Lao-Tzu: Te-Tao Ching: A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang tui TextsLao-tzu’s Te-Tao Ching has been treasured for thousands of years for its poetic statement of life’s most profound and elusive truths. Although the Te-Tao Ching is widely read, the author’s enigmatic style and the less than perfect condition of the Chinese originals make many of its brief poems difficult to understand. So readers of find literature hailed the discovery, in 1973, of two copies of the Te-Tao Ching which had been buried in 168 B.C. These manuscripts are more than five centuries older than any others known, and they correct many defects of later versions: their grammar and vocabulary frequently make the classic easier to understand; lost lines are restored (as many as three in some poems); some sections follow a more logical sequence. Such differences make it necessary to reevaluate traditional interpretations of the Te-Tao Ching, and Professor Henricks has done this in an extensive commentary to his excellent new translation. In addition, Professor Henricks has provided an introduction that explains the basics of Taoism and discusses the many other important finds from Ma-want-tui. |
Contents
Translators Note | 3 |
Translation with Text Commentary and Notes | 91 |
Additional Notes | 263 |
Bibliography | 277 |
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Common terms and phrases
achieves his result beginning ch'i characters Cheng chih Chinese ching Chuang-tzu COMMENTS AND NOTES complete Confucian constant virtue constantly copyist D. C. Lau death desires dwell empty grammatical grammatical particles Han mu head of line Heaven and Earth heng Henricks hold knowledge Lao-tzu text last line later editions later texts Lau Lau line 12 line 9 line between lines literally say live Ma-wang Ma-wang-tui texts Ma-wang-tui version marquises and kings means meditation mind missing from Text nature NOTES In line NOTES Text occur omitted one's particle philosophical phrase po-shu Lao-tzu reasons for acting regard remains of Text righteousness ruler Sage seems shih simply start of line t'ien-hsia takes action Tao Te Ching Taoist text of Lao-tzu tranquility tui texts uncarved wood understand variant Wang Pi wang-tui texts weapons words wu-wei Yellow Emperor