Arts & Culture Mar. 07, 2010 - 01:23PM JST ( 3 )

With its 81 memorable passages, the “Tao Te Ching” is one of humanity’s spiritual touchstones. This all-new translation reaches back an additional 300 years to the time of Lao Tzu to provide a fresh rendition from the “lost” characters.

Included in the present work are a fascinating introduction that tells the story of Tao author Lao Tzu, the unsung “old man” and Keeper of the archives; two essays that explore the connection between Taoism and Zen, as well as the spiritual influences of the Tao on the martial arts of China and Japan; the first verse of the “Tao Te Ching” brushed in the ancient characters; numerous additional quotations from the Chuang Tzu and other ancient works; and dozens of original Chinese ink paintings from the 17th century

Translator William Scott Wilson offers a fresh version of this classic that will resonate with the modern reader. While most translators rely on the “new” text of 200 B.C., Wilson plunged back 300 years to work from the original characters used during Lao Tzu’s lifetime. By referring to these earlier characters, Wilson is able to offer a text that is more authentic in language and nuance, yet preserves all the beauty and poetry of the work.

Elaborately illustrated with 17th-century Chinese ink drawings, this elegant hardcover edition also features two revealing essays. The first illuminates the relationship between Taoism and Zen Buddhism, while the second explores the roots that link the spiritual aspects of the Tao with the martial arts practices of both China and Japan.

The “Tao Te Ching” is, of course, the seminal text of Taoism—a study of the Way and its virtue. It emphasizes simplicity, spontaneity, tranquility, and non-action. It claims that explanations and analysis miss the True Source, and only confuse a person with words and games of the mind. To act with perfect freedom, we must unload the mental baggage that ordinarily weighs us down. When we sweep away concepts and ideas, we begin to see clearly.

As Wilson notes, “We read this book because it takes us away from the busy world of business and politics, and provides an entry to a Way. But we also read it for the rhythm and beauty of its phrasing and vocabulary, which often give us an astonishing satisfaction. And this is perhaps the secret of why the book has consistently been on people’s bookshelves and bed-stands for nearly 25 centuries.”