Tao Te Ching

By Lao Tzu

This book contains English translation of the original classic Chinese text 'Tao Te Ching' forming foundation for both philosophical and religious Taoism. The roots of Taoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE. Early Taoism drew its cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang Naturalists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Interactive Media
• Release date: Aug 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787247642

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu is the reputed founder of Taoism, but there is little evidence that he actually existed. He is said to have been a contemporary of Confucius and to have served as curator of the dynastic archives until retiring to the mythical K’un-lun mountains.

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Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

English Language Edition

LONDON

ISBN: 9781787247642

Copyright © 2018 The Big Nest

All Rights Reserved.

Contents

PART I

PART II

PART I

1

The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.

(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all things.

Always without desire we must be found,

If its deep mystery we would sound;

But if desire always within us be,

Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.

Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.

2

All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.

So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.

All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement).

The work is done, but how no one can see;

‘Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

3

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.

Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.

He constantly (tries to) keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them from presuming to act (on it). When there is this abstinence from action,

Reviews for Tao Te Ching

[davmandy-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the book description: Drawing on meticulous study of multiple sources, this fresh but authoritative reading of Lao Tsu's timeless classic combines the poetry of the Tao Te Ching with a wealth of additional material: an introduction to the enigmatic Lao Tsu and his times; a discussion of the many challenges facing the translator; 81 illustrative Chinese characters/phrases, selected to highlight key themes in each chapter; separate commentary and inspirational quotes, as well as room for you to record your own impressions, section by section.

[bricker-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those quick to read, but long to digest books. It was interesting and will take more than one reading to feel more comfortable with.

[datrappert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As D.C. Lau points out in his highly readable introduction to this Penguin Classics edition, it is highly unlikely that Lao Tzu was an acutal person, despite stories of Confucius once going to see him. Instead, the contents of the Tao Te Ching seem to be a distillation and compilation of early Daoist thought. Like the Analects of Confucius, there are passages that are corrupted and whose meaning is either unfathomable or in dispute. There are also certain ideas that are repeated in nearly identical phrases in different parts of this very short work. Compared to the Analects of Confucius, this is a shorter, easier read, but like that work, I’m sure it benefits from reading in multiple translations and from reading more about it—not just of it. Since the Teaching Company doesn’t have a course on this book as they do for the Analects, I’ll just have to rely more on my own first impressions. Daoist philosophy (or Taoist, if you want to use the old spelling—but Daoist is how you pronounce it) is intriguing because it seems to rely on not taking action rather than on actually doing anything. It is full of things such as, “He who speaks doesn’t know.” And “He who knows doesn’t speak.” You’ll be nodding your head at things like that, comparing them to your own life experience. Putting such ideas into practice, however, seems problematic. No wonder some famous Daoists were monks. I’m not sure how following the precepts in this book would work in most people’s lives, unlike, for example, applying a few Buddhist tenets. I’m sure they wouldn’t fly at my house when it’s time to wash the dishes. But I’m trivializing things here. Just trying to wrap your mind around these concepts and spending a while contemplating them is beneficial. We do, for instance, act far more often than we should. How many times can we think of when not doing something would have served us better? But we just felt compelled to act, since that seems to be part of our human nature. Not to mention being easier to explain to your friends if your act goes wrong. I’m still trivializing, I guess. I highly recommend reading this well-done translation and its commentary. There are, for instance, a lot of ebooks available that give you an old translation of this work—which may be a fine translation for all I know—but without some context, you will lose much of the pleasure of reading. People who write books with titles that include “before you die” in them should immediately die themselves before they can write more such books. But if you’re an intelligent person, and if you have a little time to spare and an interest in philosophy, give this a try and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

[brightman-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good visuals for contemplation

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 I was totally surprised to find out that this is actually a political treatise but less surprised to learn that quiescence is strength.

[kristymk18-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"People certainly have been confused for a long time."The introduction and endnotes went a long way helping me read this. I can see why it takes a lifetime to decipher this.

[andersonden · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this more than 10 years ago for a comparative religion class and keep coming back to it. I can't really comment on the translation since I don't know Chinese but certainly in this form it contains many pithy truths.

[gbsallery · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not a patch on Machiavelli, yet written from the same point of view: as advice for a would-be leader. The Tao Te Ching speaks from a point of view which I find very hostile, that of providing wisdom for an aspiring leader of a hegemonistic and ambiguous state. The advice includes tips on keeping your peasants stupid and happy, and much mystical mumbo-jumbo which doesn't stand up to ten seconds' solid thinking. Mysteriously popular.

