Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by SkyLight Paths (Author), Lama Surya Das (Foreword), Derek Lin (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 489 ratings
See all formats and editions
Kindle
$15.84
Read with Our Free App
Hardcover
$29.64
1 Used from $26.72
10 New from $28.55
Paperback
$20.58
7 New from $20.58
=====
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.
Read less
ISBN-13
978-1683363279
Edition
1st
Publisher
SkyLight Paths
Publication date
19 October 2012
Product description
Review
"Hits the mark! A native speaker of both Chinese and English, Lin adeptly bridges the gap between translation and interpretation ... applying [2,500-year-old teachings] to our modern world. Don't miss this book if you want ancient knowledge that can change life for the better today."
--Edward Monaghan, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
"A magnificent presentation of arguably the most perfect and complete spiritual teaching ever published, the Tao Te Ching. An absolute must in any home library, no matter what tradition one follows."
--Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God is a Verb
"Lin's unique rendering captures the spiritual wisdom, poetic grace and immense practicality of this classic text. Will illuminate your way regardless of the path you follow."
--Philip Goldberg, author of Roadsigns: On the Spiritual Path--Living at the Heart of Paradox
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
About the Author
Derek Lin is director of Tao Studies at the Great Tao Foundation of America and is an active speaker and educator on the Tao Te Ching and Tao spirituality. He also serves as webmaster of www.taoism.net, a leading resource for the Tao on the Internet.
Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost Western Buddhist leaders and teachers, is author of the best-selling Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World and other books. Founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Centers in America, he also organizes the Western Buddhist Teachers Conferences with the Dalai Lama.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Print length : 206 pages
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 489 ratings
About the authors
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Follow
Derek Lin
Derek Lin is the award-winning author of The Tao of Daily Life, The Tao of Success, The Tao of Joy Every Day, The Tao of Happiness, The Tao of Wisdom, and The Tao of Tranquility.
He was born in Taiwan and grew up with native fluency in both Chinese and English. This background lets him convey Eastern teachings to Western readers in a way that is clear, simple and authentic.
Lin has utilized his linguistic skills to create a Tao Te Ching translation that has been lauded by critics as setting a new standard for accuracy and faithfully capturing the lyrical beauty of the original. He is an active speaker and educator on the Tao Te Ching and the Tao in general. More information about his work is available at www.DerekLin.com.
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Top reviews from Australia
There are 0 reviews and 1 rating from Australia
Top reviews from other countries
Gallery Hakon
3.0 out of 5 stars Alright, but misleading to think of as the literal translation as it claims to be.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2021
Verified Purchase
I wanted to read the Tao-Te Ching again after many years, and I couldn't find my old copy, and so I decided to buy a new one, finding there was suddenly a lot more to choose from than there was 30 years ago when I was limited to my local bookshops.
In the end, based on good reviews, descriptions, comments on forums, and a look inside those books that had that feature on Amazon, I went with this one.
Unlike many others, this one translates the book as literally as possible – at least so it claims – avoiding the common problem of the translator also interpreting the text in their choice of words for the translation. But does it, really?
Now, a literal translation has its own issues. In order for it to be comprehensive, especially for what is, in essence, a book of poetry, it needs to explain all possible double meanings and nuances of meaning that can thus all be valid at the same time. It needs to relate to us the intended effect of poetic devices that don't translate into English.
The problem with this volume is that the parallel notes that, for a purely literal translation, should have that single purpose: to elaborate on double meanings, and to clarify the meaning of idioms, metaphors, historical connotations and aphorisms, and to tell us about the poetic devices of the original, in the context of other poetry of the time period.
Derek Lin does that too, very sparingly, but mostly he does something else: he provides us with what a literal translation should leave up to the reader, an interpretation of the meaning of the text. You may give him some leeway and call it an explanation, but in explaining it, he also, inevitably, offers us the solution (but his, not ours) rather than just showing us the mystery.
