Hello sweethearts. I hope you are okay. I recently read the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu and traslated by James Legge, and I wanted to tell you about it. I already read other translations of the Tao Te Ching, and boy I love all of its messages! Thanks to Ixia Press for sending me a copy!
I'm a total fan of the Tao. It is a book you never get tired of reading and discovering. Every translation offers something new, a different point of view in its teachings. This was no exception. Although challenging, I liked reading the verses translated by James Legge and how enlightening they are about taking it easy, how inaction is valid and correct now and then, and how to relax in the crazy tides of modern world. I don't care if Lao Tzu was real or not, but this work endures no matter what, and I strongly feel Legge knew got to understad a big deal of it.
However, I had a major problem with this edition: portions of text in different languages. We have Latin and German with no English explanation. It adds nothing to the text, to be honest, and it was bothersome to even find the Chinese characters in the middle of the annotations, while there was Chinese text anywhere in the book. I guess it was aimed for readers familiar with the language, but I would have made sense to have the original writing, say, at the end of the book. It was confusing, to say the least.
If you read only the verses and the first paragraph of the annotations you will really enjoy this book. Maybe the second as well. The experience was bittersweet, but don't let that stop you from enjoying a great translation of the Tao Te Ching. It definitely was the mental exercise my neurons needed during quarantine.
About Lao Tzu:
The founder of philosophical Taoism, Lao Tzu is a central figure in Chinese culture. He is traditionally acknowledged as the author of the Tao Te Ching, although the attribution — like much of Tzu's biography — is a matter of scholarly debate. According to legend, he was the longtime keeper of the imperial archives. Saddened by his contemporaries' reluctance to pursue virtue, Lao Tzu left the court. As he was crossing the Tibetan border, a guard asked him to write down his teachings, resulting in the enduring lessons of the Tao Te Ching.
Have you read this book? Would you recommend it or not? Let me know in the comments! Kinky regards, K!
- Print Length: 112 pages
- Publisher: Ixia Press (May 13, 2020)
- Publication Date: May 13, 2020
- ISBN-10: 0486841901
- ISBN-13: 978-0486841908
The pursuit of power, happiness, and life's meaning is as old as history itself, as the Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way and Its Virtue) attests. Dating from two and a half millennia ago, this timeless text consists of 81 brief chapters that form one of the world's most profound and influential spiritual traditions. The Tao played a significant role in the development of Buddhist thought, and this classic of meditative insight continues to inform modern readers with its emphasis on mindfulness. Centered on the principle of wu wei, or naturalness and simplicity, its teachings outline an attitude of spontaneity and noninterference that fosters individuality and self-awareness. This high-quality gift edition of the authoritative James Legge translation is an enduring companion on the mystical path to spiritual freedom.
I'm a total fan of the Tao. It is a book you never get tired of reading and discovering. Every translation offers something new, a different point of view in its teachings. This was no exception. Although challenging, I liked reading the verses translated by James Legge and how enlightening they are about taking it easy, how inaction is valid and correct now and then, and how to relax in the crazy tides of modern world. I don't care if Lao Tzu was real or not, but this work endures no matter what, and I strongly feel Legge knew got to understad a big deal of it.
However, I had a major problem with this edition: portions of text in different languages. We have Latin and German with no English explanation. It adds nothing to the text, to be honest, and it was bothersome to even find the Chinese characters in the middle of the annotations, while there was Chinese text anywhere in the book. I guess it was aimed for readers familiar with the language, but I would have made sense to have the original writing, say, at the end of the book. It was confusing, to say the least.
If you read only the verses and the first paragraph of the annotations you will really enjoy this book. Maybe the second as well. The experience was bittersweet, but don't let that stop you from enjoying a great translation of the Tao Te Ching. It definitely was the mental exercise my neurons needed during quarantine.
About Lao Tzu:
The founder of philosophical Taoism, Lao Tzu is a central figure in Chinese culture. He is traditionally acknowledged as the author of the Tao Te Ching, although the attribution — like much of Tzu's biography — is a matter of scholarly debate. According to legend, he was the longtime keeper of the imperial archives. Saddened by his contemporaries' reluctance to pursue virtue, Lao Tzu left the court. As he was crossing the Tibetan border, a guard asked him to write down his teachings, resulting in the enduring lessons of the Tao Te Ching.
Have you read this book? Would you recommend it or not? Let me know in the comments! Kinky regards, K!
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