Perfect Book

..Meaning Book of The Way, or book of the Word. One of the best books ever written. I recommend this version because:

The Chinese language has less specific gender distinction, according to the author. Sometimes using female references broadens the meaning of Tao, at least for me.

Explanations for each chapter are at the back, so you can absorb the content first.

The hardback version has a silk string bookmark like the Bible, so you may easily refer to a specific passage also making this a perfect gift.

If you are like me, then as you read you discover the wisdom

like a raw jewel which you shape into a glittering diamond. That is the brilliance of the book.

The Tao is always present within you.

You can use it any way you want.

The Tao is wise, paradoxical, counterinituitive, puzzling, fascinating, mysterious, inspiring, amazing and true. These concepts bypass ego based thinking, and the idea of doing things by not striving is allowing a higher more authentic way of thinking to inform your being and your action.

81 chapters, all less than one page. Like any great mystery, the Tao is there to be experienced and not necessarily understood.

True words aren't eloquent;

Eloquent words aren't true;

Wise men don't need to prove their point;

Men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Tao nourishes by not forcing.

By not dominating the Master leads.

I highly recommend it. When you buy, be sure to check the edition you are buying, as you may buy the pocket edition by mistake.

I also recommend The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, which is another classic book of wisdom.

My left pants pocket companion.

Always and forever the best translation I love the tiny little size that you can carry it around, and also the fact that the translator goes back-and-forth between he and she pronouns I feel very included in this

Things stated so simply yet are so "deep" and profound.Over the course of my life I've worn different labels: Christian, Muslim, free-thinker, non-denominational, spiritual but a few years ago decided to stop labeling myself and putting myself into any particular box. I thought, 'whatever I am, my life will speak it for me. I don't need a title or label because whatever I am will be shown through my actions and words.' I had no idea then how in line that thinking is with the Tao. ["The tao that can be told is not the eternal tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name"]

I knew nothing about the Tao te Ching at that time but as my life evolution has continued, I was recently led to inquire about what the 'dow' that Dr. Wayne Dyer often referenced really was. Thus began this newest phase of my life journey and I am greatly enjoying learning, studying and pondering over all the thought-provoking teachings contained in this little book. It will certainly go down as one of the most influential books of my life experience.

Wonderful!

Fine

(Background: Over a couple of decades' time I planned to read the scriptures of the world's great religions/philosophies. I started with my own, reading the Bible in two different translations--first the Hebrew-Greek Word Study Bible by Spiros Zodhiates, and then the KJV--to gain a better grasp on my spirituality and to think critically about why and what I believed. I also wanted to get a better understanding of the world's major religions so that I could be more in tune with people, their language and their culture, and current events. Next I turned to Islam and Al-Quaran. After that The Bhagavad Gita and the Analects of Confucius. Every reading is helping me go a bit deeper and wider into man's search for God and, through that, meaning in this life. More books and reviews to come.)

(UPDATE January 2015: Added the Tao Te Ching.)

I decided to read the Tao Te Ching because a friend recommended it. In his words: he discovered the book during college; it had a powerful impact on him; and he found himself returning to it more and more as time went on. I shared with him my interest in reading the world's scriptures and canonical texts. He encouraged me to pick up a copy. So I did.

The Tao Te Ching (or more appropriately translated into English as Dao De Jing) is one of the classic Chinese texts. The title is often translated into English as "The Book of the Way." It is a small book; literally, this version of the book is 3.5 x 5 inches. The text consists of 81 brief chapters/sections, some only a few lines long, most only a page. The text purportedly dates to about the 6th century BC, written by Lao Tzu, a Chinese sage. It is a fundamental text for philosophical and religious Taoism, which today is one of five religions recognized by the Chinese communist government.

The central figure in the Tao Te Ching, we are told in Mitchell's Introduction, is the "man or woman whose life is in perfect harmony with the way things are..... The Master has mastered nature; not in the sense of conquering it, but of becoming it...." The Master is ultimately able to say, "I am the Tao, the Truth, the Life." Sound familiar?

Or this: "Since before time and space were, the Tao is" (Chapter 21).

Or this: If you know the Tao "there will be nothing you can't do" (Chapter 28).

And: "In the beginning was the Tao" (Chapter 52).

There's also a time for everything (Chapter 29; cf. Ecclesiastes 3) and taking Blake's Proverbs of Hell out of context (note on Chapter 36).