Most of the time, his interpretations are good, harmless, and even clarify the meaning of the literal words as they should, but on a few occasions, he displays a complete lack of understanding of the text (usually in how it ties together using poetical devices, missing intended juxtapositions and contrasts, for instance), and a few times he even brings in what I can only presume are his own fanciful notions that have no connection neither with the Tao, this book, or with the real world. They are easy to ignore, of course, even if they stick out quite jarringly.
So, while this purports to be a literal translation, the main purpose of which should be allowing the readers to make up their own minds, that does require ignoring all but the notes clarifying the meaning of the text. Still, the inconsistency in the notes makes me question the validity of the translation itself, and how much has been missed.
Is there a better translation out there?
I think the best way to read the Tao-Te-Ching is to read several translations, comparing with the original Chinese text and with each other. Somewhere, in the similarities and differences between them, one might eventually find the true reading of the text.
When it comes to literal translations, I found a far superior one in "Dao De Jing - In Clear English" by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. While it makes no claim to be a proper academic edition, it provides both the academically minded and the truth-seeking reader with the essentials: a clear literal translation in English, but also the original (in simplified Chinese, and like other good translations based on a combination of extant versions, including the Goudian slips) a character by character translation, and essential notes on meaning.
Read less
Report abuse
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very articulate commentary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2021
Verified Purchase
Derek Lin's explanation of the text is very informative and therefore essential.
Report abuse
Charissti
5.0 out of 5 stars Best version of the Tao Te Ching I have found for non-Chinese speakers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2013
Verified Purchase
Each chapter contains a thoughtful explanation of the thinking behind the words. This book makes more sense than other versions I have read which leave the reader to interpret some odd sounding phrases, possibly because the 'translator' is first having to interpret the Chinese symbols with the aid of a dictionary and no working knowledge of Chinese. I don't speak Chinese but I am aware of the possibility of things being lost in translation between the two languages.
4 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Taotastic!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2019
Verified Purchase
An excellent rendering of my favourite book ever ... ! Derek's eludications on the text added so much to what is already an excellent text!
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Chris Oldfield
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good explanation of verses
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2021
Verified Purchase
Very good explanation and translation of the original text.
Written in a way is easy to understand
Report abuse
Want to Read
Rate this book
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained
by
Derek Lin,
Surya Das (Goodreads Author)
4.29 · Rating details · 45 ratings · 7 reviews
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 in ...more
GET A COPYKobo
Online Stores ▾
Book Links ▾
Paperback, Large Print Edition, 336 pages
Published May 8th 2014 by ReadHowYouWant
ISBN
0369305019 (ISBN13: 9780369305015)
Other Editions
None found
All Editions | Add a New Edition | Combine...Less DetailEdit Details
EditMY ACTIVITY
Review of ISBN 9780369305015
Rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Shelves to-read
edit
( 1511th )
Format Paperback edit
Status
May 16, 2022 – Shelved as: to-read
May 16, 2022 – Shelved
Review Write a review
comment
FRIEND REVIEWS
Recommend This Book None of your friends have reviewed this book yet.
READER Q&A
Ask the Goodreads community a question about Tao Te Ching
Be the first to ask a question about Tao Te Ching
LISTS WITH THIS BOOK
This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
Average rating4.29 ·
Rating details
· 45 ratings · 7 reviews
More filters
|
Sort order
Sejin, start your review of Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained
Write a review
Aug 16, 2019Dennis Littrell rated it it was amazing
Fine commentary, natural translation
Lin’s translation is natural, even lyrical, but the main strength of this book, at least for the serious student, is in his line by line commentary. The layout, with the commentary on the left (even numbered) pages and the text on the right (odd numbered) pages, makes for easy reading and study.
