باورم نمیشه این کتاب ۲۰۰۰ سال پیش نوشته شده باشه!
حکمت و خرد نوشته شده در این متن، مثل قلم فلاسفه و حتی بیان روانکاوان دو قرن اخیر است. پخته و در عین حال متمدن.
نگاه سطحی و گذرا به این کتاب ممکن است نوعی توهم و حتی بیان شعاری در ذهن خواننده ایجاد کند. اما خود پاسخش را جلوتر داده است:
برخی می‌گویند آموزش‌های من بی معنی است. برخی دیگر آن را والا اما غیر عملی م‌یدانند
ولی برای آنان که به درون نگریسته اند همین آموزش‌های بی معنی پر معنی است.
و برای کسانی که به آن عمل می‌کنند همین والا بودن در عمق جانشان ریشه می‌گیرد.
من تنها سه چیز را آموزش می‌دهم: سادگی، شکیبایی و مهربانی.
این سه گران‌بهاترین گنج‌ها هستند.
ساده در اعمال و افکار به منبع وجود باز می‌گردید.
شکیبا با دوستان و دشمنان - هردو با همه چیز هماهنگی می‌یابید.
مهربان با خود با همه ی موجودات جهان در صلح و آشتی هستید. (از متن کتاب - صفحه ۶۷)
بهتر است هر سال یک بار با دقت خواند و هر بار تفسیر شخصی مان از تائو یا دائو را با سا‌ل‌های گذشته و طرز فکر کهنه خودمان مقایسه کنیم.
باید بگم که از همین الان کتاب تفسیرش رو هم خریدم!

n  It is by being alive to difficulty that one can avoid it.n

As much as I wished to write a review for Tao Te Ching, I'd abandoned the prospect of writing a review a couple of days ago. Too many changes over the past few days that I couldn't summon the will to write as I had intended to. To bring a little peace, I opened my journal to write and my eyes fell to the last line I'd written, the line I've quoted from Tao Te Ching, and it almost magically assuaged the tremors of my mind.

Whether Lao Tzu was a real person is uncertain. D. C. Lau, whose splendid introduction and notes I cannot commend enough for the ease of understanding it provides a lay person, surmises that this may just be an anthology of aphorisms. Lau reveals the synthesis behind his interpretation frequently, giving the reader a sense of The mystery behind the origin adds to the endearing quality of this work. It is very kind and this kindness can be attributed to no one in particular.

Perhaps this work is more of a guide to governance than a broad philosophical treatise. This work is from the Warring States period so it also possible that any work of philosophy could not ignore the demands of the time. The principle subject is that of 'the way'.

n  The way that can be spoken of (1)
Is not the constant way
The name that can be named
Is not the constant namen

There is an allure of something as pervasive and fleeting as the Tao, in theory. In practice, acceptance of the idea is daunting task. Some ideas subvert conventionally held notions of strength by exposing it's limitations.

n  A man is supple and weak when living, but hard and stiff when dead. Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when living, but dried and shrivelled when dead. Thus the hard and the strong are the comrades of death; The supple and the weak are the comrades of life. (182)

Therefore a weapon that is strong will not vanquish; (183)
A tree that is strong will suffer the axe.n

Reading Guha's India after Gandhi makes me think that any organized society in the present day can only thrive by killing the individual a little but the lofty ideas of Tao Te Ching speak of a different kind of leader who could ask, Even if a man is not good, why should he be abandoned? There is a great divide between the leaders who are sought today and what the Tao Te Ching recommends, that it seems unattainable but it is a vision that helps see the pitfalls of the kind of leaders upheld today.

n  The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. (39)

When his task is accomplished and his work done (41)
The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’n

This is a book of ideas, and while I cannot grasp several, I hope to entertain them often.

--
July 11, 2015

My first reading of the Tao Te Ching was in the D.C. Lau translation. My second was in the Ralph Alan Dale translation. And now my third has been in the Ursula K. Le Guin version. I think it was Lau's which had the most effect on me. Le Guin's version is interesting in its own way, but the commentary left something to be desired for my tastes. I would have preferred more historical notes, placing Lao Tzu's discussions in context. Le Guin is more focused on how the Tao Te Ching can be applied to our modern world, including modern politics.

---

I remember this book having quite an effect on me the firt time I read it - about four years ago. Perhaps the things I learned from it have just become sort of ingrained in me now, but I didn't have a huge reaction to it the second time around. The downside of the Tao Te Ching, as I see it, is that it is often vague, and as a result sometimes seems frustratingly contradictory. In a way, I suppose this is a part of its charm - as it teaches the reader to simply flow through obstacles and reach peace by non-resistance.