Mitchell provides a Notes section in the back of the book for details on his translation work and some textual analysis. Unfortunately, he has a habit of dropping a lot of names without providing context and/or much in the way of references to source material. For example, he'll simply write "Bunan said" or "I asked my friend and teacher Emile Conrad-Da'oud, founder of Continuum, to comment on this verse," or "Rama Maharshi said." Search the Introduction and the Notes and the Acknowledgements and you'll finding nothing on Bunan, Conrad-Da'oud, or Maharshi. Who are they? What makes them quotable on the Tao Te Ching? I don't know. You'll have to google them yourself.

About the actual "translation": I know many people in their reviews have complained about it, noting that Mitchell has taken too much liberty. He admits this in his Introduction and in some Notes on each chapter provides examples of "original text" compared to his translation. His text is usually wildly different than what he claims to be the "literal" text. Online you can find different and free translations of the Tao Te Ching, so it's easy to compare, if you like, different passages as you're reading along. Just google "tao te ching translation"; I used the "accurate translation" at taoism.net mostly, but consulted others. When I did spot check Mitchell's book against other translations they were often very different. Sometimes his seemed "better"; sometimes his text was completely off.

Overall, though, I enjoyed reading this version of the Tao Te Ching. It's full of maxims and aphorims on what life is and how to live it harmoniously in a distinctly eastern philosophy and collectivistic culture. Some of the timeless sayings include:

If you look to others for fulfillment,

you will never be truly fulfilled.

If your happiness depends on money,

you will never be happy with yourself.

Success is as dangerous as failure.

Wise men don't need to prove their point.

And, of course:

The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet.

***

For fellow Christians who want to read this book, a word of caution ("Watch out that you are not deceived..." [Luke 21:8]). Mitchell references and interprets the Bible as he likes and makes links between the Tao and the God revealed in the Bible as he likes (see his note for Chapter 64). But understand that Taoism is most definitely pantheism. While the Tao Te Ching never talks about "God" per se, there is a profound sense of reverence for the essence of being and that being in all things. This can be classified as pantheism. Also, Mitchell tries to draw the line from "the Tao" to "Christ." In the Notes on Chapter 22, for example, he cites Paul from Galatians 2:20 "Not I, but Christ in me" to interpret the line in Chapter 22 "Only in being lived by the Tao." Mitchell conveniently omits the full passage from Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The biblical text, in context, gives a much different reading than what Mitchell has selected to show; and is also in direct conflict with what Mitchell later notes as the search of every Taoist, for his/her "inner messiah" (p. 72). About Mitchell's biblical revisionism: "God doesn't say, 'Let there be light.' The light simply is, and is God" (note on Chapter 34, p. 109).

***

While I read Mitchell's version of the Tao Te Ching I also read The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. That book had been sitting on my shelf never-read for some years, since I picked it up off my mother's bookshelf after she died and we were going through her things. I just happened to be looking at my bookshelf (after I began reading the Tao Te Ching) when I spied Hoff's book; and I thought it would be neat to read it along with the real "Book of the Way." A Taoist would likely simply smile at that and nod.

***

Recommended for those curious about popular world philosophies/religions, especially eastern, and how they impact individuals, cultures, and nations.

I really liked it

4/5 Goodreads

4/5 Amazon

Adorei, e essa versão é realmente pocket, cabe no bolso e é bem leve.

I have bought more than one copy of this treasured book to give to friends, one of whom has just departed for a world tour. This pocket format of the book is invaluable for anyone who is travelling and who wants to have some precious words of wisdom to which to refer each day. I keep this little book in my handbag always. I find Stephen Mitchell's translation so relevant, and it brings the essence of this work to life. Altogether a gem!

Eine fabelhafte Übertragung dieses uralten Textes.

Mitchell nimmt das Grundprinzip des Daoismus (das Weiche besiegt das Harte) sehr ernst und sagt eben manchmal "The Master he ..." und ebenso häufig "The Master she ..."

　タオの日本語訳よりもこちらの方が、論理的でシンプルで解りやすいです。短い文で内容をストレートに表現していて、読みやすいです。寝る前に1章か2章読むと心が落ち着いて安眠できます。ただとても小さな本で（手帳くらい？）なので、もう少し大きい、せめて文庫版くらいの大きさだといいのにと思いました。

Devo ancora leggerlo, è possibile che se li meriti i 10 euro. Mi aspettavo un libro più grande. State attenti quando acquistate alle caratteristiche del prodotto.