Lin’s introduction gives a bit of the history of the Tao while exploring its accessibility and purpose. In “A Note on the Translation” he recounts some of the difficulties and presents his theory about how the “Lao Tzu” should be rendered into modern English. One of his methods was to
“Start from scratch and create an entirely original work. I could not use existing translations as references because they were not sufficiently accurate.” (p. xxiii)
Lin adds “Existing translations tended to present interpretations as translations.” (p. xxiv)
Of course any translation would be an interpretation to some extent. Lin calls our attention to this distinction:
“A literal translation (also known as formal equivalence) is the nearest linguistic equivalent between the source and the target language, while an interpretation (also known as dynamic equivalence) consists of amplifications and clarifications...” (p. xxiv)
He believes that he has kept his interpretations in the commentary. However whenever choices are made between ambiguous alternatives—and Lin and others all admit that the ancient Chinese they are translating from is full of them—that choice involves an interpretation. Furthermore because the Tao Te Ching is a treatise written in poetic language—actually it can be considered a long poem—interpretation is unavoidable.
We should keep in mind that a real poem is a non-linear extra-denotative expression. There are layers of meaning in poetic words and phrases beyond their denotative meanings. Allusion, sound, rhythm, rhyme, simile, reference—hyperbole even (or in the Tao, especially!)—create a context of meaning that often cannot be directly translated. So something is always lost in translation and something is sometimes gained. That which is gained may not be what was originally meant.
Another thing to remember is that ancient texts get corrupted. D. C. Lau in his Penguin Classics edition of the Lao Tzu from 1963 indicates that sometimes a negative slips in that doesn’t seem to fit. But can we be sure? Sometimes scribes copying the text make mistakes. Sometimes they purposely alert the text to suit their beliefs.
It is also true that the meaning of some of the Chinese calligraphy characters has changed over time. Lin gives the example of the character “shuang” in his commentary for Chapter (or Verse) 12. He translates it as meaning “tasteless” whereas in modern Chinese the character means “refreshing.”
In this context let’s compare the first three lines of Lin’s translation of “12” with the well-known poetic and dynamic translation from Stephen Mitchell. First here’s Lin’s:
“The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth”
Now here is the way Mitchell has it:
“Colours blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavours numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.”
It appears that the number “five” is in the original and Lin wants to keep it. However he notes on the facing page that “The five colors, five sounds, and five flavors denote the vast array of sensory stimulations in the material world.” This usage is similar to the “ten thousand things” that the Chinese refer to when addressing something containing large entities. Our word “myriad” comes from the Greek meaning “ten thousand.”
So which translation is better? True to his intent Lin’s is truer to the denotative meaning, but to my sensibilities at least Mitchell’s is the more poetic, and perhaps is more in keeping with the spirit of simplicity in the Tao. Mitchell writes in the Harper Perennial Modern Classic edition of his book from 2006: “With great poetry, the freest translation is sometimes the most faithful.” (p. x)
By the way, notice the lack of punctuation marks in Lin’s translation. Lin purposely eschews punctuation whenever possible. He notes that “punctuation marks did not exist in the ancient Chinese...” and so his lines do not have periods or commas or semi-colons. He says he “wanted to approximate the open, porous feel of ancient Chinese...”
I don’t want to give the impression that I think Mitchell’s translation is superior or even more poetic. Let’s look at the first nine lines of the famous number “56.” Let’s look at Mitchell’s first this time:
“Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.
Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.”
Now here is Lin’s:
“Those who know do not talk
Those who talk do not know
Close the mouth
Shut the doors
Blunt the sharpness
Unravel the knots
Dim the glare
Mix the dust
This is called Mystic Oneness”
Here I would say that Lin’s rendition is more poetic and more in keeping with the Tao’s simplicity.
It is noteworthy that in his Forward for this book Lama Surya Das, an American born Tibetan Buddhist master, calls the Tao Te Ching “the wisest book ever written.” Yes, from a Buddhist; but recall that the wisdom of the Tao informs and is compatible with Zen Buddhism.
Bottom line: the fine translation and the informed commentary make this book very much worthwhile.
—Dennis Littrell, author of “Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)”
(less)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Nov 06, 2021Shashi Prakash rated it really liked it
Ayoo, Imma be a monk now. :)))
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Apr 09, 2022Deepu Shibu rated it really liked it
I was interested in this book for quite some time. I got an e-book and read it finally. Flipping pages to read the explanations to the chapters was a bit tedious but worth the effort. A book that probably transcends time. I think it requires a much more dedicated effort to learn all that it has to offer.
