Tao Te Ching

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She finds deep in her own experience the central truths of the art of living, which are paradoxical only on the surface: that the more truly solitary we are, the more compassionate we can be; the more we let go of what we love, the more present our love becomes; the clearer our insight into what is beyond good and evil, the more we can embody the good.

The Second Book of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell | Goodreads The Second Book of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell | Goodreads

Mitchell's response is: "Yes, it's a different kind of venture, but not so different as you might think. We also meet philosophers and fools: Lieh-tzu, who has an intimate chat with a skull; Hui-tzu, the epitome of logic and propriety, Chuang-tzu’s friend and rival, straight man and foil; the ludicrous Marquis of Lu, who shows that the Golden Rule can be mere projected egotism; and Master Yu, who, even when afflicted with a grotesque deformity, never loses his cheerfulness and sense of gratitude. Mitchell's translations and adaptions include the Tao Te Ching, [4] which has sold over a million copies, Gilgamesh, [5] The Iliad, [1] [6] [7] [8] The Odyssey, [9] The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, [10] The Book of Job, [11] The Second Book of the Tao, and The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke.If you get small enough, you see that the world isn’t solid and that uncertainty is the only thing that’s certain, perhaps. 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. His many books include The Gospel According to Jesus, The Second Book of the Tao, two books of fiction, and a book of poetry. Unencumbered by any concept of sin, the Master doesn’t see evil as a force to resist, but simply as an opaqueness, a state of self-absorption which is in disharmony with the universal process, so that, as with a dirty window, the light can’t shine through.

Stephen Mitchell (translator) - Wikipedia

I found the three jewels of Taoism appealing: Compassion, frugality (also translated as restraint and moderation), and humility (or not seeking to be first). The CD introduction is also good in that it gives a background to the Tao and the speaker is a Zen Buddhist too. We meet him in a few delectable stories and dialogues, as he wakes up (maybe) from the dream of a butterfly, refuses the post of prime minister, celebrates the death of his beloved wife, or discusses the usefulness of the useless and the happiness of fish. while I like the spare sensitivity of the language in this version, what makes this version extra special are the added bonuses: an engagingly detailed introduction exploring the life of Lao Tzu, what amounts to an original thesis on the very meaning of “tao”, and commentaries (on specific lines, even specific words) appended to each of the 81 entries that have been culled from centuries upon centuries of critical commentary, by scholars and eccentric mystics alike. Beautiful and accessible; the English, as 'fluid as melting ice,' is a joy to read throughout' The New Republic.He also discusses what is known about the history of the text and the period in which it was, traditionally, thought to have been compiled in and addresses inconsistencies in the text, giving convincing arguments for the case that the book was likely not written by one wise old sage named Lao Tzu at all, but in fact was a compilation of many different Taoist thinkers, their disciples and, later, various commentators. Oddly enough, the author's commentary may have been even better as he digs in and takes the ancient wisdom and paints in a language for the modern era. This is a very good translation; the language is 'colourful' and poetic reminiscent of the Victorian English of Charles Dickens. This is the first of Mitchell's books since his interpretation of Tao Te Ching A New English Version (1988) that I've enjoyed as much. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu | Goodreads Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu | Goodreads

Instead of being caught up in princely pursuits like governing, hunting, or dallying with his concubines, there he was in the kitchen, taking exquisite notice of the lowly, which turned out to contain the supreme. It's not overly flowery or ornate, it gives you the basics of what you need to understand the various entries and assist in understanding what Tao is (i. The result is occasionally a bit helter-skelter, but mostly hits the mark -- at least, as far as I can tell, not being enlightened myself. c. 286 BCE), and the Chung Yung (“The Central Harmony”), which was ascribed to Confucius’ grandson, Tzu-ssu (c. The original Wang Bi character in question is 爭, or zhēng, which means "dispute," "strive," "contend," "fight," etc.When the gods created mankind, they also created death, and they held back eternal life for themselves alone. This book compiles books that were written in the first centuries after the Tao Te Ching, and is one of the most insightful and hilarious sacred texts I’ve ever read.