This is to not say that the text is not comforting - therein lies its value. For many people (including myself on my first reading), the Tao Te Ching can be an effective salve for depression. To the focused reader, it is definitely uplifting. However, as effective of a salve it may be, I don't know how much I can support simply flowing through your problems. In this lies much of the difficulty I have with a lot of spirituality in general - but it is particularly prominent here. According to the Tao Te Ching, the true path to happiness is not resolving your obstacles or defeating your problems - but instead: sort of ignoring them. When faced without absolute despair, this is probably a pretty good route. But as a path to self-actualisation? I am sceptical.

This should be read by every politician.

In a nutshell: be chill, use your powers wisely, and get along with all the nuts.

"Çok bilen konuşmaz,
Çok konuşan bilmez." (s.60)

Işığın yükseldiği uzak doğudan bir bilgelik kaynağı. Önemli bir kısmı bugün bile hala geçerli olan nasihatlerle dolu olan kitabın içinde yer alan şiirlerin Buda, Konfüçyus gibi isimler gibi pek çok önemli isme ilham verdiği düşünülmekte.
"Bu üç sözün yetersiz olduğu düşünülür,
Bunları bir anafikre bağlamam gerekirse:
Yalınlık göster, sadeliği benimse,
Bencilliği azalt, arzularını frenle" (s. 19)

Bu kitabı sadece bir nasihatler kitabı olarak görmemek gerek. Aynı zamanda felsefenin varlık felsefesi yönüyle de anlam ifade edebilecek derecede derin metinler de var:

"Binbir şey birbiri yanı sıra oluşur,
Biz de durup asıllarına dönüşlerini izleriz" (s.16)

Bugün kuantum fiziği ve genel olarak parçacık fiziğinde konuşulan pek çok teorinin önsözünde bir alıntı olarak geçebilecek şu ifadeye ne demeli:
"Göğün ve yerin arası bir körüğe benzer:
Boşluğudur onu tükenmez kılan,
Ne kadar devinirse o kadar çoğalır." (s.5)

Mutlaka okunması gereken metinlerden olduğunu düşünüyorum.

https://agacingovdesi.com/2021/03/31/...

۳۹۴
نزدیک به زمین زندگی کنید
همواره ساده بیندیشید
...
در زندگی خانوادگی همیشه در دسترس و حاضر باشید
وقتی از اینکه خودتان هستید خوشنودید
و از رقابت و مقایسه دست کشیده اید
همگان به شما احترام میگذارند

Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching, also known by its pinyin romanization Dao De Jing, is a Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage Laozi.

The text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC, but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written—or at least compiled—later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi.

The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism.

It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese philosophy and religion, including Legalism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts when it was originally introduced to China.

Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and gardeners, have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has spread widely outside East Asia and it is among the most translated works in world literature.

n  The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like ... In action, watch the timing. No fight: No blame. Lao Tzun

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سوم ماه آگوست سال 2012میلادی

عنوان: اس‍ت‍اد پ‍ی‍ر: ت‍ائ‍وت‍ه‌ چ‍ی‍ن‍گ‌، ی‍ا، ک‍ت‍اب‌ پ‍ی‍روی‌ م‍س‍ت‍ق‍ی‍م‌ از راه‌ و روش‌ ه‍س‍ت‍ی‌ و ح‍ی‍ات‌ ب‍ا راه‍ن‍م‍ائ‍ی‌ درک‌ درون‍ی‌ (دل‌)؛ نویسنده: لائ‍و ت‍زو؛ مت‍رج‍م: م‍ه‍دی‌ ث‍ری‍ا؛ نشر قوانین، 1373؛ در 107ص؛ موضوع نوشتارهای نویسندگان چین - سده شش پیش از میلاد

عنوان: تائو ته چینگ؛ نویسنده: لائو تزو؛ مترجم: امیرحسن قائمی؛ ویراستار ایوب کوشان؛ تهران، چاپ مترجمها، 1379؛ در 109ص؛ شابک9643506967؛

عنوان: تائو ته چینگ؛ نویسنده: لائو تزو؛ مترجم: فرشید قهرمانی؛ تهران، سیاه مشق، 1382؛ در 81ص؛ شابک 9649447229؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، مثلث، 1383؛ چاپ سوم 1386؛ شابک 9648496064؛ چاپ چهارم 1386؛ پنجم و ششم 1387؛ هفتم و هشتم 1388؛ نهم 1389؛ یازدهم 1390؛ دوازدهم 1391؛ سیزدهم تا پانزدهم 1392؛ شابک 9789648496062؛ موضوع راهنمای هنر زندگی از نویسندگان چینی - سده 6پیش از میلاد

