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monogatari's review against another edition
I read Ursula K. Le Guin's version of Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching."
I think I need to read a different translation before finalizing my thoughts on this text...
I think I need to read a different translation before finalizing my thoughts on this text...
vtuber's review against another edition
5.0
i've never connected with any sort of religious or spiritual text in my life before this. im seeing that a lot of people are saying this "went completely over their head" but i feel like i just took lsd so here's the best way i can articulate my thoughts about this
i've always thought that i don't need a god, i don't need a true source, etc. because i believe in myself and others. while i still do believe in myself and others before anything, i do like the idea of an unknowable mystery force- not a conscious entity, but something more abstract- that is a place of ultimate safety.
i also like that the tao te ching takes such a feminine angle to approaching life. success and peace involves yielding and softness. i think the recurring water metaphor ties into this too. it encourages you to put yourself into the flow of things, into the water, into the center of the dao, and in order to do this you have to yield and accept the dao as existing within you.
i think the thing i least connected with was the "doing not-doing" parts, but even then i still sort of get what this is going after. the correct answer and way to solve the problem will come to you naturally without you doing any conscious thinking about it. the idea of this kind of stresses me out because i do not trust myself to subconsciously generate the right answer to anything but ok laozi go off
i've always thought that i don't need a god, i don't need a true source, etc. because i believe in myself and others. while i still do believe in myself and others before anything, i do like the idea of an unknowable mystery force- not a conscious entity, but something more abstract- that is a place of ultimate safety.
i also like that the tao te ching takes such a feminine angle to approaching life. success and peace involves yielding and softness. i think the recurring water metaphor ties into this too. it encourages you to put yourself into the flow of things, into the water, into the center of the dao, and in order to do this you have to yield and accept the dao as existing within you.
i think the thing i least connected with was the "doing not-doing" parts, but even then i still sort of get what this is going after. the correct answer and way to solve the problem will come to you naturally without you doing any conscious thinking about it. the idea of this kind of stresses me out because i do not trust myself to subconsciously generate the right answer to anything but ok laozi go off
sonofatreus's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Le Guin doesn’t know Chinese (and neither do I). She says as much in explaining the notes explaining her rendition (not “translation”). Instead, she relied on various translations and other related works to produce this volume. Where translators have differed, she sometimes notes as much in a footnote to provide context. She also adds fun little asides there too.
As for the Tao Te Ching, it reads like the aphoristic philosophical text that it is. Some passages were really well rendered and resonated with me, others bounces right off. Lao Tzu clearly didn’t like rich people, and had curious views on power. Some passages seemed just as applicable today as when they were first composed. The one on greed in particular, felt, sadly, ever-meaningful.
As for the Tao Te Ching, it reads like the aphoristic philosophical text that it is. Some passages were really well rendered and resonated with me, others bounces right off. Lao Tzu clearly didn’t like rich people, and had curious views on power. Some passages seemed just as applicable today as when they were first composed. The one on greed in particular, felt, sadly, ever-meaningful.
lalawoman416's review against another edition
4.0
It's a book to sit with, meditate on, and ruminate about. So I read it in a day.
lestradez0's review against another edition
3.0
I am a follower of Taoism and I put it into practice. I must admit that most of the chapters in this book have been taught to me, and I naturally agree with them. Additionally, as I began reading this book, I was pretty surprised. I anticipated reading paragraphs outlining Tao's background and other topics but no. However, there are still a lot of lessons in the book that we may apply to our everyday lives.
It is impossible to read this book straight through. Hence, I found this book to be challenging to read and even more challenging to understand what the author was trying to say due to my inexperience. However, reading it makes your mind wonder and causes you to consider important issues. Even though it might take a lifetime to make some headway toward solutions, that alone makes the endeavor worthwhile.
It is impossible to read this book straight through. Hence, I found this book to be challenging to read and even more challenging to understand what the author was trying to say due to my inexperience. However, reading it makes your mind wonder and causes you to consider important issues. Even though it might take a lifetime to make some headway toward solutions, that alone makes the endeavor worthwhile.
jonathan_packer_1994's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
mpc0812c's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.75