Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained Paperback – Large Print, August 26, 2014

Perhaps there is no perfect translation of this ancient work, but the author explains the difficulties that translating an ancient book presents even to an expert fluent in ancient and modern Chinese and English such as himself. Moreover, I like it better overall than a dozen versions I have read in my life.

There is no rigorous peer review of Tao Te Ching translations. In this translation, every Chinese character is linked to an English word or phrase. It is translated by Derek Lin. When read side by side with other translations, you might feel you're reading two different books altogether. The translations of this wonderful book vary greatly. The need to keep as close to the original as possible and, at the same time, make it easy to read and understand the meaning is a difficult need to fulfill. But this translation does a great job.Eastern sacred texts, like eastern thought, is the polar opposite of western thought. The Chinese think of the individual only in relation to the collective. In the west, we tend to think of the individual as more important. Indeed, that's the basis on which America was founded.So, it's hard for many westerners to understand, much less apply, the Tao (pronounced DOW) in their own lives. There are parts of it that I simply can't come to grips with myself.Note: In each passage I quote, I'll give you the translation from the translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English first, followed by the Lin translation. Be aware that the latter has full annotations and explanations on the facing page. The former does not.One such passage that bothers me is:The Tao of heaven is to take fromthose who have too much and give tothose who do not have enough.Man's way is different.He takes from those who do not haveenough and give to those who alreadyhave too much.What man has more than enough andgives it to the world?Only the man of Tao.Therefore the sage works withoutrecognition. He achieves what has to be donewithout dwelling on it.He does not try to show his knowledge.===================The Tao of HeavenIs like drawing a bowLower that which is highRaise that which is lowReduce that which has excessAdd to that which has deficiencyThe Tao of HeavenReduces the excessiveAnd adds to the deficientThe Tao of people is not soReducing the deficientIn order to offer to the excessiveWho can offer their excess to the world?Only those who have the TaoTherefore, sages act without conceitAchieve without claiming creditThey do not wish to display their virtue.This translation says the art of archery is a metaphor for "hitting the target in life."Moreover, this translation does not put the socialist emphasis on the text but translates it into a more pleasing way and one with which I can agree and understand --- that makes more sense to me.The actual text reads less well. But the commentary makes more sense and helps me to understand the true meaning. This is why I value this translation.Now, my problem with this passage in the Jane English translation is that it is socialist and I'm a capitalist. It reads like Marx. But, we must understand the Chinese come from a different place in their thinking. While I can't adopt this passage in my own life, I value it for its representation of the time and place of Lao Tzu.On the other hand, there are other passages that speak to me and help me. For example:(From the Jane English translation)Those who know do not talk.Those who talk do not know.Keep your mouth closed.Guard your senses.Temper your sharpness.Simplify your problems.Mask your brightness.Be at one with the dust of the Earth.This is primal union.He who has achieved this stateIs unconcerned with friends andenemies, With good and harm, with honor anddisgrace. This therefore is the highest state ofman.The above passage makes sense to me. It has a libertarian tone and it appeals to my own belief system of listening more than talking, absorbing information and knowledge rather than providing it to others. We learn from listening, not talking. When we speak, we regurgitate our own thoughts. When we listen, we garner new information and knowledge.The above passage is from the Jane English translation. Now for the Derek Lin translation.Those who know do not talkThose who talk do not knowClose the mouthShut the doorsBlunt the sharpnessUnravel the knotsDim the glareMix the dustThis is called Mystic OnenessThey cannot obtain this and be closerThey cannot obtain this and be distantThey cannot obtain this and be benefitedThey cannot obtain this and be harmedThey cannot obtain this and be valuedThey cannot obtain this and be degradedTherefore, they become honored the world.This translation tells us the "dust" is a metaphor for the material world. Sharpness refers to the sharp edge of arrogance. It carefully explains each sentence and makes it clear.The Tao Te Ching is hard to understand in some places and in some translations. I read this lovely translation daily. It's nnotated and explained.This is a beautiful translation of this extraordinary masterpiece and I recommend it highly.- Susanna K. Hutcheson

