Tao Te Ching | Free Book
The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Tao,” 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 thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three major 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 greater 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.
In The Press
“A lucid translation [by] one of the most famous translators of
Chinese into English.” —The New York Review of Books
“Ancient wisdom for those facing twenty-first-century
perplexities . . . Minford writes for ordinary people seeking guidance
in everyday life. . . . In simple but resonantly phrased language,
[he] somehow does unfold [the Tao’s] message.” —Booklist, starred review
“A wonderful translation—clear and deep.” —Vikram Seth
“My first reaction as a Sinologist to a new translation of the
Tao Te Ching is always: ‘Another one?! Whatever for?’ But then
I began to read John Minford’s translation, and it immediately seduced
me. . . . It has the mark of the craftsman: Its choice of words is not
just judicious but also poetic, refreshing the at once limpid and
ambiguous original and making it new. . . . The result is a
metaphysical feast for those willing to slow down and read this text
as it was meant to be read: meditatively.” —John Lagerwey, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
“A wonder and a delight. The simplicity and purity of this
translation resonate directly with the original. It conveys the
innermost essence of Chinese culture, drawing the reader deep into its
enchantment and wisdom. Every word is charged with effortless energy—a
radiant union of form and spirit.” —Tang Yuen-ha, Chinese opera artist
“Meditative reading, known as lectio divina, is a
Benedictine tradition going back a millennium and a half. John
Minford, using the term lectio Sinica, has creatively suggested
such an approach as an essential way to read the Tao Te Ching.”
—Nicholas Koss, Order of Saint Benedict
“Elegant and
poetic, John Minford’s translation of the Tao Te Ching probably
comes the closest of any to the essence of the mystical, ineffable
Taoist classic. Minford wisely avoids providing one authoritative
voice, instead introducing a rich tapestry of historical resonances
that induce a meditative experience, as if harmonizing with an
ensemble singing an ancient song.” —Yue Zhuang, University of Exeter
- Title: Tao Te Ching | Free Book
- Author: Steven
- Created at : 2024-10-23 20:35:53
- Updated at : 2024-10-26 16:09:08
- Link: https://novels-ebooks.techidaily.com/95955630-9780525560319-tao-te-ching/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.