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Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic Paperback – February 8, 2011

by Lao Tzu (Author), Takuan Soho (Author), Thomas Cleary (Translator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 31 ratings
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This version of the Tao Te Ching presents the classic in a unique light, through the eyes of a renowned master of the Rinzai Zen tradition. Takuan Soho, who lived from 1573 to 1645, was an acerbic, witty, free spirit; a painter, poet, author, calligrapher, gardener, and a tea master. He was also a confidant and teacher to shoguns and many other powerful and famous figures, among them the famed swordsmen Yagyu Munenori and, according to legend, Miyamoto Musashi.

True to the teachings of the Tao Te Ching itself, as well as to the tradition of Zen, Takuan draws from everyday experience and common sense, to reveal the basic sanity of nature and the inherent wholeness of life. Takuan reveals how the Tao Te Ching applies to a wide range of concerns, including health, personal relationships, and individual lifestyle. He interprets the text through a philosophical and psychological lens, and also elucidates its radical social and political concepts.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Shambhala
  4. Publication date
    February 8, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    5.53 x 0.55 x 8.53 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1590308964
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1590308967
  8. Lexile measure
    910L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Renders the classic anew and authentically, accompanied by Chinese ink paintings and ancillary material.”—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Thomas Cleary holds a Ph.D in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University. He is the translator of more than fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shambhala; Reprint edition (February 8, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590308964
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590308967
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 910L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.53 x 0.55 x 8.53 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

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  1. Thomas Cleary

    Thomas Cleary

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    Thomas Cleary is the preeminent translator of classic Eastern texts, including The Essential Tao, The Essential Confucius, The Secret of the Golden Flower, and the bestselling The Art of War.

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  2. Lao-Tzu

    Lao-Tzu

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
31 global ratings
Alright
4 Stars
Alright
It came in a bubble wrap package so that explains why the book looks it has been roughed up on the way here but other than that i like it
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Top reviews from the United States

Daniel
5.0 out of 5 stars The best Tao Te Ching available
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
The fact alone that this is the only version (that I'm aware of) that includes a commentary by the legendary Japanese Zen writer Takuan Soho , means that this is the only Tao Te Ching that you should even consider buying or having.

The fact that it was translated by Thomas Cleary, simply reinforces the fact that this is the best of all translations.
2 people found this helpful
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Frank
5.0 out of 5 stars Past, Present, and Future
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
My first exposure to the Tao Te Ching was the Stephen Mitchell translation on YouTube. I have since bought the Cleary translation with interpretation by Takuan Soho. Takuan Soho was a Zen monk during the late Azuchi–Momoyama period and early Edo period He provides a faithful, concise exposition that feels as accessible today as it would have in the 1600’s.
4 people found this helpful
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Carlos
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice translation without religious bias
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
Must have this version if you dislike to see the god word in a translation.
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Daniel Ribeiro Branco
5.0 out of 5 stars classic
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2013
Verified Purchase
Takuan's commentaries can help the occidental reader to get closer to this classic: A classic with a great commentator. Recomended.
3 people found this helpful
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Sean M Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars The commentary is worthy
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
Takuan Soho's commentary really clarifies and adds deeper contemplations to your study
3 people found this helpful
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Jay J. Robbins
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
nice zen perspective on daoist classic
One person found this helpful
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Bilz
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2015
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Keen insights.
One person found this helpful
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Don Vito
4.0 out of 5 stars Alright
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
It came in a bubble wrap package so that explains why the book looks it has been roughed up on the way here but other than that i like it
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Don Vito
4.0 out of 5 stars Alright
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
It came in a bubble wrap package so that explains why the book looks it has been roughed up on the way here but other than that i like it
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Top reviews from other countries

Max
5.0 out of 5 stars A plain book
Reviewed in Canada on June 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Lao-tzu's book of mystical proverbs illustrates the many paradoxes of human life. The commentary of Takuan Soho is also quite interesting. This is a classic book for sure. The writing style and tone of the book never seem to change from beginning to end. A plain and simple book in my eyes. There are so many quotes I like from this book that I cannot fit them all here, so I will limit myself to ten:

"Nothing in the world is softer and more yielding than water, yet nothing can surpass it in attacking the firm and strong; nothing does it more easily." (ch. 78)
"Those who contrive spoil it, those who grasp lose it; sages have no contrivance, hence no failure; they have no clinging, hence no loss." (ch. 64)
"Sages have no constant mind; they make the minds of the people their mind. The good, I also consider good; those who are not good, I also consider good, and so obtain goodness. The trustworthy, I trust; those who are not trustworthy, I also trust, and so gain trust." (ch. 49)
"The practice of learning adds daily; the practice of the Way reduces daily; reducing and reducing, until reaching where there is no doing. There is no doing, but nothing is not done." (ch. 48)
"after losing the Way there's virtue; after losing virtue there's benevolence; after losing benevolence there's duty; after losing duty there's courtesy." (ch. 38)
"A way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way; a name that can be named is not a constant name." (ch. 1)
"The Way is the secret of all things, the treasure of good people, the refuge of people who are not good." (ch. 62)
"Fine speech can be used to sell, noble conduct can be used to oppress people: what is not good in people, why reject it?" (ch. 62)
"Those who are equanimous toward the Way are just as happy to attain the Way. Those who are equanimous toward virtue are just as happy to have virtue. Those who are equanimous toward failure are just as happy when they experience failure." (ch. 23)
"Great directness seems roundabout. Great skill seems clumsy." (ch. 45)
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