The translator has put a lot of thought into this translation. As I read it, the translation masterfully uses the english language device of the strong verb, which enables the text to carry through its rhythm throughout the 81 chapters.I have just two overall criticisms, about the annotations, and about the purpose of the text. The annotations are more introductory narrative expositions than critical analysis. They are meant to prepare and open the reader to the chapters, not necessarily to elucidate the completeness of each line. To give just one example, chapter 11 discusses , in a nutshell, the nature of activity, creativity, and space, of which the annotations hardly provide an analysis (to give just one example). I would read the chapters as they stand, and look at the annotations only if there is a real question or lack of clarity about the chapters. Reading the other way around, or beginning with the annotations, and then moving to the chapters, risks screwing up the genuine experience of the complexities of the chapters that at the same time are also simple truths.Obviously, an entire world view on metaphysics and cosmology is used or presumed by the original author, and if this were to be defined or discussed in the one page annotations, it would raise the annotations beyond the introductory level for the purpose of which I am understanding them to have been written.Regarding the purpose of the text, it must be kept in mind that this book is a treatise on good government, which means it was written for someone who wants to rule. This makes the text doubly interesting. The book indicates that to rule well, the ruler must know the people s/he governs. This also means that the people, in order to live well, must understand the ruler in his/her different manifestations (see, for example, chapters 17 ff.). So the book must work both ways. More details could have been provided on this, in the foreword or in the annotations.

My wife and I are currently almost finished reading Derek Lin’s “The Tao of Joy”, 365 short essays on living the Tao. It is our 4th time through reading one essay each morning before we meditate, practice T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and go for a woods walk with our dog. I finally decided that it was time to tackle Derek Lin’s translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. For the past 40 years, I had never been able to make any sense of most of the other translations. So it was with great joy and relief that I read (twice) Lin’s translation and annotations. Probably the most important difference was in Lin’s translation of Wu Wei as “action without attachment to outcomes” instead of as “non-action” . Lin’s emphasis on diligent practice leading to effortless action was also important.

I wanted to read the Tao-Te Ching again after many years, and I couldn't find my old copy, and so I decided to buy a new one, finding there was suddenly a lot more to choose from than there was 30 years ago when I was limited to my local bookshops.In the end, based on good reviews, descriptions, comments on forums, and a look inside those books that had that feature on Amazon, I went with this one.Unlike many others, this one translates the book as literally as possible – at least so it claims – avoiding the common problem of the translator also interpreting the text in their choice of words for the translation. But does it, really?Now, a literal translation has its own issues. In order for it to be comprehensive, especially for what is, in essence, a book of poetry, it needs to explain all possible double meanings and nuances of meaning that can thus all be valid at the same time. It needs to relate to us the intended effect of poetic devices that don't translate into English.The problem with this volume is that the parallel notes that, for a purely literal translation, should have that single purpose: to elaborate on double meanings, and to clarify the meaning of idioms, metaphors, historical connotations and aphorisms, and to tell us about the poetic devices of the original, in the context of other poetry of the time period.Derek Lin does that too, very sparingly, but mostly he does something else: he provides us with what a literal translation should leave up to the reader, an interpretation of the meaning of the text. You may give him some leeway and call it an explanation, but in explaining it, he also, inevitably, offers us the solution (but his, not ours) rather than just showing us the mystery.Most of the time, his interpretations are good, harmless, and even clarify the meaning of the literal words as they should, but on a few occasions, he displays a complete lack of understanding of the text (usually in how it ties together using poetical devices, missing intended juxtapositions and contrasts, for instance), and a few times he even brings in what I can only presume are his own fanciful notions that have no connection neither with the Tao, this book, or with the real world. They are easy to ignore, of course, even if they stick out quite jarringly.So, while this purports to be a literal translation, the main purpose of which should be allowing the readers to make up their own minds, that does require ignoring all but the notes clarifying the meaning of the text. Still, the inconsistency in the notes makes me question the validity of the translation itself, and how much has been missed.Is there a better translation out there?I think the best way to read the Tao-Te-Ching is to read several translations, comparing with the original Chinese text and with each other. Somewhere, in the similarities and differences between them, one might eventually find the true reading of the text.When it comes to literal translations, I found a far superior one in "Dao De Jing - In Clear English" by Jeff Pepper and Xiao Hui Wang. While it makes no claim to be a proper academic edition, it provides both the academically minded and the truth-seeking reader with the essentials: a clear literal translation in English, but also the original (in simplified Chinese, and like other good translations based on a combination of extant versions, including the Goudian slips) a character by character translation, and essential notes on meaning.

As title says, the best version of the book out there. Explained by an expert in the field. I don't think you can get a better version if you tried. Tells the verse then explains it afterwards. What more could you want.

Each chapter contains a thoughtful explanation of the thinking behind the words. This book makes more sense than other versions I have read which leave the reader to interpret some odd sounding phrases, possibly because the 'translator' is first having to interpret the Chinese symbols with the aid of a dictionary and no working knowledge of Chinese. I don't speak Chinese but I am aware of the possibility of things being lost in translation between the two languages.

Derek Lin's explanation of the text is very informative and therefore essential.

Very good explanation and translation of the original text.Written in a way is easy to understand