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 12, 2021Orogenes rated it it was amazing
Very appreciable dedication to presenting as authentic a translation as possible along with thoughtful and easily digestible explanations of meaning / interpretation. I will refer back to these specific translations as I continue to study!
flagLike · comment · see review
Jun 09, 2021Dan Gabree rated it it was amazing
Good translation with excellent notes and background. Greta version of this classic.
flagLike · comment · see review
Aug 20, 2021Cindy Huskey rated it liked it
Shelves: 2021, classics
The annotations are the best part of this text. Clearly, Lin has studied and devoted a great deal of research in translating and annotating Tzu’s work.
flagLike · comment · see review
Dec 12, 2019Jack Reifenberg rated it really liked it
Shelves: classics, philosophy
Glad I read this and meditations near each other. Will definitely need to revisit when I’m all grown and stuff. I love the complementary aspect of the Tao, how it can still function within other ideologies. The water analogy is perfect
Want to Read
Rate this book
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained
by
Derek Lin,
Surya Das (Goodreads Author)
4.29 · Rating details · 45 ratings · 7 reviews
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 in ...more
GET A COPYKobo
Online Stores ▾
Book Links ▾
Paperback, Large Print Edition, 336 pages
Published May 8th 2014 by ReadHowYouWant
ISBN
0369305019 (ISBN13: 9780369305015)
Other Editions
None found
All Editions | Add a New Edition | Combine...Less DetailEdit Details
EditMY ACTIVITY
Review of ISBN 9780369305015
Rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Shelves to-read
edit
( 1511th )
Format Paperback edit
Status
May 16, 2022 – Shelved as: to-read
May 16, 2022 – Shelved
Review Write a review
comment
FRIEND REVIEWS
Recommend This Book None of your friends have reviewed this book yet.
READER Q&A
Ask the Goodreads community a question about Tao Te Ching
Be the first to ask a question about Tao Te Ching
LISTS WITH THIS BOOK
This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »
COMMUNITY REVIEWS
Showing 1-30
Average rating4.29 ·
Rating details
· 45 ratings · 7 reviews
More filters
|
Sort order
Sejin, start your review of Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained
Write a review
Aug 16, 2019Dennis Littrell rated it it was amazing
Fine commentary, natural translation
Lin’s translation is natural, even lyrical, but the main strength of this book, at least for the serious student, is in his line by line commentary. The layout, with the commentary on the left (even numbered) pages and the text on the right (odd numbered) pages, makes for easy reading and study.
Lin’s introduction gives a bit of the history of the Tao while exploring its accessibility and purpose. In “A Note on the Translation” he recounts some of the difficulties and presents his theory about how the “Lao Tzu” should be rendered into modern English. One of his methods was to
“Start from scratch and create an entirely original work. I could not use existing translations as references because they were not sufficiently accurate.” (p. xxiii)
Lin adds “Existing translations tended to present interpretations as translations.” (p. xxiv)
Of course any translation would be an interpretation to some extent. Lin calls our attention to this distinction:
“A literal translation (also known as formal equivalence) is the nearest linguistic equivalent between the source and the target language, while an interpretation (also known as dynamic equivalence) consists of amplifications and clarifications...” (p. xxiv)
He believes that he has kept his interpretations in the commentary. However whenever choices are made between ambiguous alternatives—and Lin and others all admit that the ancient Chinese they are translating from is full of them—that choice involves an interpretation. Furthermore because the Tao Te Ching is a treatise written in poetic language—actually it can be considered a long poem—interpretation is unavoidable.
We should keep in mind that a real poem is a non-linear extra-denotative expression. There are layers of meaning in poetic words and phrases beyond their denotative meanings. Allusion, sound, rhythm, rhyme, simile, reference—hyperbole even (or in the Tao, especially!)—create a context of meaning that often cannot be directly translated. So something is always lost in translation and something is sometimes gained. That which is gained may not be what was originally meant.