[phrontist_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not grandiose enough to review the content, but this is the most readable translation I've come across, and print quality is great.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Tao Te Ching or Daodejing is a classic Chinese text that traditionally is said to go back to the 6th Century BCE, and written by Lao Tzu, a figure whose historicity is in dispute. According to the Wikipedia, texts of it have been excavated that go back to the 4th Century BCE. Some introductions to editions claim Lao Tzu was a teacher of Confucius, but other authorities I've checked think Taoism was a reaction to Confucianism, and that the text dates later than Confucius, to the time of the "five warring states." If you have a fat book on your hands, it must be filled with commentary, notes or illustrations, because the entire work is extremely short, consisting of 81 brief verses. In the edition I own translated by D.C. Lau, the Introduction is half as long than the text. This is the entirely of Chapter 6, in the Derek Lin translation, which can be found online: The valley spirit, undying Is called the Mystic Female The gate of the Mystic Female Is called the root of Heaven and Earth It flows continuously, barely perceptible Utilize it; it is never exhaustedAs that demonstrates, the meaning isn't always clear, at least to this Westerner, even if you have some familiarity with Taoism from other sources. There's a lot of paradox, opposites juxtaposed, and as the introduction to my owned edition states, the text is often "succinct to the point of obscurity." And as a philosophy, well, these aren't connected arguments. They're more the collected wisdom sayings of a common philosophical movement and not meant to be breezed through cover to cover. Yet even from my first read I found this enjoyable to read, and filled with pithy little words of wisdom: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." (Chapter 64) And especially on a repeat read I can see why some in the libertarian movement embrace it. Note Chapter 57 (Derek Lin) Govern a country with upright integrity Deploy the military with surprise tactics Take the world with non-interference How do I know this is so? With the following: When there are many restrictions in the world The people become more impoverished When people have many sharp weapons The country becomes more chaotic When people have many clever tricks More strange things occur The more laws are posted The more robbers and thieves there are Therefore the sage says: I take unattached action, and the people transform themselves I prefer quiet, and the people right themselves I do not interfere, and the people enrich themselves I have no desires, and the people simplify themselvesThis is reflected in several other verses and I've seen this described as the "Wu=Wei" principle, which has influenced both libertarians such as Murray Rothbard and the Cato Institute's David Boaz and Left-anarchists such as Ursula LeGuin, who wrote a translation I recently saw in the neighborhood bookstore. There's a whole shelf full of different translations of this book, a marker of the worldwide and deep historical influence of the book--which has links to both Confucianism and Buddhism--that makes this worth reading and trying to understand. I'd compare different translations to find one that's congenial, since different translators render very different readings. Wayist Org and TaoTeChingMe.com have pages online comparing various translations.

[pansociety · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The basic text of Taoism, filled with wisdom of the awareness of the Universe of the ancient Chinese.

[adeptmagic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

beautiful writing for anyone, not just those interested in oriental philosophy

[benuathanasia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It didn't really explain WHAT Tao is. Maybe it was just my translation, but when the whole explanation of Tao is that ~those who know about don't talk about it, and those that talk about it, don't know about it~ isn't particularly helpful.

[jolyon_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Still the best, overall. Have had this for 30 years and it never palls.

[silvernfire · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review of Tao Te Ching: Annotated and Explained: I thought that this translation was quite readable, and I appreciated the facing-page commentary. I understand that the translator wanted to point out what distinguishes his translation from all the rest, but sometimes this came across as sniping at other translators. Still, this wouldn't be a bad first Tao Te Ching to read.

[co_coyote · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the classics. This translation by Jane English is one of my favorites. Plus, the pictures are wonderful. Great memories of winter camping are conjured up, for some reason.

[pattern0chaser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Daoist classic of oriental wisdom. Not easy to appreciate without help....

[bkinetic_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Laozi's set of 81 brief chapters sets forth the philosophy of Taoism. The author cautions the reader that words alone cannot faithfully describe his subject, the Tao or the way of the universe, which in our time has led some to dismiss this perspective due to its ambiguity. Enigmas and apparent contradictions appear frequently, which compelled me to pause to contemplate what Laozi was trying to convey. The necessity of pausing and reflecting makes reading this material fulfilling, especially when I felt I moved closer to understanding.I found the three jewels of Taoism appealing: Compassion, frugality (also translated as restraint and moderation), and humility (or not seeking to be first). Laozi is also persuasive in advocating selective gradual change rather than confrontation.This book is not for the been-there-done-that crowd, who see the ideal life as a experience of episodes of serial consumption. Instead the truths here are intended to be revealed though a combination of experience and contemplation. Some have wisely recommended memorizing some of the chapters, allowing the enigmas and puzzles to remain with us and perhaps to be solved later on with the help of experiential and contextual diversity. The edition I read was translated by Thomas H. Miles and his students. It served my purpose well, though at times I would have appreciated some additional commentary to supplement the helpful existing guidance. Miles' translation also has some useful introductory material in which key terms are defined, insofar as that is possible within Taoism. I intend to read other translations to get a better idea of the range of interpretations.

