15 June 2005

Tao Te Ching

My favourite version is translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (ISBN 0872202321). "This crystalline translation of the Tao Te Ching is accurate down to the nuance and as concisely poetic as the original. It preserves the quirks and flavors of the original text. The translators hearkened to the message of the book itself, and kept it clear and gently strong. Of the many translations I have read in English this is unquestionably the best." Gary Snyder
It is also one of the most beautiful books I have seen; the ink drawings/calligraphy are astonishing. I also use the Shambhala Pocket Edition translated by John Wu and the translation of the alternative text (Ma-wang-tui) by Robert Henricks. They're all quite different.
There are also interactive versions on the net.

The other three classic Taoist texts are the I Ching, Chuang Tzu & the Lieh Tzu.

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