Tao Te Ching

Starred review from November 15, 2018
Long a magnet for translators, the Tao Te Ching has held John Minford under its spell for more than 50 years. As the fruit of his decades spent pondering its themes, this translation recasts the gnomic original Chinese text in aphoristic poetry, drawing the attentive reader deep into one of the world's oldest spiritual traditions. The introduction provides cultural context for this ancient scripture, elucidating with particular care its relationship to China's other foundational text: The Analects of Confucius. Just as illuminating, the Taoist Florilegium with which Minford concludes his volume gives readers a glossary of terms in his translation, including So-of-Itself, Non-Action, Breath-Energy, and?of course? The Tao. Drawn chiefly from a legendary River Master and a High Master of the Quanzhen Taoist school, the commentaries Minford appends to each of the 81 chapters offer further insights into a daunting text that in its opening words declares the impossibility of capturing its message in words. Yet in simple but resonantly phrased language, Minford somehow does unfold that message, so allowing English-speaking readers to share a perspective that has inspired the Chinese for centuries. Not striving to satisfy scholars, Minford writes for ordinary people seeking guidance in everyday life. Ancient wisdom for those facing twenty-first-century perplexities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)