[martyr13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The tao te ching is pound for pound the greatest spiritual work ever written. 81 short pages written thousands of years ago still pack a serious punch, and are scarily relevant. This translation is not my favorite, so I rated it 4 stars instead of 5.

[abruser_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not an "easy" read but very insightful. "Tao Te Ching" is a collection of a poems that are centered around Taoist philosophy.

[michael5rimmer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read the Tao Te Ching many times and still come away uncertain as to its meaning, but each time I get little glimmers that I didn't see before. It's probably because I'm trying to understand it that I don't.

[jinuu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I own and have read many translations of the Tao Te Ching, but this one is by far my favorite. Written in plain, common sense English, it renders the difficult philosophy accessible and easier to understand.

[michael.bradham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Guidance I needed.

[kawgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You will not find a better, more accessible translation of the Tao te Ching than this one. Mitchell's translation is a must read.

[jimocracy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Some things were true and I didn't need an ancient master saying them for me to know that. Other things were not true but were couched in psuedo-wisdom and illogical platitudes. Some things were useful and reaffirmed what I know at my core and other things were purely fanciful. It is fascinating that the author starts he book with the notion that the true Dao cannot be described and then continues to try to describe it.

It was interesting when the author wrote that if his logic doesn't make sense, the reader doesn't understand the Dao (even if they are very intelligent). That's a nice built-in defense mechanism. If you criticize the content, you just don't understand it.

[lucasdwi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overall Ames and Hall translate the Dao well and provide some useful commentary. I skipped most of the commentary because it was a bit simple and didn't always provide insightful information. However, as a beginning translation, Ames and Hall provide an easy to read and well written introductory text on the Eastern philosophy of the Dao.

[ghtc0kc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not being a translator, and not being fluent in Chinese, I have no idea whether this translation is more or less accurate than any other. But having read numerous translations of this work over the years, I can say that it is by far the most readable and enjoyable translations of the dao that I have encountered. The full impact of the poetry comes out. And what I believe would properly be the simplicity of thought inherent in Tao te Ching is also communicated. Especially in poetry, the 'best' translations are not the ones that are most accurate on a word-for-word, phrase-by-phrase measurement. They are the ones that seems to best communicate the heart and soul of what the author is saying. Particularly if you have read other translations and found them less than satisfying, this one will be well worth your time.John H

[jvioland_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The basic text of Taoism that was very influential in subsequent ancient Chinese philosophical and religious beliefs. Worth reading for a very different perspective on existence.

[wildbill_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written by Laozi shortly before the Analects of Confucius this classic Chinese text has been more frequently translated than any book except the Bible. It is one of the foundations of East Asian thought that is still read today. The Tao Te Ching provides a combination of spirituality, common sense advice and a little nonsense to remind us that we live in world that cannot be known. Much of the text is open to a wide variety of interpretations. The beginning is a famous quote that provides a good example:The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.The name that can be named is not the eternal name.There is an important thought conveyed in those two lines that loses its' meaning if you try to reduce it to an objective fact.On the other hand the following lines are simple good advice about how to live your life.In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.In speech, be true.In ruling, be just.In business, be competent.In action, watch the timing.One of the author's favorite devices is the use of contradictions to express an idea.When the Tao is present in the universe,The horses haul manure.When the Tao is absent from the universe,War horses are bred outside the city.The Tao Te Ching is eighty-one verses and each time I read it I discover something new. For me that is the hallmark of a truly great book. The edition I have is filled with full page pictures and has the original Chinese on the opposite page from the translation.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Profound writing, and I love this edition for including the chinese characters and beautiful photography.Ch. 20 is my favorite:"Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles.Is there a difference between yes and no?Is there a difference between good and evil?Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!Other people are contented, enjoying the sacrificial feast of the ox.In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace,But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am.Like a newborn babe before it learns to smile,I am alone, without a place to go.Others have more than they need, but I alone have nothing.I am a fool. Oh, yes! I am confused.Other men are clear and bright,But I alone am dim and weak.Other men are sharp and clever,But I alone am dull and stupid.Oh, I drift like the waves of the sea,Without direction, like the restless wind.Everyone else is busy,But I alone am aimless and depressed.I am different.I am nourished by the great mother."