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  • Tao Te Ching

  • The Essential Translation of the Ancient Chinese Book of the Tao
  • By: John Minford, Lao Tzu
  • Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
  • Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)

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Tao Te Ching

By: John Minford, Lao Tzu
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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Publisher's Summary

The original mindfulness book, in a landmark new translation by the award-winning translator of the I Ching and The Art of War

The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Tao,” is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three major religions of ancient China. As one of the world’s great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining greater self-awareness. With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life.

This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching’s eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.

©2018 John Minford (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“The power of the ­Lao-­tzu’s imagery and, ultimately, the simplicity of its message seem to be able to overcome the problems of language and of distance in time and place, so that at the end of the twentieth century, this has become one of the most influential of texts, cherished by people in all walks of life throughout the world.” (From the introduction by Sarah Allan)

What listeners say about Tao Te Ching

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loved it

explains everything in life and why things are the way they are. i learnt wisdom can become puffed up and lead you to your downfall.

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brilliant

absolutely brilliant loved the narrator and the gifts of wisdom . love all their teachings

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Excellent Translation

great English translation of a classic Chinese text that is at the root of a lot of Eastern philosophy.

The narration is calming and gentle, like the Dao. If they had a narrator who could speak perfect mandarin and therefore properly pronounce the many Chinese words referred to in the audio, then it would be perfect.

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love the Tao Te ching.

this version wasn't quite the version I was looking for, but it comes with extra content, interpretation and insight. so im definitely not complaining at all. very happy with this book

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Well put together but much is over my head

I like the way the Tao text is split up with musings from other scholars. A really good effort at bringing such an esoteric text to a wider audience.

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fractured

the idea of breaking up the reading of the Tao te Ching with commentaries doesn't work. You lose a sense of the flow

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Frustrating

Frustrating to listen to, this was my first try at Tao de Ching. The book repeats itself over and over for each verse, with a number of interpretations saying the same thing. I’m feeling like it’s wasting my time and I’m going to be more careful choosing another version. It might have been better in print.

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