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Tao Te Ching Paperback – August 21, 2016

4.5 out of 5 stars 1,069 ratings

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The Tao Teh King (Tao Te Ching) forms the fundamental core of modern Taoist philosophy and has informed the beliefs and mode of life of the people of China for 2500 years. For all those who seek peace, contentment, harmony and balance in life, the Tao Teh King is an indispensable resource. Lao Tse’s words speak directly to the heart with simple, direct and profound wisdom addressing the core principles of the art of living well.The translation and commentary presented here was completed between 1921 and 1923 and serialized in the periodical magazine The Theosophical Quarterly. The society responsible for the periodical was dissolved some fifteen years later, leaving this translation to lay dormant these many years. It is reproduced verbatim, but with an adjustment in formatting—providing the translation itself, in whole, prior to the commentary—the addition of a foreword, and of additional notes.Charles Johnston's article on the Religion of China, reproduced in this volume, demonstrates the depth of his understanding not only of Ancient China and its religious life, but of its place in the larger context of human religious thought. This wider contextual grasp lends itself to a much more expansive commentary upon the Tao Teh King than we commonly find, as Johnston is able to draw many parallels to other world-teachings, some of which the student may be more intimately familiar.

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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 21, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 78 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1537196472
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1537196473
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.18 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 1,069 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,069 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the Tao Te Ching's commentary quality positive, noting it's full of spiritual lessons. Moreover, the book's readability receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a great short read. However, the translation quality receives negative feedback, with several customers finding it poorly translated and hard to read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

27 customers mention "Commentary quality"20 positive7 negative

Customers appreciate the commentary in the book, finding it full of spiritual lessons and good wisdom, with one customer noting it provides perspective for deeper understanding.

"...Describes the Lord and his path of virtue in a very detailed way, goes in depth of how the spirit works in junction with our physical body and howto..." Read more

"A bit more cryptic than some other similar books but some great “proverbs”, if you will, in this book, as well as many lessons to apply to your life." Read more

"Despite how a lot of other reader felt, I love the way it is set up and I think it’s very easy to read...." Read more

"...The Christian bias of the author is very obvious to anyone outside of that faith." Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and in great condition.

"great read at a great price with a quick ship" Read more

"...The Tao Te Ching is a great book to read to learn simple truths about your inner self as well and to be inspired to love better." Read more

"...It’s a good read especially when you can compare it to other translations...." Read more

"It's good, but I don't like the commentary at the end of each verse...." Read more

33 customers mention "Translation quality"6 positive27 negative

Customers criticize the translation quality of the book, noting that it is poorly translated and hard to read.

"Not my favorite translation, but still The Tao :)" Read more

"...The first reason was the cut and production of the book was pretty bad, parts of the writing were cut off on the edges...." Read more

"...was showing white wedges on the bottom and side where the print or trim was off. The back was ok, so I think it was a printing issue...." Read more

"...reference to be placed in a personal library, and a cheap version with poor formatting will not be as welcome in your library after the first few..." Read more

Very messy book
2 out of 5 stars
Very messy book
This book is very confusing to read because of the way its been printed. There's no uniformity; Instead of having one verse per page and then a commentary section, there's several verses on one page with different types and sizes of font throughout so visually it looks very cluttered and crammed together and it's not enjoyable to read. It looks like a cheap, self-publishing project gone wrong. It's such an important text, it's disappointing that they didn't take more care to make it more readable.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019
    I strongly feel the Tao Te Ching is the word of the Lord,

    The Book is:

    1- Cheap.

    2- Easy to understand and read.

    3- Speaks and Describes the Lord and his path of virtue in a very detailed way, goes in depth of how the spirit works in junction with our physical body and howto be filled with the light of the Lord.

    4- Adds words of commentary scholars for each point to clarify the verses.

    5- Relates to other holy books for each point.

    The only down side I found, is that with all the commentary and relating to other books, the reader can easily take this verse by verse alone instead of relating it one after another and lose track of the big picture or "the whole message" that the Tao Te Ching, the Lord (or the Spirit as mentioned) is trying to deliver.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
    great read at a great price with a quick ship
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018
    This worked surprisingly well. As someone who's struggled a little bit with antiperspirants not being terribly effective on me and having experienced some embarrassment over this, I'd have to say that this product was a relief to find and I was glad I tried it. I can be confident when I exit my place that I won't have to be nervous about wetness, sweat stains on my clothing, and just plain having to perform that regular check on myself during every outing (For those of you who struggle similarly with this, this probably sounds familiar). I live in a dry but extremely hot area (Tucson, AZ). If you think this product only works in regions where it hasn't quite been put to the test, think again. Try it, I think you'll find it will work...even on you.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2021
    A bit more cryptic than some other similar books but some great “proverbs”, if you will, in this book, as well as many lessons to apply to your life.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2020
    Not my favorite translation, but still The Tao :)
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2019
    Showed up on time, in great condition! Very excited to add this book to my collection. The Tao Te Ching is a great book to read to learn simple truths about your inner self as well and to be inspired to love better.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2023
    Beautiful book
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
    The author Charles Johnson is literally comparing every part of this sacred book to Christianity it almost feels like he is trying to convert people to Christianity..

    The White wash is on ..
    I am appalled that this book was even printed.

    DO NOT BUY
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Hussein Almetwali
    1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY IT
    Reviewed in Germany on June 30, 2021
    VERY Wrong interpretation, they made it all about god. TAO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY GOD... I regret buying this book...
  • Alejandro Plata Huertas
    5.0 out of 5 stars TAO TE CHING
    Reviewed in Italy on February 3, 2025
    Long ancient aphorisms that will give you some glimpse of South East Asian culture.
  • tony basso
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 23, 2023
    Wonderful Insight
  • Hugo J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLET BOOK.
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 21, 2021
    YOU HAVE TO READ IT. IT MAKES YOU FEEL DIFFERENT.
  • Klaudia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2024
    Good book