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Product Description
Book Description
- the first comprehensive verbatim translation of the entire text of the Tao Te Ching;
- literal character definitions that allow the reader to create his or her own interpretation;
- a concordance section that enables the reader to track the different ways a single character is used throughout the work;
- grammatical and interpretive notes on individual terms and verses; * a unique commentary on the first verse, which represents a complete spiritual teaching in itself; and
- a literary translation of the Tao Te Ching that can be read on its own or compared with the verbatim translation.
About the Author
The Tao Te Ching is an ancient Chinese text consisting of spiritual teachings, folk wisdom, political instruction, cosmology observations of nature, anti-Confucian doctrine, and mystical insights. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly wonderful way to explore the Tao Te Ching for yourself,
By Thomas Hochmann (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tao te Ching (Paperback)
One of the core ideas in Taoism (especially if you read a lot of Chuang-Tzu) is that there are infinite perspectives on anything and everything, and no one is more absolute or "correct" than the others. I think it's safe to say that the Tao Te Ching itself is an excellent example of this principle - just look at how many translations have been done, in various styles, approaching various perspectives on life, society, money, etc. And while there are certainly translations that speak to me far better than others do, I'd have to say that they are not always completely satisfying.If you feel the same way, then Jonathan Star has come to your rescue with /Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition/. It starts out with an overview of Lao Tzu's work and the challenges that come with translating it. Then there is a rather good literary translation by the author, which sometimes takes a bit of artistic license - definitely not a bad thing. This is not the meat of the book, however. That part is the "definitive" translation itself - the literal translation. Every character of every chapter is provided, along with multiple possible meanings. Using this, you can compose your own interpretations of your favorite chapters, or the whole book if you wish. The literal translation is extremely well done, and provided in a very accessible format that provides a lot of information in an easy to use manner. If I had to pick something to gripe about, it would be the fact that the literal translation uses Wade-Giles instead of Pinyin (this from a book with a 2001 copyright). I suppose this was to keep things consistent with the similarly old-style spellings "Tao", "Lao-Tzu", etc. This niggle is mitigated a bit by the concordance section of the book, which includes translations from Wade-Giles to Pinyin. Not very convenient, but then again you probably won't be reading the literal translation for its phonetic qualities anyway. Like I said, that's basically the only gripe I can come up with. Other juicy bits in the book: a section devoted totally to the different interpretations of the first chapter over the years, a summary of the many meanings used for each character throughout the Tao Te Ching, and a nice commentary on chapter one courtesy of Jonathan Star. If you want to explore the Tao Te Ching as it speaks to *you* then this is definitely a book you want in your collection. As good a job as Jane English, Le Guin, et al have done with their respective translations, nothing can compare to the one that comes from your own spirit and heart. Thus, this truly is the definitive Tao Te Ching. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An edition you can sink your teeth into.,
By Katsurina (NB, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tao te Ching (Paperback)
This edition of the Tao Te Ching is the only one you will ever need. The translation provided is beautiful, peotic, and understandable. The verbatim translation is absolutely amazing for really understanding what you're reading. It gives you the ability to create your own interpretation, and understand some of the more nuanced meanings of the original chinese text. The book gives you everything you need to simply enjoy the Tao Te Ching, and provides you with the first few steps toward a serious study of the work. Whether you are interested in the Tao Te Ching for spiritual, intellectual, or recreational purposes, this is the ideal book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Definitive translation of the Tao Te Ching,
By
This review is from: Tao Te Ching (Hardcover)
There are so many translations of the Tao Te Ching that choosing one may be difficult. I like Jonathan Star's translation the most, for two reasons: first, because I feel it's a good translation, and second, because the entire text of the Tao Te Ching is included, word for word, in the original chinese, with word for word translations. This gives the reader some insight into the original text. Also included is some commentary and history. I highly recommend this translation. Also recommended is the translation by Brian Browne Walker.
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