Shoaib Rehman asked:
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 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.
Gary Jaron The Jonathan Star text is an update on the Paul Carus 1898 Chinese to English lexicon. Though I don't like his translation. The translation of Red Pine and his collection of classic commentary is excellent. My favorite for insight and translation is the definitive work by Ellen Chen. Her commentary is deep and rich. She is a native Chinese reader and western graduated scholar. All her books on Taoism are brilliant and deeply rewarding. Though her own scholarly analysis text on Taoism is not an essay read but a excellent comparison and contrast of Western thinking to Lao Tzu text.
Ellen I have read multiple translations of this work, and personally I believe that the best to understand the true meaning is: ISBN 9781585426188. I hope this helps!
Ward Hammond The one by Ursula K. Le Guinn is great. I have many. I just picked this one up.
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 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.
David Howell The author Michael Finkel, in his book The Stranger in the Woods, suggested that the Red Pine translation should be read. That is the version I will seek to read as I enjoyed his book immensely.
Wayne Leung The original Chinese
Forked Radish John C. H. Wu's 1961 translation in very good. He was born in Ningbo, China and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.
David I have three translations in my library, translated by Stephen Mitchell, Gia-Fu Feng, or Derek Lin. They are pretty good.
I just have read a new one, Tao Te Ching: The New English Version That Makes Good Sense (ISBN-13: 978-1727252248). Unlike others who believe the Tao can not be told or explained, the TTC is full of paradoxes and you have to give up language to learn the Tao, the author of this book asserts that the Tao not only can be experienced, but also can be told or explained; and language and mind can be useful tools to learn the Tao if you have the know-how. Thus, if you want to know exactly what is the Tao, what are Being and Non-Being, how to experience the Tao, how to know your true nature and how to follow the Tao in your life, you can read this one.
I just have read a new one, Tao Te Ching: The New English Version That Makes Good Sense (ISBN-13: 978-1727252248). Unlike others who believe the Tao can not be told or explained, the TTC is full of paradoxes and you have to give up language to learn the Tao, the author of this book asserts that the Tao not only can be experienced, but also can be told or explained; and language and mind can be useful tools to learn the Tao if you have the know-how. Thus, if you want to know exactly what is the Tao, what are Being and Non-Being, how to experience the Tao, how to know your true nature and how to follow the Tao in your life, you can read this one.
C.G. Masi Start with the one closest to your hand. Then read another. And, another ... .
Probably the least authoritative is Thomas Merton's. It may, however, be the most beautiful.
Probably the least authoritative is Thomas Merton's. It may, however, be the most beautiful.
