Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Perennial Classics),   ISBN:9780061142666

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I did not look at what size it was when I ordered this book for a class, but the littler size was perfect because if fit into my pocket! It was in fabulous shape and I got it very quickly. Thanks for a great experience! This is kind of an experience is why I buy online through Amazon!

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This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's so universal and it really hits home. I've been on a spiritual journey for a while now and a friend of mine mentioned Taoism and the Tao Te Ching. It is such a blessing to read this beautiful piece of work and very enlightening. I'm so glad I found the Tao, or the Way. Being an Episcopalian I never would have to thought to look at Christianity like this. Even though I know this was all written before Christianity and that Taoism is considerably older than Christianity, and the Bible, it has really helped me put things into perspective. It's also very comforting to read and is nice to KNOW that we are all one with the Tao if we open ourselves to it. But we are one with it!

Taken from chapter 23:

If you open yourself to the Tao,
you are at one with the Tao
and you can embody it completely.
If you open yourself to insight,
you are at one with insight
and you can use it completely.
If you open yourself to loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it completely.

Open yourself to the Tao,
then trust your natural responses;
and everything will fall into place.

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This book was brand new and it came way earlier than I'd expected. I'm very pleased with it. Thanks.

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The soul of Chinese literature is poetry: from oldest "Book of Odes" to TangShu (Tang poetry) to SongZu (Song dynasty poetry) to YungQu (Yung dynasty poetry) . Underneath this glorious landscape were Lao Tzu's (551 B.C.) influences running through gem-like poems by Wang Wei, Li Po, Mon Ho Jung(701-761) and reached the sea of Japanese Haiku poets, Basho, Issa and Buson(1644-1694). It is obviously the prerequisite read for anyone who wants to understand Chinese culture and philosophies of Zen. Lao Tzu's impact goes further beyond that: as the "most widely translated book in world literature, after the bible," TAO TE CHING finds religious and political leaders, business owners and enlightened masters, readers and writers alike worldwide, return to the source of his words and find its use inexhaustible.

In certain times of ancient Chinese history, TAO TE CHING was reserved for emperors and rulers, while commoners were instructed to study Confucius and Mo Tzu. This is because Lao Tzu's spiritual scripture is liberating and best suited for people ready to unlearn what they learned, let go of their egos and emptied their minds from the world of experience for the being of higher innocence. Thus Lao Tzu teaches truth through words of paradox:

All streams flow to the sea
because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it its power. (66)

In 81 brief chapters, Tao Te Ching "looks at the basic predicament of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit (Book cover). Mr. Mitchell interprets Lao Tzu, the erudite librarian and eminent scholar correctly when he writes, "it's clear from his teachings that he deeply cared about society, if society means the welfare of one's fellow human beings; his book is, among other things, a treatise on the art of government, whether of a country or of a child." The reactions upon reading Lao Tzu's words range from "babbling" to "lofty" but actually his teaching couldn't be easier:

I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures. (67)

TAO TE CHING in its original Chinese text is referred to as "one of the wonders of the world". As a Chinese-American poet who reads traditional Chinese, I can attest to the truth of the statement. Every word chosen by Lao Tzu is a microcosmic image of macrocosmic world, complete with sound, tone, shape and rhythm symmetry, and metaphoric resonance. The loss of Chinese characters in the process of translation is irreplaceable and in many case, one is not reading TAO TE CHING anymore. My quest for great English translation of TAO TE CHING did not stop until I find Mr. Mitchell's New English version. It takes a poet and a scholar to translate another. Though no translation comes close to the original TAO TE CHING, under Mitchell's exquisite rendering, Lao Tzu speaks perfect English. If Lao Tzu is the most-read Chinese philosopher in America today, Mr. Mitchell is in "good part responsible". While Mr. Mitchell's translation is the best place to start, all other translated work of TAO TE CHING have their merits. They are puzzle pieces for a better glimpse of the continent of the Way. But as proverb goes, "don't look at the hand that points to the moon. Look at the moon." Ultimately, we should all be looking at the truth that Lao Tzu is pointing to, be it English or Chinese.
(This text refers to the Hardcover edition.)

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching (Asian Institute Translations, No 1)

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This was a beautiful expression of the Tao Te Ching - I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Stephen also includes notes at the end for each chapter, which adds another dimension to the translation. Very, very well done... a timeless classic.