Reviews

Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained by Derek Lin, Laozi

davehershey's review against another edition

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4.0

One of my mini-projects this year is reading some of the great works of world religions. I majored in Religious Studies at Penn State University. But that was two decades ago and even then I focused on Western religions. So I read the Quran and studied Islam, but didn’t do much with Buddhism, Hinduism or Taoism. I’m feeling like its time for me to dig into this ancient wisdom.

As I work through these works, I am doing so as a Christian. But I’m not reading with any sort of motivation to prove these other religions wrong or anything like that. I may have come at it like that twenty years ago. Yet with age comes wisdom (I hope) and its more fruitful to learn from others than arrogantly look for ways to attack them. Also, the idea that you could “prove” an entire religion wrong is nonsensical. It reminds me of a quote from David Bentley Hart’s recent book Tradition and Apocalypse.

I’m too lazy to look up the quote (such laziness I suspect would disappoint wisdom masters of any tradition). Hart’s point was that “religions” as structures totally true or false is a creation of the modern world. Against this, religion is something all humans do and there is much, much overlap.

With that introduction, I enjoyed this translation of the Tao Te Ching, one of the classic works of Taoism from Lao Tsu in the 5th century BCE. Each of the 81 sayings includes brief commentary, which is quite helpful. I read about five a day, reading each once through then again with the commentary.

Early on, I felt like I was highlighting the entire thing. The first chapter is my favorite, and as a theist I cannot help but somewhat equate Tao with God here:

“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao1
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth.”

Then there’s plenty of practical wisdom:

“Too many words hasten failure
Cannot compare to keeping quiet” (ch. 5).

While the above is pretty basic, there is much wisdom that requires more deep reflection:

“Those who are on tiptoes cannot stand
Those who straddle cannot walk
hose who flaunt themselves are not clear
Those who presume themselves are not distinguished
Those who praise themselves have no merit
Those who boast about themselves do not last” (ch. 24)

There’s a lot in here about how to govern wisely. And perhaps the most well-known saying:

“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with the feet” (ch. 64).

Overall, this is worth reading for the student of religions, wisdom and spirituality.

doowpik's review

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inspiring reflective

4.0

htb2050's review against another edition

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1.0

Not my cup of tea.

brogan7's review

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I requested this translation as I had read it was closest to the original, or at least, that Derek Lin had gone back to the original to make a whole new translation, not basing his translation on others or on poetic versions of previous translations.  While this may be true, the blunt style didn't do anything for this reader.  The commentary/annotations were okay, but again, not super helpful or explanatory.

natertot's review

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

silvernfire's review against another edition

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4.0

Review of Tao Te Ching: Annotated and Explained: I thought that this translation was quite readable, and I appreciated the facing-page commentary. I understand that the translator wanted to point out what distinguishes his translation from all the rest, but sometimes this came across as sniping at other translators. Still, this wouldn't be a bad first Tao Te Ching to read.

steveinadelaide's review against another edition

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4.0

First time I've read the Tao Te Ching. Simple but profound advice for living. Simple to understand translation and the annotations and explanations are clear and helpful.
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