Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu, D. C. Lau (Translator)

Overview

'Have little thought of self and as few desires as possible'

Whether or not Lao Tzu was a historical figure is uncertain, but the wisdom gathered under his name in the fourth century BC is central to the understanding and practice of Taoism. One of the three great religions of China, Taoism is based upon a concept of the Tao, or Way, as the universal power through which all life flows. The Tao Te Ching offers a practical model by which both the individual and society can embody this belief, encouraging modesty and self-restraint as the true path to a harmonious and balanced existence.

Translated with an Introduction by D. C. Lau

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141922324
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	07/25/1974
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	562,559
File size:	539 KB

About the Author

Lao Tzu is a Chinese philosopher and founder of the Taoist religion in China. His name means 'Old Master'. He worked as a librarian at the court of Chou. When the kingdom showed signs of decay, Lao Tzu left and was never heard of again. Tao Te Chingis said to be his the principles of his philosophy.
D. C. Lau read Chinese at the University of Hong Kong and in 1946 he went to Glasgow where he read philosophy.

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Excerpted from "Tao Te Ching"
by Lao Tzu.
Copyright © 2010 Lao Tzu.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

	Introduction	vii
Book 13
Book 243
	List of Passages for Comparison	89
	Appendices
1	The Problem of Authorship	90
2	The Nature of the Work	104
	Chronological Table	115
	Glossary	116
	Notes	126

Editorial Reviews

"It would be hard to find a fresh approach to a text that ranks only behind the Bible as the most widely translated book in the world, but Star achieves that goal. . . . As fascinating to the casual scholar as it is for the serious student." -NAPRA ReView "Jonathan Star's Tao Te Ching achieves the essential: It clarifies the meaning of the text without in the slightest reducing its mystery." -Jacob Needleman

From the Publisher