Tao Te Ching

The Essential Translation of the Ancient Chinese Book of the Tao

By: Lao Tzu, John Minford - translator, John Minford - introduction, John Minford

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

The original mindfulness book, in a landmark new translation by the award-winning translator of the I Ching and The Art of War

The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Tao,” is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three major religions of ancient China. As one of the world’s great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining greater self-awareness. With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life.

This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching’s eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

Critic reviews

“The power of the ­Lao-­tzu’s imagery and, ultimately, the simplicity of its message seem to be able to overcome the problems of language and of distance in time and place, so that at the end of the twentieth century, this has become one of the most influential of texts, cherished by people in all walks of life throughout the world.” –from the Introduction by Sarah Allan

Beautiful

Just finished 🙌🏻 The Tao is such a beautiful work of art, and the translation was great. Thank you for the footnotes and added information, it made consuming the book a lot easier.

A book for humanity

Enjoyed every bit and believe there is value in this for everyone to benefit from.

Exceptional reading, exceptional translation/ interpretation!

The introductory study is exceptional in itself. I’ve read many translations, in several languages over the past 40 yrs, but none touched me as this one. Glad to have discovered it, at last!

Needs More Narrators

This was a decent book featuring the original text of the Tao and also commentaries from ancient and modern sources. It would have been much improved if there were different readers for the various characters or if the narrator used different voices.

Bewildered which I suppose is the point

I knew quite a few things before I started. I know less after, but still a few things, so I guess I’ll have to read it again.

The format of this version is newbie friendly - a solid intro with just the right amount of historical context, a digestible text of Tao bite, each followed by selected commentaries - eases us in. If you’re looking to familiarise yourself with this classic, I recommend starting with this edition.