Synopses & Reviews
Renowned translator William Scott Wilson offers a fresh version of the Tao Te Ching that will resonate with the modern reader. While most translators have relied on the new text of 200 B.C., Wilson went back another 300 years to work from the original characters used during Lao Tzu's lifetime. By referring to these earlier characters, Wilson is able to offer a text that is more authentic in language and nuance, yet preserves all the beauty and poetry of the work.
This elegant hardcover edition also features two insightful essays by Wilson, Zen and Taoism and Zen and the Martial Arts, that link the spiritual aspects of the Tao to the practice of Zen and to the martial arts of both Japan and China.
With its 81 memorable passages, the Tao Te Ching is one of humanity's touchstones. As Wilson notes, We read this book because it takes us away from the busy world of business and politics, and provides an entry to a Way. But we also read it for the rhythm and beauty of its phrasing and vocabulary, which often give us an astonishing satisfaction. And this is perhaps the secret of why the book has consistently been on people's bookshelves and bed-stands for nearly twenty-five centuries.
Synopsis
For the true bibliophile and design-savvy book lover, here is the next set of Penguin's celebrated Great Ideas series by some of history's most innovative thinkers. Acclaimed for their striking and elegant package, each volume features a unique type-driven design that highlights the bookmaker's art. Offering great literature and great design at great prices, this series is ideal for readers who want to explore and savor the Great Ideas that have shaped our world. Synopsis
Written during the golden age of Chinese philosophy, and composed partly in prose and partly in verse, the "Tao Te Ching" is surely the most terse and economical of the world's great religious texts. Now it's available in the Penguin Great Ideas series.
Synopsis
The essential, classic text of Taoism.
These 81 poems comprise an Eastern classic, the mystical and moral teachings of which have profoundly influenced the sacred scriptures of many religions.
Synopsis
Tao Té Ching is ancient Chinas great contribution to the literature of philosophy, religion, and mysticism.
Tao Té Ching contains the time-honored teachings of Taoism and brings a message of living simply, finding contentment with a minimum of comfort, and prizing culture above all else.
This is the lauded translation of the eighty-one poems constituting an Eastern classic, the mystical and moral teachings of which have profoundly influenced the sacred scriptures of many religionsand the lives and happiness of countless men and women through the centuries.
Translated and with an Introduction by R. B. Blakney
and an Afterword by Richard John Lynn
About the Author
The way of life defined in the Tao Te Ching was developed by ancient sages who lived in China some two thousand years ago.
Lao Tzu, known as the Old One, was one such sage who practiced "the way," although there were almost certainly other religious thinkers who contributed further ideas and wisdom to it.
R. B. Blakney, past president of Olivet College, former missionary and teacher in China, and author of many volumes on Eastern religions, made this splendid translation of a great gem of Chinese religion and provided an illuminating interpretative commentary.
Richard John Lynn is Professor Emeritus of Chinese Thought and Literature, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Toronto, Canada. His books include Chinese Literature: A Draft Bibliography in Western European Languages, Guide to Chinese Poetry and Drama, and The Classic of Changes: A New Translation of the I Ching as Interpreted by Wang Bi. He is the editor of James J. Y. Lius LanguageParadoxPoetics: A Chinese Perspective.