Tao Te Ching

by Tzu, Lao (Author); Blakney, R. B. (Translator); Blakney, R. B. (Introduction by)

• ISBN13: 9780451530400
• ISBN10: 0451530403
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2007-01-02
• Publisher: Signet Classics

Summary

Previously published as "The Way of Life," the ancient Taoist text written by philosopher Lao-Tzu in the sixth century B.C., has inspired millions of people from all different backgrounds. This beautiful edition contains Chinese characters alongside the English text and is illustrated with black and white drawings. Revised reissue.

Table of Contents

PREFACE,	9
INTRODUCTION,	15
Book of Odes,	16
Confucius,	19
Mo Ti,	23
Shang Yang and the Legalists,	24
Yin-Yang,	27
Tao Té Ching,	30
Chinese Mystics,	36
Key Concepts,	42
THE POEMS
1. Tao k'o tao
There are ways,	59
2. T'ien hsia chieh chih
Since the world,	60
3. Pu shang hsien
If those who are excellent,	62
4. Tao ch'ung erh
The Way is a void,	63
5. T'ien ti pu jen
Is then the world unkind?	64
6. Ku shen pu ssu
The valley spirit,	65
7. T'ien ch'ang
The sky is everlasting,	66
8. Shang shan je shui
The highest goodness,	67
9. Ch'ih erh ying chill
To take all you want,	68
10. Tsai ying p'o
Can you govern your animal soul?	69
11. San-shih fu
Thirty spokes,	70
12. Wu se ling jen mu
The five colors,	71
13. Ch'ung ju je ching
Favor, like disgrace,	72
14. Shih chih pu chien
They call it elusive,	74
15. Ku chih shan
The excellent masters,	76
16. Chih hsil chi
Touch ultimate emptiness,	77
17. T'ai shang hsia
As for him who is highest,	79
18. Ta tao fei
The mighty Way declined,	80
19. Chüeh sheng
Get rid of the wise men,	81
20. Chüeh hsüeh
Be done with rote learning,	82
21. K'ung Te
The omnipresent Virtue,	84
22. Ch'ü tse ch'üan
The crooked shall be made straight,	85
23. Hsi yen tzu jan
Sparing indeed is nature,	87
24. Ch'i che pu li
On tiptoe,	88
25. Yu wu hun ch'eng
Something there is,	89
26. Chung wei ch'ing ken
The heavy is foundation,	91
27. Shan hsing
A good runner,	92
28. Chih ch'i hsiung
Be aware of your masculine nature,	93
29. Chiang yü ch'ü
As for those who would take,	95
30. I tao tso jen chu
To those who would help,	96
31. Fu chia ping che
Weapons at best,	97
32. Tao ch'ang wu ming
The Way eternal,	100
33. Chih jen che chih
It is wisdom,	101
34. Ta tao fan hsi
O the great Way o'erflows,	102
35. Chih to hsiang
Once grasp the great Form,	103
36. Chiang yü hsi chih
What is to be shrunken,	104
37. Tao ch'ang wu wei
The Way is always still,	105
38. Shang te pu te
A man of highest virtue,	106
39. Hsi chih te i che
These things in ancient times,	108
40. Fan che tao chih tung
The movement of the Way,	109
41. Shang shih wen tao
On hearing of the Way,	110
42. Tao sheng i
The Way begot one,	111
43. T'ien hsia chih
The softest of stuff,	113
44. Ming yü Shen
Which is dearer?	114
45. Ta ch'eng je ch'üeh
Most perfect,	115
46. T'ien hsia yu tao
When the Way rules,	117
47. Pu ch'u hu
The world may be known,	118
48. Wei hsüeh jih i
The student learns,	119
49. Sheng jen
The Wise Man's mind,	120
50. Ch'u sheng ju ssu
On leaving life,	121
51. Tao sheng chih
The Way brings forth,	122
52. T'ien hsia yu shih
It began with a matrix,	123
53. Shih wo chieh jan
When I am walking,	124
54. Shan chien che
Set firm in the Way,	125
55. Han te chih hou
Rich in virtue,	127
56. Chih che pu yen
Those who know,	128
57. I cheng chih kuo
Govern the realm,	129
58. Ch'i cheng men men
Listlessly govern,	130
59. Chih jen shih T'ien
For ruling men,	131
60. Chih ta kuo
Rule a large country,	132
61. Ta kuo che
The great land,	133
62. Tao che wan wu
Like the gods,	135
63. Wei wu wei
Act in repose,	136
64. Ch'i an i ch'ih
A thing that is still,	138
65. Ku chih shan wei
Those ancients,	139
66. Chiang hai
How could the rivers,	141
67. T'ien hsia chieh wei
Everywhere, they say,	142
68. Shan wei shih che
A skillful soldier,	144
69. Yung ping yu yen
The strategists,	145
70. Wu yen shen i chih
My words are easy,	146
71. Chih pu chih shang
To know that you are ignorant,	147
72. Min pu wei wei
If people do not dread,	148
73. Yung yii kan
A brave man,	149
74. Min pu wei ssu
The people do not fear,	150
75. Min chih chi
The people starve,	151
76. Jen chih cheng yeh
Alive, a man is supple,	152
77. T'ien chih tao
Is not God's Way much like a bow?	153
78. T'ien hsia jou je
Nothing is weaker than water,	154
79. Ho ta yuan
How can you think?	155
80. Hsiao kuo kua min
The ideal land,	156
81. Hsin yen pu mei
As honest words,	158
AFTERWORD,	159