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Dao de Jing

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Dao de Jing

By: Roger Ames, David L. Hall
Narrated by: Robert Lowenstein
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About this listen

 Composed more than 2,000 years ago, the Dao de jing (Tao Te Ching) set forth an alternative vision of reality in a world torn apart by violence and betrayal. Second only to the Bible, this timeless classic is one of the world's most revered inspirational books. Daoism offers a comprehensive view of experience grounded in a full understanding of the wonders hidden in the ordinary. Now in this luminous new translation, Chinese scholars Ames and Hall bring the timeless wisdom of the Dao de jing into our contemporary world.©2003 Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks America Eastern Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts Philosophy Religious Studies Taoism Progression Fantasy China
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What did you like most about Dao de Jing?

The Dao de Jing is a classic piece of world literature. Translated many times by scholars with different agendas (in recent times New Age translations for instance) , with each translation bearing the hallmarks of the cultural or academic focus of the translator.

This translation claims to give the Dao de Jing a philosophical investigation, the authors being I believe professional philosophers of western origin who teach/ taught at Beijing University.

Much of the explanatory phrasing in the commentary sections is unnecessarily turbid and academic.... not at all accessible without multiple listenings. In their defence the translators do rephrase their sentences in different ways i.e. "In other words..." or "put another way....".

To sum up, unless one is supremely academically attuned, multiple listenings of this translation of the Dao de Jing would work best....and that this may not be such a bad thing... I just put it on when I'm driving long distance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dao de Jing?

Clarification of the phrase "the swinging gateway of heaven" and the exposition of the "Wu forms"

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The minnows swimming below the bridge on the How River.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes Chapter 20 I found moving

Any additional comments?

Such an old text. Now with grave finds 500 years older than previous texts..but still with no punctuation marks, can we really get close to what the text is trying to say?

Erudite but too wordy in places

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In my opinion, this is an exhausting listen to a book written by prideful intellectuals, who would rather the listener hear their expose of ancient wisdom, rather than allowing the listeners to define its knowledge for themselves.

This book is comprised of so much commentary. It is hard to distinguish what is original translation of the text and what is commentary.

Those who compiled this book felt the need to define everything for its readers, and thereby, took away from the potency and beauty of the Dao de Jing its self .

The writer attempts to determine on the listeners behalf

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