The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing): A Plain English Version

By Gordon J. Van De Water

For twenty years, Gordon J. Van De Water has collected editions of the world classic the Tao Te Ching and pondered this ancient, yet still vibrant Chinese text of wisdom literature. Written in the sixth century before the Common Era and ascribed to Lao Tzu, a venerable sage, it offers a guide to life based on adherence to the Tao or Mother Nature, those forces and powers that govern and shape both the world and human nature.

Its eighty-one verses repeatedly emphasize seeking harmony through simplicity, the rejection of the trappings of material wealth and the arrogance of power, and identification with the great underlying forces of the universe. Many of the verses also offer practical wisdom for those in leadership positions.

So fascinating has been the compressed wisdom of the Tao Te Ching that it has been translated into many languages more often than any other book except the Bible. Van De Water has sought to strike to the heart of this highly compressed and often enigmatic text by creating a plain English version that highlights the continuing relevance of the Tao Te Ching for our complex and oft troubled times. His interpretation also includes an introduction, selected translations and interpretations in English by pioneering scholars, and an extensive bibliography of translations and interpretations in English.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781456814106

Gordon J. Van De Water

Gordon J. Van De Water has long collected books dealing with California and the West, including many first editions of the eighty titles known as The Zamorano 80, which were selected in 1945 by the Zamorano Club of Los Angeles. These titles, dating from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, are distinguished works of exploration and travel, history, politics, fiction, and poetry that are cornerstone volumes for any significant library of Californiana. Van De Water is a member of several book clubs and a Reader at the Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Currently he is serving on a Zamorano Club committee preparing a new list of significant California titles dating from 1870 to the later 20th century. His A Stroll by My Western Bookshelves: A Selection of Books from the Collection of Gordon J. Van De Water was published in 2009.

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Copyright © 2011 by Gordon J. Van De Water.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010916760

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4568-1409-0

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4568-1408-3

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4568-1410-6

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Dedicated to a close friend of almost sixty years,

WILLIAM NORRIS ROGERS II,

who innocently introduced me to the

Tao Te Ching

some twenty years ago,

and who has tendered

his skills as a copy editor

on a work that is in

numerous ways a testament to

a friendship of many decades.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

The

Tao Te Ching

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

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Verse 24

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Verse 26

Verse 27

Verse 28

Verse 29

Verse 30

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Verse 33

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Verse 37

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Verse 40

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Verse 50

Verse 51

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Verse 63

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Verse 70

Verse 71

Verse 72

Verse 73

Verse 74

Verse 75

Verse 76

Verse 77

Verse 78

Verse 79

Verse 80

Verse 81

ADDENDUM

Book List for Further Reading:

INTRODUCTION

Next to the Bible, the sixth century B.C.E. Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu is the most translated book in the world. Some scholars contend there may not have been an actual individual named Lao-Tzu, but rather a number of contemplative men who over a lengthy period created the texts called the Tao Te Ching—the classic book of how to be in harmony with the natural order of things. However, it really does not matter who set down the original words, even though this might help explain some of the inconsistencies and repetitions within the original text. The Tao Te Ching was directed to those responsible for the administration of large and small provinces or regions in a China of long ago. But the work today reaches a universal audience through a philosophy of life that has made it an enduring classic not only in China, but also in world literature. Although there can never be a perfect rendering of this work in another language, I hope readers will find my version a useful and understandable introduction to an ancient, but still vital text that continues to be read as a guide to a fuller life by millions in many cultures.

During the past twenty years I have collected a shelf of learned as well as popular English language translations and interpretations of the Tao Te Ching, including the earliest translation into English (1868) by John Chalmers. Some are quite scholarly, with detailed explanatory notes probing the