Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: Amazon.ca: Ursula K. Le Guin: Books

Product Description

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Like Stephen Mitchell, acclaimed author and poet Ursula K. Le Guin has attempted a nonliteral, poetic rendition of the Tao Te Ching. She brings to it a punctuated grace that can only have been hammered out during long trials of wordsmithing. The wisdom that she finds in the Tao Te Ching is primal, and her spare, undulating phrases speak volumes. By making the text her own, Le Guin avoids such questions as "Is it accurate?" By making it her own, she has made it for us--a new, uncarved block from which we are free to sculpt our own meaning. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Reading [Le Guin's] translations is like taking a shared walk down a familiar trail where we discover rocks and water that we somehow missed before. . . . undeniably refreshing, capturing a language that is casual and clear, reflective and pointed, full of the wise humor of the Way."—Parabola

"A student of the Tao for several decades, Le Guin has created an English text that will speak to modern readers in a fresh and lively way, while conveying the humor, insight and beauty of the original."—Shambhala Sun

"Ursula K. Le Guin's translation of the Tao Te Ching is a personal and poetic meditation. Through her own careful study of these ancient teachings, she brings the Way into contemporary life. Each day, I open this book at random and receive a contemplative gift. These words are akin to water in the desert."—Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge

"Among the many translations of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching , Ursula K. Le Guin's new version is a special treasure—a delight. There is something startlingly fresh and creatively alive here, brought forth by Ms. Le Guin's intuitive and personal ingenuity. Her rendering has moved me to return to the original Chinese text with rejuvenated fervor, rejoicing in the ineffable sageness that lies in and between Lao Tzu's lines."—Chuangliang Al Huang, founder of the Living Tao Foundation, coauthor (with Alan Watts) of Tao: The Watercourse Way

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19 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Le Guin's work is natural, simple, straightforward., Feb 23 2004

By

Alan (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching (Paperback)

There are many 'translations' of Lao Tsu's words. Which is the best? Perhaps it is not measured by the literal accuracy of the translation, or the poetic artestry of the word, but by it's ability to help the reader gain the perspective that Lao Tsu envisioned as the Tao. A translation that works for one, may not yield the same result for another.

Le Guin's rendition of Lao Tzu's 'Tao te Ching' was, for me, a good addition to my understanding. I have many copies. I almost always compare one with another when I sit down to think. Some 'translations' are better than others for different passages, or moods. With more than 15 years of experience in Asian cultures, primarily Japanese, and many years of contemplating Lao Tzu's writings, I recognize that some translations rely more heavily on a broader asian perspective than others. What seems natural or obvious to one steeped in asian culture may be contradictory or even 'silly' to a westerner This doesn't mean the message is wrong, but that the wording is not suited for that reader. One interpretation alone was insufficient to help me comprehend the simple nature of the Tao.

Once I began to see my world from within the understanding of the Tao, rather than see the Tao from the outside through others' words, I found a new enjoyment in seeing how others perceive the Tao. This is why I enjoyed Ursula K. Le Guin's approach immensely. Clearly, Ms. Le Guin feels the awe and wonder of the simple way, as I am beginning to enjoy it.

Hers is not as literal or as historically steeped as some, and not as contemporary as others (Stephen Mitchell). Not a hard-hitting philosophical analysis (Wing-Tsit Chan), nor an obscure or remote work [Asian feeling] (Gai-Fu Fen/Jane English). Her words invited me to enjoy the comprehension of the simplicity of it all.

Her approach was natural, simple, straightforward. In her fresh wording, I saw an elegence in the principles, a form of beauty. Her words reminded me of how I felt when I began to understand.

Thank you, Ms. Le Guin, for your contribution to my enjoyment of the Tao.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars too much!, Mar 21 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching (Hardcover)

I'll be the first to admit my admiration for Le Guin as a writer and a person. But there is zero justification for this new interpolation. Like Mitchell's "New English Version," it further trivializes Taoism in order to make the Tao Te Ching more palatable to the (New Age) masses. The worst part is that Le Guin's and Mitchell's versions are gaining a bigger and bigger foothold in the market of TTC translations. One wonders how many people have absorbed this stuff and called themselves "Taoists" afterwards. I shudder to consider it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Way of Being. Outstanding Book, April 21 2004

By

Barbara Rose (BornToInspire.com) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching (Paperback)

Ursula K. Le Guin did a remarkable job in bringing us her translation of this magnificent book that will lift your heart, bring more understanding to your mind, free your ego from its grip on your life, and bring your soul peace from the ancient and extraordinary verses in this book.

This is one book that would bring harmony to anyone, when taken into the depths of consciousness. It will show you the way of being. It will help you live with what IS, and that alone will help free you from pain.

Highly recommended for its profound truth, and the extraordinary difference this truth can make in your life. Deserves 10 Stars.

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