Tao te Ching

M

Mikey

The Living Force
In one of his videos, Jordan Peterson pointed out his favorite translation of the Tao te Ching: by Stan Rosenthal. He also suggested reading it. Having read (or trying to read) the translation by D. C. Lau, but not understanding much due to a somewhat abstract language (probably my fault), Rosenthal's translation immediately struck me as much more transparent. I could not find a paperback copy, it seems to be an online version only. Here are the resources - grab it while it's still there:

http://enlight.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-AN/an142304.pdf
Tao Te Chig, English by Stan Rosenthal, Terebess Asia Online (TAO)

Did anybody read the Tao te Ching, and did you benefit from it? If so, how?
 
I read it while I was in high school, my father gave me his copy. The only thing I remember is that it brought tranquility to my teenage years. It made me feel connected with myself. Kind of like bringing order into chaos. I didn't had any "ordering" system in my life and those readings provided some meaning.
 
You have to be very careful with the translations of the Daodejing. The one by Rosenthal is easy to read, but is one of the more inaccurate ones.

Classical Chinese texts usually don't make much sense, or are difficult to interpret without the commentaries.
And when you read commentaries, you also need to take into account by whom they were written, and what their agenda was.
With the Daodejing, most Chinese read the commentaries by Wang Bi and Heshang Gong. The former reflect a more scholarly approach to the Daodejing, whereas the latter formed the basis for later developments in practical/religious Daoism.
Both commentaries have been translated into English:

https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Read...2&keywords=chinese+reading+of+the+dao+de+jing

https://www.amazon.com/Ho-Shang-Kun...D=51vX-KtLYfL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=detail
 
This site has three translations: Tao Te Ching - The Core Book of Taoism each with a little different "feel" to it. I have read the Tao te Ching many times. I get of sense of truth without being demanding. The flow of time. Things being right as they are. Deep yet not deep at all.
Thanks Mikey for the Stan Rosenthal translation. Hopefully Jordon at some point do some lectures on it as he said he might.
 
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