مترجمهای دیگر آقایان: اردلان عطارپور؛ محمدرضا چنگیز؛ سید حسین نصر؛

این متن کهن را، به «لائو تزو» یا «لائو دزو» نسبت داده اند، «لائو تزو»، ششصد سال پیش از میلاد مسیح، و همزمان با «کنفوسیوس»، میزیسته است؛ «لائو تزو» همان مرشد، پیر، یا استاد هستند؛ تاریخنگار، و کتابدار دربار امپراطوری «جو»، بوده اند، و تنها همین کتاب، از ایشان به یادگار مانده؛ راهنمای هنر زندگی، و خرد ناب است؛ گفته اند: «لائو تزو» یک زندگی ساده، و هماهنگ با طبیعت، داشته اند، که همان پیام «تائو» میباشد، عمری دراز زیسته اند، گویا بین یکصد و شصت تا دویست سال زیسته باشند؛ ...؛

نقل از متن: خوب همانند آب است، بدون تلاش همه را سیراب میکند، جمع شدن در گودها را کوچک نمیشمارد؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 02/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

لائوزه ۲۵۰۰ سال پیش کتاب رو ننوشت تا منتظر تعداد ستاره‌ای باشه که من تو گودریدز بهش می‌دم.

I knew Ursula Le Guin was interested in Taoism : one only has to read “The Left Hand of Darkness” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), her Earthsea stories (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), or even “The Dispossessed” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to see an ever-present underlying theme of balance, of difference and unity – and of compassion. But I had no idea she had actually written an English version of the “Tao Te Ching” until Saturday, when I was idly browsing the Buddhism section of a book store. I didn’t even catch it: my husband saw it and handed it to me. Obviously, I bought it, because, you know, Ursula Le Guin is one of my heroes and two of the above-mentioned books are works that have changed my life. If there was any version of the Tao that I was going to read, it was definitely going to be this one.

I had never read the “Tao Te Ching” before, which, considering I was raised by hippies, hung out with a bunch of esoterica enthusiasts for years, and have been practising Soto Zen for a while, is a bit surprising. But I guess I was just waiting for the perfect version of it to find its way into my hands (thank you, Jason!).

For each “chapter”, Le Guin added little notes, which she says are “idiosyncratic and unscholarly” and entirely her own personal reactions and ideas about the text. She says in the introduction that they can be ignored, but I found they really added depth to my experience of the text, refined the words on the page, and of course, gave me glimpses into the amazing lady’s mind. Le Guin’s turn of phrase is elegant, but also full of humour, and never ponderous.

The text’s emphasis on self-mastery, humility and moderation is an inspiring and gentle philosophy, that while not always directly applicable in the world, should be contemplated carefully. A lot of this, when looked at lucidly, is common sense and a sane perspective on living. In the crazy world we live in, we could all use that from time to time. This is definitely the kind of book that benefits from multiple reads, or oven opening it at a random page at one’s leisure. It might be short and quick to read, but it ought to be digested slowly.

Believed to be written in the 6th century B.C. by Lao Tsu, this Chinese classic has been translated more often than any book except the Bible. The 81 verses provide insights in being human while challenging and inviting you to explore your inner self and beliefs and live more fully. Whether Lao Tsu was real or not, he is revered as a Taoist spiritual leader.

Interesting that the word “Tao” has been difficult to translate but typically it is referred to as “Path” or “Way” from how things are, how humanity develops, what is our essence, and how to be guided in the creation of ten thousand things or the universe. “Te” is the “Virtue” but not in the moral sense but more of a movement, quality, or human action to allow the power to move through. “Ching” translates to “Book.” The introduction further explained how difficult it is to analyze but needs to be experienced in the moment and to open yourself to achieve the highest energy and the movements to and from the source. It involves inaction and the clearing of the mind, insight, and a “natural” mind. You arrive at nothing to obtain everything. It is acknowledging both the female and male forces of yourself. It is the union of the universe and the individual becoming one.

It sounds all very convoluted and paradoxical. The reading was intense requiring my upmost attention, focus, and rereads to try to grasp and to understand the material. It is simple but complex and contradictory. I realized I am at the tip of the iceberg at how unenlightened I am in this philosophy. I am grateful for the exposure and share some of the below excerpts:

From Verse One:
“Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.
Therefore having and not having arise together.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short contrast each other.
High and low rest upon each other.
Voice and sound harmonize each other.
Front and back follow one another.”

