Rating: 
Summary: A classic work, a magnificent rendition
Review: This translation of Lao Tsu's work is the most lyrical and the most graceful rendition I have encountered. The format -- individual verses set alongside beautiful photographs on each two-page spread -- lends itself to the deep contemplation of small bits of wisdom, which is a fine place to start such a journey
Rating:
Summary: Simple wisdom for eternity
Review: This was the only personal book I had in my possession during my junior year of highschool when I was living with my paternal grandparents (most of the rest of my family's possessions were in storage in my other grandparents' house; long story). Since I discovered it on my parents' bookshelves in January of 1995, I have read it many times and never fail to experience the same sense of awe and agreement as I did the very first time. The ancient and beautiful words of Lao-Tzu helped to get me through a very tough year, and the description of the Tao as one, eternal, forever unchanging, the mother of the ten thousand things, unfathomable, unable to be truly grasped, nameless, elusive and intangible, and hidden deep yet ever present, strikes me as very similar to the Jewish belief in one God, one Divine Force which never changes and is unable to be fully grasped either. There are so many beautiful lines in here, so many true observations about human character, the Tao (or God, the Divine, Vishnu, Goddess, Great Spirit, however you call it), virtue, human nature, the nature of things. So many times Lao-Tzu points out that we cannot know something (like beauty, good, high, low, short, long, harmony, or softness) without experiencing its opposite. We are only able to see good as good because there is Evil in the world too, and beauty as beauty because there is ugliness. He also often mentions how these opposites can contrast and complement one another, follow one another, and overcome one another. One such example is that a small country can overcome a large nation which conquers it by submitting to it. I also love Chapter 31, which states that "[g]ood weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them," going on to say that a wise man (or woman) only uses weapons when one has no choice, and that "war is conducted like a funeral."This is one of the most famous and important holy books in world religion, yet unlike the longer and more complex works such as the Bible, Koran, and Vedas, this is amazingly simple, easy to interpret, not hard to read or to study, and easy to sum up: "Simply be."
Rating:
Summary: Calm and true
Review: This work explores the place in the middle, where God dwells.
Rating:
Summary: A non-path, a non-book...etc...
Review: Those who can write a review of this book do not need to write a review of this book.
Those who want to read it need not read it.
Those who take stock in reviews need take stock in nothing.
Read it, do not read it.
Having not read it, write it.
Having written it, reread it.
Etc..
Rating:
Summary: "The Tao that can be reviewed is not the eternal Tao."
Review: those who understand don't review
and those who review don't understand,
unless they do.
Rating:
Summary: Tao Te Ching
Review: Uplifts the spirit continually. A book for a lifetime companion
Rating:
Summary: Stirring Words To Live By
Review: While most religious writings claim to promote peace, happiness, charity and respect for nature, Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching does so elegantly and unequivocally. With the Tao, one does not have to perform intellectual gymnastics to resolve the myriad of contradictions inherent in the teachings of the major monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity or Islam; its message is gracefully articulated and as explicit as it is sublime. For as the Tao says:
What is firmly established cannot be uprooted.
What is firmly grasped cannot slip away.
It will be honored from generation to generation. I have read many different translations of this book including Mitchell's, Cleary's, and Needleman's and while all have their own particular merits, Gia-Fu Feng's is for me the best. It should be said that I am not basing this opinion on any deep knowledge of the Chinese language, only my own intuitive feeling that the text evokes and the subtle effect of the words in my mind. Free of commentary, but accompanied by enchanting images of the natural world, this edition conveys the finest expression of the most immanent sense of the Tao. Although the Tao can be read in an hour, it is a work that is replete with a vibrancy that reveals more with each reading. The Tao is truly a set of precepts to be contemplated best while alone in wild nature, in fact it promotes and cultivates just such a dialectic between humanity and the natural environment-one which we have been deprived of for far too long and must recover. The Tao provides one possible path it is up to us however to choose it. Before receiving
There must be giving. This is called perception of the nature of things.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Wisdom For Eternal Application. 10 Stars!
Review: Written centuries ago, the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tsu, brings humanity profoundly enlightened wisdom that when applied, will lift you into BEING, and free you from the pain of seeking. This 25th anniversary edition is beautiful, with illustrations, calligraphy, and breathtaking quotes that you can share with others to uplift their lives. A GREAT book to bring with you and look through whether you are waiting in an office for an appointment, in stand-still traffic, or especially if you are out in nature, and want to inhale the wisdom that best accompanies a natural environment. The words are timeless and priceless because of the profound truth they bring.
You will learn much, and gain a great deal from the wisdom in this book.
Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English did an outstanding job in translation. Highly Recommended!
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