Another thing to remember is that ancient texts get corrupted. D. C. Lau in his Penguin Classics edition of the Lao Tzu from 1963 indicates that sometimes a negative slips in that doesn’t seem to fit. But can we be sure? Sometimes scribes copying the text make mistakes. Sometimes they purposely alert the text to suit their beliefs.
It is also true that the meaning of some of the Chinese calligraphy characters has changed over time. Lin gives the example of the character “shuang” in his commentary for Chapter (or Verse) 12. He translates it as meaning “tasteless” whereas in modern Chinese the character means “refreshing.”
In this context let’s compare the first three lines of Lin’s translation of “12” with the well-known poetic and dynamic translation from Stephen Mitchell. First here’s Lin’s:
“The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth”
Now here is the way Mitchell has it:
“Colours blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavours numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.”
It appears that the number “five” is in the original and Lin wants to keep it. However he notes on the facing page that “The five colors, five sounds, and five flavors denote the vast array of sensory stimulations in the material world.” This usage is similar to the “ten thousand things” that the Chinese refer to when addressing something containing large entities. Our word “myriad” comes from the Greek meaning “ten thousand.”
So which translation is better? True to his intent Lin’s is truer to the denotative meaning, but to my sensibilities at least Mitchell’s is the more poetic, and perhaps is more in keeping with the spirit of simplicity in the Tao. Mitchell writes in the Harper Perennial Modern Classic edition of his book from 2006: “With great poetry, the freest translation is sometimes the most faithful.” (p. x)
By the way, notice the lack of punctuation marks in Lin’s translation. Lin purposely eschews punctuation whenever possible. He notes that “punctuation marks did not exist in the ancient Chinese...” and so his lines do not have periods or commas or semi-colons. He says he “wanted to approximate the open, porous feel of ancient Chinese...”
I don’t want to give the impression that I think Mitchell’s translation is superior or even more poetic. Let’s look at the first nine lines of the famous number “56.” Let’s look at Mitchell’s first this time:
“Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.
Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.”
Now here is Lin’s:
“Those who know do not talk
Those who talk do not know
Close the mouth
Shut the doors
Blunt the sharpness
Unravel the knots
Dim the glare
Mix the dust
This is called Mystic Oneness”
Here I would say that Lin’s rendition is more poetic and more in keeping with the Tao’s simplicity.
It is noteworthy that in his Forward for this book Lama Surya Das, an American born Tibetan Buddhist master, calls the Tao Te Ching “the wisest book ever written.” Yes, from a Buddhist; but recall that the wisdom of the Tao informs and is compatible with Zen Buddhism.
Bottom line: the fine translation and the informed commentary make this book very much worthwhile.
—Dennis Littrell, author of “Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)”
(less)
flag4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Nov 06, 2021Shashi Prakash rated it really liked it
Ayoo, Imma be a monk now. :)))
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Apr 09, 2022Deepu Shibu rated it really liked it
I was interested in this book for quite some time. I got an e-book and read it finally. Flipping pages to read the explanations to the chapters was a bit tedious but worth the effort. A book that probably transcends time. I think it requires a much more dedicated effort to learn all that it has to offer.
flagLike · comment · see review
Sep 12, 2021Orogenes rated it it was amazing
Very appreciable dedication to presenting as authentic a translation as possible along with thoughtful and easily digestible explanations of meaning / interpretation. I will refer back to these specific translations as I continue to study!
flagLike · comment · see review
Jun 09, 2021Dan Gabree rated it it was amazing
Good translation with excellent notes and background. Greta version of this classic.
flagLike · comment · see review
Aug 20, 2021Cindy Huskey rated it liked it
Shelves: 2021, classics
The annotations are the best part of this text. Clearly, Lin has studied and devoted a great deal of research in translating and annotating Tzu’s work.
flagLike · comment · see review
Dec 12, 2019Jack Reifenberg rated it really liked it
Shelves: classics, philosophy
Glad I read this and meditations near each other. Will definitely need to revisit when I’m all grown and stuff. I love the complementary aspect of the Tao, how it can still function within other ideologies. The water analogy is perfect
