Lao Zi (also Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. His book, Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching), has been in circulation for more than 2,500 years. There are many versions and more than one thousand annotations, yet most readers still find it difficult to understand, let alone apply in daily life. Thus Dao De Jing is often misunderstood and regarded as containing mystical teachings disconnected from reality. In Mysteries of Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) Revealed, author Dr. Guo Yong Jin dismisses many myths about this great work, including its link to Taoism (a religion founded six hundred years after Lao Zi). Shedding the mystical and surreal, he brings clarity to the teachings by drawing on Lao Zi’s source of inspiration—nature. In this way, Dr. Guo distinguishes his interpretation of Dao De Jing from those before him. The typical interpretation focuses on the semantics of Lao Zi’s written word; Dr. Guo, however, returns to the roots of Dao De Jing, using simple observations of nature to clarify the text. Dao De Jing lays bare the truths and realities of life and the universe. It explains the origins of life and the principles upon which the universe operates. Though much of Dao De Jing is mirrored in science and psychology, the ancient text offers an even deeper understanding. It is neither superstitious nor religious, nor is it a personal philosophy. Dao De Jing is simply wisdom in its essence.

"Ursula K. Le Guin, a student of the Tao Te Ching for more than fifty years, offers her own thoughtful rendering of the Taoist scripture. She has consulted the literal translations and worked with the scholar J. P. Seaton to develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern people, while remaining faithful to the original Chinese. This rendition reveals the Tao Te Ching's immediate relevance and power, its depth and refreshing humor, illustrating better than ever before why it has been so loved for more than 2,500 years. Included are Le Guin's own personal commentary and notes along with two audio CDs of the text read by the author, with original music composed and performed by Todd Barton."--Publisher's website.

'Of ways you may speak, but not the Perennial Way; By names you may name, but not the Perennial Name.' The best-loved of all the classical books of China and the most universally popular, the Daodejing or Classic of the Way and Life-Force is a work that defies definition. It encapsulates the main tenets of Daoism, and upholds a way of being as well as a philosophy and a religion. The dominant image is of the Way, the mysterious path through the whole cosmos modelled on the great Silver River or Milky Way that traverses the heavens. A life-giving stream, the Way gives rise to all things and holds them in her motherly embrace. It enables the individual, and society as a whole, to harmonize the disparate demands of daily life and achieve a more profound level of understanding. This new translation draws on the latest archaeological finds and brings out the word play and poetry of the original. Simple commentary accompanies the text, and the introduction provides further historical and interpretative context. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

One of the best-selling English-language translations of the Taoteching. "A refreshing new translation. . . . Highly recommended."--Library Journal "With its clarity and scholarly range, this version of the Taoteching works as both a readable text and a valuable resource of Taoist interpretation."--Publishers Weekly "Read it in confidence that it comes as close as possible to expressing the Chinese text in English."--Victor Mair, professor of Chinese studies, University of Pennsylvania Lao-tzu's Taoteching is an essential volume of world literature, and Red Pine's nuanced and authoritative English translation--reissued and published with the Chinese text en face--is one of the best-selling versions. Features that set this volume apart from other translations are its commentaries by scores of Taoist scholars, poets, monks, recluses, adepts, and emperors spanning more than two thousand years. "I envisioned this book," Red Pine notes in his introduction, "as a discussion between Lao-tzu and a group of people who have thought deeply about his text." Sages have no mind of their own their mind is the mind of the people to the good they are good to the bad they are good until they become good to the true they are true to the false they are true until they become true . . . Lao-tzu (ca. 600 BCE) was a Chinese sage who Confucius called "a dragon among men." He served as Keeper of the Royal Archives and authored the Taoteching. Red Pine is one of the world's foremost translators of Chinese literary and religious texts. His books include The Heart Sutra, Poems of the Masters, and a collection of all the known poems by the mountain hermit Han Shan, The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain.

This book provides a systemic introduction of Daoism in China. Subjects includes the spirituality in early China, establishment and lineage of the celestial masters, Daoist deities, temples, and sacred places, the influence of Daoism in culture and customs. With black and white photographs, including shrines, temples, and deities.

Presents volume thirteen of a fourteen-volume series on World Religions exploring the origins of Taoism in China, its central beliefs and restoration under China's religious freedom clause, rituals, sacred sites, and more.

• Restores the feminine essence of the Tao Te Ching as well as the simplicity and poetic undertones of the chapters • Offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters and key Chinese characters to reveal their profound wisdom • Translated from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching • Paper with French flaps In this book, Rosemarie Anderson shares her discoveries of the Divine Feminine Tao alongside her original translation of the Tao Te Ching. Working from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching, the author slowly translated all 81 chapters over the course of two years, allowing each section to reveal its intimate poetic and spiritual nature. To her surprise, she discovered that the Tao was unmistakably feminine, consistently referred to as “mother,” “virgin,” and the “womb” of creation. Anderson explains how the Tao is a feminine force, the Dark Womb of Creation, the Immortal Void renewing life again and again in ordinary times and in times of crisis. She offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters to help reveal their profound wisdom. The author also restores the chapters’ simplicity and musical undertones, explaining how, in the original Chinese manuscripts, the text is poetic and rhymed because the Tao Te Ching was often recited or sung--yet most English translations are written in scholarly prose with long sentences and complex syntax. She shows how the great Tao’s message of wei wu wei--“act without acting” and “do without doing”--offers a path of peace and well-being for ourselves and for our relationships with others and the earth, a path that arises from spontaneous action that seeks no gain for the self. Capturing the original feminine nature of this ancient text, Anderson’s translation sheds new light on the esoteric wisdom contained within the Tao Te Ching and on the mystical feminine essence of the Tao.

This is not just another English version of the Tao Te Ching, this is the new English version that makes good sense to readers for the very first time in the history. While the Tao Te Ching is a famous ancient Chinese classic and has substantially influenced the lives of so many people over the centuries, it is also one of the most profound and misinterpreted spiritual and philosophical text. Some of its chapters may appear confusing and difficult to understand. What can you do when you just can not make sense of them? Yuhui Liang, a Tao Te Ching expert, has found many misinterpretations in many English and Chinese versions of The Tao Te Ching. After years of research and study, he has made significant progress in three important areas and successfully corrected all the misinterpretations. And his new translation let Lao Tzu's words finally make good sense to readers. His work takes the translation of the Tao Te Ching to the next level of better accuracy, coherence and contextualization, while keeping the sentences reasonably concise. You can benefit from this book whether you are a first time reader or a long time fan. It will help you read Lao Tzu's book with greater understanding, reexamine its original meaning, and find out what it means to you today. The content of this book: Introduction, Translation, Pinyin version, Annotation, Notes, and a Brief Analysis of the Symbol Pair for each of eighty one chapters.