Tao Te Ching â€� Reader Q&A

Questions About Tao Te Ching

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Answered Questions (5)

There are so many version of this book! Which one should I read first? https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=+Tao+Te+Jing++Lao+Tsu&search=Find+book

John An online search will pull up a pdf with 8 translations, the Bureau of Public Secrets archive links to many, and there is an Hungarian site (in Englisâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðAn online search will pull up a pdf with 8 translations, the Bureau of Public Secrets archive links to many, and there is an Hungarian site (in English too) which has data on nearly a hundred. So far I found Ursula Le Guin's anarcho-eco-feminist "creative interpretation" congenial, if free. Jonathan Star achieves a balance of the literary and scholarly; his "definitive ed." has transliterations of each ideogram with multiple meanings so you can "assemble your own'! Gia-Fu Feng + Jane English convey the TTC in a popular version many like; I found as have others Stephen Mitchell's influenced by his Zen bent. Like ULG, SM as with many "translators" does not know classical (or modern) Chinese; they both worked from Paul Carus' 1898 transliteration. Red Pine's and David Hinton's renderings show a blend of scholarship and accessibility from two who truly know Chinese. Finally, the classical Chinese is different than the modern version, which makes me wonder if one needs to be a native speaker of modern Chinese to claim translation credibility, as some born-bilingual interpreters insist. P.S. Thomas Merton adapted Chuang Tzu's tales, unfortunately not the TTC. (less)

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I'm familiar with Stephen Mitchell's translation and with Ursula Le Guin's. Seems clear from both translations that there is a significant difference... How does this translation compare? Curious about it if anyone has any input. Thanks!

Larry Campbell I experienced the same frustration with "which translation". As a result, I have just released a book "The Parallel Tao Te Ching: A Comparison of Englâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðI experienced the same frustration with "which translation". As a result, I have just released a book "The Parallel Tao Te Ching: A Comparison of English Translations". I am NOT a "Taoist Scholar", but this is an anthology-type book, using 11 total translations. Each verse has 3 side/side translations from those 11, with some further comments and info. If you're interested, visit my website: larryncampbell.com, or e-mail me at larrycampbell@aftermathenterprises for further questions and ongoing discounts. (less)

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What does it mean - true words seem paradoxical?

Gary Jaron DildoBaggins is correct. Paradox is a form of conceptual illusion, similar to the optical illusions. The contradiction is only on the surface. The twoâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðDildoBaggins is correct. Paradox is a form of conceptual illusion, similar to the optical illusions. The contradiction is only on the surface. The two, Yin and Yang, are contextually present at the same time, but manifest in the different contexts. Lao Tzu, like Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher born in 544 b.c. was quoted by Plato as saying â€œNo man ever steps in the same river twice." That to Aristotle seemed a paradox and a violation of his rules of logic. It wasn't. The statement, like all seeming paradoxes, are riddles waiting for you to see the shift in context that reveals the correct answer. Heraclitus was using the word 'river' in two contexts, a geographic location and the name for a dynamic flowing system of water that is traveling from source to mouth.(less)

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Why do we write Tao with a T in English but pronounce it like a D?

Gary Jaron Tao is the from the older system Wadeâ€“Giles system, sometimes abbreviated Wade, it is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a â€¦m´Ç°ù±ðTao is the from the older system Wadeâ€“Giles system, sometimes abbreviated Wade, it is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's Chineseâ€“English Dictionary of 1892.

Wadeâ€“Giles was the system of transcription in the English-speaking world for most of the 20th century. Wade-Giles is based on Beijing dialect, whereas Nanking dialect-based romanization systems were in common use until the late 19th century. Both were used in postal romanizations (romanized place-names standardized for postal uses).

Dao is from the new Mainland China (PRC) Pinyin system. The pinyin system was developed in the 1950s by many linguists, including Zhou Youguang, based on earlier forms of romanizations of Chinese. It was published by the Chinese government in 1958 and revised several times. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted pinyin as an international standard in 1982, and was followed by the United Nations in 1986.(less)

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Eastern philosophy is about the way of life. Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism as it is popularly called, is a way of life and encompasses religion, Science and the ways of life. I see Tao as similar to Bhramam or Supreme Bhramam. Do you agree?