From Verse Eight:
“In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of the time and the season.
No fight: No blame.”

From Verse 30:
“Achieve results,
But never glory in them.
Achieve results,
But never boast.
Achieve results,
But never be proud.
Achieve results,
Because this is the natural way.
Achieve results,
But not through violence.”

From Verse 64:
“Deal with it before it happens.
Set things in order before there is confusion.”

From Verse 71:
“Knowing ignorance is strength.
Ignoring knowledge is sickness.”

Concatenated thoughts. Review #1 - #2 ✔

n  Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.n

The Tao Te Ching is a classical text credited to Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu (6th century) and on which Taoism is based. It consists of 81 short chapters written in poetic form which, using a pithy language brimming with evocative and, at times, repetitive contradictions, provide guidance on how humanity may have a harmonious relationship with nature, with the Tao. In an inspiringly laconic way, the chapters reveal the sage’s fundamental truths that range from theology to politics, inseparable components of the Tao Te Ching.

I read two editions simultaneously: Ellen Chen’s The Tao Te Ching: A New Translation with Commentary and Stephen Mitchell’s Tao Te Ching: A New English Version. After reading chapter 11 by the latter, the merits of each work became particularly noticeable.
Chen's translation is an accurate marvel. It's the kind of translation I like; as literal as possible. I don't want only the translator's interpretation, I want to know the precise words that went through the author's mind. I've made peace with everything that gets lost in translation, so at least give me surgical precision.
On the opposite side stands Mitchell with another approach: divesting the verses of all metaphor, he focuses on the meaning, the thoughts Lao Tzu intended to convey. In that sense, it's a remarkable work; a detailed examination of all the elements that constitute this treatise. While keeping a small amount of literality, it expresses a similar interpretation.

If I have to choose, I prefer Chen's academic translation with its enriching commentary over Mitchell's version with its still lyrical directness. Even though she generally refers to the sage as a man, whereas Mitchell states that since we are all, potentially, the Master (since the Master is, essentially, us), I felt it would be untrue to present a male archetype, as other versions have, ironically, done. Ironically, because of all the great world religions the teaching of Lao tzu is by far the most female.

As for my experience with this book, I should revisit it in a few years... The dynamics between opposites that say and don't say, that affirm and deny, that teach without speaking and act without doing; it all starts to get a tad annoying after a while. I wasn't able to identify with some notions, naturally; my skeptical disposition began to take control rather soon. However, The Tao Te Ching includes several useful concepts to improve our fleeting stay in this world. Moreover, many of those impressions are addressed to politicians. In that regard, this book should be required reading for every single one of them.

I close this 'review' with some chapters according to the views of each translator.**

#18
When the great Tao is forgotten,
Goodness and pity appear…

Notes:
the great Tao: Jayata said to Vasubandu, “If you have nothing to ask for in your mind, that state of mind is called the Tao”.
goodness and pity appear: When the Tao is forgotten, people act according to rules, not from the heart. This goodness is as insecure as Job's and can be as self-satisfied as Little Jack Horner's. Whereas a good father has no intention of being good; he just acts naturally.

*

#30
Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn't try to force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is a counter force.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon oneself.
The Master does his job and then stops.
He understands that the universe
is forever out of control,
and trying to dominate events
goes against the current of the Tao.
Because he believes in himself,
he doesn’t try to convince others.
Because he is content with himself,
he doesn’t need other’s approval.
Because he accepts himself,
the whole world accepts him.

Notes:
doesn't try to force issues: He lets the issues resolve themselves.
out of control: Out of control of his own, tiny, personal, conscious self.

*

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

If you want to govern the people,
you must place yourself below them.
If you want to lead the people,
you must learn how to follow them.

The Master is above the people,
and no one feels oppressed.
She goes ahead of the people,
and no one feels manipulated.
The whole world is grateful to her.
Because she competes with no one,
no one can compete with her.

Notes:
The Master is above the people: Not that she feels superior, but that, looking from a higher vantage point, she can see more.
The whole world is grateful to her: Even those who think they are ungrateful.
no one can compete with her: She sees everyone as her equal.


Aug 18, 18
* Also on my blog.
** I shared the same chapters on each review.

Kind of embarrassed to say but I didn't really get it. It wasn't bsf by any shape or form though. So I'm not going to rate it. Maybe I'll reread it in the future to see if it works better for me then.