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31 sie 2020 · The Tao Te Ching is the fundamental book for the philosophy of Taoism, attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, who was said to be a contemporary of Confucius during the 5th or 6th century BC. All his life, Lao Tzu taught that “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao” , which is in fact the first paragraph of the Tao Te Ching.
Tao Te Ching is an ancient book, the language it use are archaic, and it does not contain punctuation mark. That confuses people. The version we commonly use now is written by Wang Bi (王弼), although it is considered acceptable to most people, some reject it by stating it is misleading.
Found a Tao Te Ching with 7-8 translations. Each chapter is repeated for each translation. I remember I had a favorite but if I did not understand a chapter from one translation, I would understand from the rest.
This subreddit is for anyone interested in reading and discussing the Tao Te Ching/Dao De Jing, chapter by chapter. New chapters will be posted for discussion twice a week. Once the discussion is open, everyone can add their thoughts and questions to the thread at their own pace.
So it may seem strange that I’m reviewing the Tao Te Ching, the widely known and influential Taoist text, written by Lao-Tzu and poetically translated in this edition by Stephen Mitchell. For me, the Tao Te Ching is more folk wisdom than religious treatise and is more useful than a million sermons.
The TAO TE CHING by Lao-tzu is a classic work of Chinese philosophy that talks about the art of living, embracing an inscrutable, eternal Way (Tao). Stephen Mitchell presents it in a free translation, with endnotes that offer literal translations in some cases, short commentaries, and examples.
Stephen Mitchell is a prolific author, and we have reviewed many of his books. His translation and commentary on the Tao Te Ching is one of great clarity and lucidity. He brings to this classic of Taoism a spiritual sensibility and a fondness for the many mysteries of life.
