Renowned international scholars examine crucial issues surrounding the Laozi, the third century B.C.E. Chinese classic also known as the Daodejing in this indispensable volume. The work offers diverse interpretations, a wide range of scholarly traditions, and a variety of ways to engage, ponder, and evaluate the Laozi. Contributors include Robert Henricks, Zhang Longxi, Tateno Masami, Isabelle Robinet, Harold D. Roth, Bryan W. Van Norden, and Liu Xiaogan.

The Laozi (Daodejing) and the Zhuangzi have long been familiar to Western readers and have served as basic sources of knowledge about early Chinese Daoism. Modern translations and studies of these works have encouraged a perception of Daoism as a mystical philosophy heavy with political implications that advises kings to become one with the Dao. Breaking with this standard approach, The Pristine Dao argues that the Laozi and the Zhuangzi participated in a much wider tradition of metaphysical discourse that included a larger corpus of early Chinese writings. This book demonstrates that early Daoist discourse possessed a distinct, textually constituted coherence and a religious sensibility that starkly differed from the intellectual background of all other traditions of early China, including Confucianism. The author argues that this discourse is best analyzed through its emergence from the mythological imagination of early China, and that it was unified by a set of notions about the Dao that was shared by all of its participants. The author introduces certain categories from the Western religious and philosophical traditions in order to bring out the distinctive qualities constituting this discourse and to encourage its comparison with other religious and philosophical traditions.

Leading scholars examine religious and philosophical dimensions of the Chinese classic known as the Daodejing or Laozi.

The “Daodejing” (“Tao Te Ching”) was originally compiled over 2500 years ago in what is now northwestern central China. This new translation of Laozi's “Daodejing” attempts to present a fairly literal rendering of the short, ancient Classical Chinese text. The version of the “Daodejing” used here is the standard “received” text included in the young scholar Wang Bi's third century commentary. The entire Classical Chinese text is presented line by line, from right to left, on pages facing the lines of English translation. This translation differs from the dozens of previous translations (and hundreds of adaptations) of the “Daodejing” in that it doesn't project later cultural or religious beliefs back onto the text. It doesn't omit or add words in order to ignore or explain away those portions of the text that don't reflect a modern, enlightened worldview. Instead, footnotes are provided where necessary to explain how the book's 81 poems reflect the ancient customs and religious practices of Ancient China during what is known as the Warring States Period.All of the book's poems are concerned with the mystical life force Laozi calls the “Way” or a related, resonating personal force he calls “Virtue.” The poems have an intimate, knowing tone to them and touch on many of the concerns of Laozi's day. There are myriad universal deities to be honored and spirits in nature to be considered. There are the friendly spirits of ancestors to be cared for and the unfriendly ghosts of ancestors to be avoided. There are farmers, craftsman, soldiers, and aristocrats to be dealt with, and robbers, madmen, and itinerant philosophers to be on the alert for. There are treaties to be made and battles to be fought. Laozi good-naturedly instructs the reader on how the Way gives rise to Heaven, Earth, mankind, and the “ten thousand things.” Through the poems, he attempts to describe the indescribable: the Way's mysterious action-without-action and its effect on those who trust in it enough to let it guide their lives.

The Dao De Jing is one of the richest, most suggestive, and most popular works of philosophy and literature. Composed in China between the sixth and fourth centuries B.C., its enigmatic verses have inspired artists, philosophers, poets, religious thinkers, and general readers past and present. This new translation captures the beauty and nuance of the original work. In addition, the extensive and accessible commentary by Moss Roberts sheds light on the work’s historical and philosophical contexts and shows how the Dao De Jing addresses topics of relevance to our own times, such as politics, statecraft, cosmology, aesthetics, and ethics.

'Tâo Teh King' is the famed Chinese classic text written by the sage Laozi, founder of Taoism around 400 BC. The Tao Teh King, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism, which were largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China. Many artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and gardeners, have used the Tao Teh King as a source of inspiration. This version is the translation by James Legge.

The Tao Te Ching is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China.

This translation presents Daoism’s basic text in highly readable contemporary English. Incorporating the latest scholarship in the field (including the most recent discoveries of ancient manuscripts in the 1970s and '90s), the book explains Daodejing's often cryptic verses in a clear and concise way. The introduction interprets the Daodejing's poetic imagery in the context of ancient Chinese symbolism, and a brief philosophical analysis accompanies each of the 81 translated chapters of the Daodejing.

The Tao Te Ching ([tâu tɤ̌ tɕíŋ] (About this soundlisten), (simplified Chinese: 道德经; traditional Chinese: 道德經; pinyin: Dàodé Jīng), [a] also known as Lao Tzu or Laozi, [5] is a Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage Laozi. The text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated.[6] The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC, [7] but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written-or at least compiled-later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi.[8]The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China. Many artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and gardeners, have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has spread widely outside East Asia and it is among the most translated works in world literature.