacHovec, Frank J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mair, Victor H.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mansvelt Beck, B.J.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Miles, Thomas HTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mitchell, StephenTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Needleman, JacobIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nieminen, PerttiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schipper, KristoferTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Seaton, Jerome P.Contributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
TaoLinTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ular, AlexanderTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Watson, BurtonIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wilhelm, RichardTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wing, R. L.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Winston, WillowIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Who can find a good woman?

She is precious beyond all things.

Her husband's heart trusts her completely.

She is his best reward.

PROV. 31:10-11 (Mitchell translation)
"Venture not beyond your doors to know the world..."
Dedication
TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER (Mitchell translation)
For A. L. K. and J. P. S.
To Vicks. Who can find a good woman? / She is precious beyond all things. / Her husband's heart trusts her completely. / She is his best reward. Proverbs 31:10-11
TO VICKI (Mitchell translation)
First words
The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. (Mitchell translation)
The way you can go
isn't the real way.
No one actually knows where the Tao Te Ching came from, but this slim book of about five thousand words forms the foundation of classical Chinese philosophy.
I. OPTIMIZING EXPERIENCE:  THIS FOCUS AND ITS FIELD - We will argue that the defining purpose of the Daodejing is bringing into focus and sustaining a productive disposition that allows for the fullest appreciation of those specific things and events that constitute one's field of experience.
The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
Quotations
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Disambiguation notice
Laozi Tao Te Ching on The Art of Harmony: The New Illustrated Edition of the Chinese Philosophical Masterpiece translated by Chad Hansen is set apart from other translations of the Tao by it's extensive color plates on 50%+ of the pages and then an addition 100 pages of introduction and commentary. Please don't combine with other translations. "Tao The Ching de kunst van harmonie" is a Dutch translation.
Publisher's editors
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Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC
"The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or "Book of the Way," is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the "Way": harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher who was a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three great religions of ancient China. As one of the world's great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining enlightenment and self-awareness. With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life. This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching's eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Specially commissioned calligraphy for more than two hundred Chinese characters illustrates the book's essential themes"--

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Book description
A cycle of short poems, this is a work of world literature and has the significance of the Bible for more than a quarter of humanity. Written in two halves, the "Tao" ("way") and the "Te" ("virtue"), it is treasured for its poetic statements about life's most profound and elusive truths.
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Penguin Australia

3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 014044131X, 0451530403, 0141043687

Frances Lincoln Publishers

2 editions of this book were published by Frances Lincoln Publishers.

Editions: 0711229643, 0711214379

Columbia University Press

2 editions of this book were published by Columbia University Press.

Editions: 9622014674, 0231118163

 

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