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Tao Te Ching

By Lao Tzu
4.29 goodreads logo

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( 178,625 ratings, 9,227 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a foundational text of Taoist philosophy. It explores the nature of the Tao, a universal principle that guides all things, and offers wisdom on living harmoniously with it. The book blends poetry, philosophy, and spiritual insights, encouraging readers to find balance and simplicity in life.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are interested in exploring ancient wisdom and philosophy. It offers profound insights into living in harmony with the universe and finding inner peace. Ideal for readers seeking guidance on balance, simplicity, and spiritual growth, it is a timeless classic in Religion & Spirituality.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The original mindfulness book, in a landmark new translation by the award-winning translator of the I Ching and The Art of War.

A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with flaps and deckle-edged paper.

The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or "Book of the Tao," is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parables, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the "Way"—harmony with the life force of the universe.

Traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three great religions of ancient China. As one of the world's great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining enlightenment and self-awareness.

With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life.

This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching's eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Specially commissioned calligraphy for more than two hundred Chinese characters illustrates the book's essential themes.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

John Minford's translation of Tao Te Ching is highly praised for its clarity and depth, offering a lucid version celebrated for its poetic and resonant language. It effectively translates the ancient wisdom for modern readers, providing guidance for everyday life while maintaining the mystical essence of the original text.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143133803

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 August 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by John Minford

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 145.0mm

Height: 214.0mm

Weight: 409g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Lao-tzu, whose name means "Old Master," was, according to legend, a contemporary of Confucius in the sixth century B.C.E. and the founder of the philosophical tradition of Taoism. John Minford (editor/translator) is the translator of the Viking Penguin edition of the I Ching, for which he won the Australian Academy of the Humanities Medal for Excellence in Translation, as well as the acclaimed Viking Penguin edition of The Art of War. He is an emeritus professor of Chinese at the Australian National University.

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