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 Chinese 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.
Review by Kadante Gómez-Ferrer
One of the origin stories of the “Tao te ching” says that the sage Lao Tzu was in turmoil about the state of the world and was preparing himself to live the rest of his life in the secluded mountains. Due to his experience as a powerful sage he was asked if he could stay for a while longer so that he may document his wisdom and philosophy for others to learn from. Many believe that “Lao Tzu” is actually an amalgam of many sages and many philosophies of the time as opposed to being a single person. But regardless of the true origin it is clear that the “Tao Te Ching” is a highly regarded and exceptional piece of work. “Tao Te Ching” can be translated into “the way and its power” but from my understanding the tao speaks on the true power of balance. The iconic yin yang embodies this philosophy and when reading the text in this book you can see how a quest for balance can lead to a lifetime of self-study and improvement. A lifetime committed to the middle way and finding “the center.” A lifetime committed to understanding the physical nature of a tree as well as understanding the wind and the spaces between the leaves.
My teacher I’haleakala Hew Len taught me very similarly that the goal in life is to choose to flow with inspiration(tao) as opposed to being bound by memory. To flow from the inspired eternal Tao(divinity) instead of only replaying the memories of mankind.
There are many great interpretations of the tao te ching and so far I have been lucky enough to read three of them. The first Tao Te Ching I read was translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English and it changed my life. But my favorite version of the Tao Te Ching comes from “The Tao Box” which was was gifted to me by my mother (founder of In The Flow Studios.) It is a box set with cards about the Tao as well as a companion book further explaining the cards. The book within is titled “Wisdom Of The Tao” adapted and interpreted by, Priya Hemenway. Her spiritual awareness took an already amazing work and helped me understand it in deeper ways.
If you are unsure wether or not you want to read this book I say you should buy it and read it anyways. It is not a technical type of book and you could read it in a day if you wanted to. If you’re anything like me, the philosophy will stick with you for a long time and you might even be inclined to re-read it a few times! And if not, at least you gave yourself the opportunity to be exposed to some beautiful taoist poetry.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
About Lao TzuLaozi, (Chinese: “Master Lao” or “Old Master”) deified as Lao Jun, Tai Shang Lao-Jun, or Tai Shang Xuanyuan Huangdi, also called Lao Dun or Lao Dan, (flourished 6th century BCE, China), the first philosopher of Chinese Daoism and the alleged author of the Daodejing, a primary Daoist writing. Modern scholars discount the possibility that the Daodejing was written by only one person but readily acknowledge the influence of Daoism on the development of Buddhism. Laozi is venerated as a philosopher by Confucians and as a saint or god in popular religion and was worshipped as an imperial ancestor during the Tang dynasty (618–907). (See also Daoism.)
POI
