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A clear translation and helpful explanations illuminate this ancient classic of self-cultivation for a modern audience.
Written more than two thousand years ago, the Laozi, or Daodejing, is a classic of Chinese intellectual history and has been of foundational importance to cultural and religious history throughout East Asia. It is now venerated as a masterpiece of self-cultivation, with a poetic narrative that remains accessible and relevant even today. Paul Fischer's new, annotated translation aims for fidelity to the original text as well as clarity for a modern audience. Fischer's notes and explanations bring out obscure meanings in ancient Chinese wording and rhetoric, elucidate the connections among the eighty-one short chapters, and clarify the coherence of the work as a whole. Carefully considering the various manuscripts that have been archaeologically uncovered in recent decades, as well as the variations among received versions of the Laozi, Fischer's translation discloses the beauty and meaning of the original. This book will benefit students and readers interested in intellectual history as well as those who want to explore what the text has to say about the meaning of life.
Chen Guying’s Laozi includes some of the most significant traditional commentary and influential contemporary scholarship. This book completely changed Laozi studies in China, and its English translation gives scholars a unique inroad to Chinese perspectives on the Laozi.
Chen Guying's Laozi includes some of the most significant traditional commentary and influential contemporary scholarship. This book completely changed Laozi studies in China, and its English translation gives scholars a unique inroad to Chinese perspectives on the Laozi.
The Laozi (Daodejing) and the Zhuangzi have long been familiar to Western readers and have served as basic sources of knowledge about early Chinese Daoism. Modern translations and studies of these works have encouraged a perception of Daoism as a mystical philosophy heavy with political implications that advises kings to become one with the Dao. Breaking with this standard approach, The Pristine Dao argues that the Laozi and the Zhuangzi participated in a much wider tradition of metaphysical discourse that included a larger corpus of early Chinese writings. This book demonstrates that early Daoist discourse possessed a distinct, textually constituted coherence and a religious sensibility that starkly differed from the intellectual background of all other traditions of early China, including Confucianism. The author argues that this discourse is best analyzed through its emergence from the mythological imagination of early China, and that it was unified by a set of notions about the Dao that was shared by all of its participants. The author introduces certain categories from the Western religious and philosophical traditions in order to bring out the distinctive qualities constituting this discourse and to encourage its comparison with other religious and philosophical traditions.
Philip J. Ivanhoe's richly annotated translation of this classic work is accompanied by his engaging interpretation and commentary, a lucid introduction, and a Language Appendix that compares eight classic translations of the opening passage of the work and invites the reader to consider the principles upon which each was rendered.
The enduring wisdom of the Tao Te Ching can become a companion for your own spiritual journey. Reportedly written by a sage named Lao Tzu over 2,500 years ago, the Tao Te Ching is one of the most succinct--and yet among the most profound--spiritual texts ever written. Short enough to read in an afternoon, subtle enough to study for a lifetime, the Tao Te Ching distills into razor-sharp poetry centuries of spiritual inquiry into the Tao--the "Way" of the natural world around us that reveals the ultimate organizing principle of the universe. Derek Lin's insightful commentary, along with his new translation from the original Chinese--a translation that sets a whole new standard for accuracy--will inspire your spiritual journey and enrich your everyday life. It highlights the Tao Te Ching's insights on simplicity, balance, and learning from the paradoxical truths you can see all around you: finding strength through flexibility (because bamboo bends, it is tough to break); achieving goals by transcending obstacles (water simply flows around rocks on its way to the sea); believing that small changes bring powerful results (a sapling, in time, grows into a towering tree). Now you can experience the wisdom and power of Lao Tzu's words even if you have no previous knowledge of the Tao Te Ching. SkyLight Illuminations provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that describes helpful historical background, explains the Tao Te Ching's poetic imagery, and elucidates the ancient Taoist wisdom that will speak to your life today and energize your spiritual quest.
The enduring wisdom of the Tao Te Ching can become a companion for your own spiritual journey. Reportedly written by a sage named Lao Tzu over 2,500 years ago, the Tao Te Ching is one of the most succinct—and yet among the most profound—spiritual texts ever written. Short enough to read in an afternoon, subtle enough to study for a lifetime, the Tao Te Ching distills into razor-sharp poetry centuries of spiritual inquiry into the Tao—the "Way" of the natural world around us that reveals the ultimate organizing principle of the universe. Derek Lin's insightful commentary, along with his new translation from the original Chinese—a translation that sets a whole new standard for accuracy—will inspire your spiritual journey and enrich your everyday life. It highlights the Tao Te Ching’s insights on simplicity, balance, and learning from the paradoxical truths you can see all around you: finding strength through flexibility (because bamboo bends, it is tough to break); achieving goals by transcending obstacles (water simply flows around rocks on its way to the sea); believing that small changes bring powerful results (a sapling, in time, grows into a towering tree). Now you can experience the wisdom and power of Lao Tzu’s words even if you have no previous knowledge of the Tao Te Ching. SkyLight Illuminations provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that describes helpful historical background, explains the Tao Te Ching’s poetic imagery, and elucidates the ancient Taoist wisdom that will speak to your life today and energize your spiritual quest.
NOTE: This is a new annotated version of the author's original translation. Originally authored over 2500 years ago, the Tao Te Ching is even more relevant today than when it was first written. Long considered to be a mystical text, many scholars now consider this classic of ancient China to be a pragmatic guide to understanding human psychology and dealing with the unnatural challenges that come with civilization. Although the Tao Te Ching has been translated countless times already, this unique new version stands out for its clarification of the implicit vagueness and poetic allusions of the original. In interpreting the text from a contemporary perspective, this version helps modern readers more easily make sense of this book's timeless, practical ideas and suggestions, and incorporate them into their own lives. Despite its utilitarian approach, the original beauty and poetry of the original book has not been sacrificed. Hence, this "Tao for Now" seeks to appeal to both the scientific- and spiritual-minded alike. A cordial introduction by the author helps explain his version's approach to the path of Tao, as well as introduce the core Taoist principles espoused in the Tao Te Ching. Additionally, simple and clear essays follow each of the 81 verses, investigating and explaining their meaning and relevance in today's world.
DàoDéJing or Tao Te Ching is a must read for the ethnic Chinese. This millennia-year old ancient scripture is known for its insights, wisdoms, and philosophies of the Chinese civilization. It has a deep-rooted influence over the Chinese people throughout history. But it is a challenging task to read and decipher the cryptic meaning of the text, let alone understand it. With this translation in English, it is hope that it would serve as a useful resource for the English-speaking Chinese worldwide. This translation is also a must read for all others who want to know the psyche of the Chinese people, as well as to feel the pulse of China today in general. The Dào expounded by Laozi is beyond the conventional wisdom and science. In essence, the Dào transcends the ordinary realm. It is simply the true nature of things. It is neither a belief, faith, religion, metaphysics or philosophy. It is just the realization of the enlightened ones throughout the history of mankind. To relate what they knew, they would use their own words, analogies, metaphors, and gestures to illustrate it. For Laozi, he merely called it the Dào. The Dào is everywhere in our day-to-day life, but ordinarily we wouldn’t realize it until we see things as they really are. If a flower is seen as beautiful, then it is no longer the physical flower as it is, but a fanciful flower spiced-up in our mind. In the real world, everything appears only as it is, neither beautiful or ugly, big or small. This is the true nature of things. One cannot know the Dào by the use of the thinking mind. So the Dào cannot be seen from the perspective of belief, philosophy, or science. It can only be known or realized with the mind in complete silence and presence.