About the Book
The Tao-Te-Ching -- the unfolding of life -- is a book to read again and again. Lao-Tzu's timeless work is of value to everyone, regardless of personal beliefs, traditions, and religious practices. It poetically encapsulates the primordial wisdom of another time, when the Sage was able to live a contemplative life, unencumbered by complex rites or the cares of the world. It is a guide that shows us how yielding leads to transformation; it reveals the highest manifestation of life, forever seeking its highest expression.
Originally translated into French by Leon Wieger, the 1913 edition was published as Les Peres du Systeme Taoiste. Wieger was recognized by the great Orientalist, Ananda Coomaraswamy, as one of the "handful" of Western Orientalists who truly understood Chinese philosophy. Derek Bryce now brings Wieger's French into English. His translation demonstrates a conscious commitment to both the original Chinese text and the profound insights of Wieger's work. To this edition, Bryce adds summaries of the writings attributed to three other Taoists -- Huai-Nan-Tzu, Kuan-Yin-Tzu, and Tung-Ku-Ching -- from Wieger's Histoire des Croyances et des Opinions Philosophiques en Chine (1917). The Wieger-Bryce translation offers the reader new insights into the eternal wisdom of the Tao-Te-Ching.
A classic text for anyone interested in Taoist beliefs, the Tao-te-Ching is a book to read again and again. The wisdom of Lao-Tzu's work is timeless and is of value to everyone, regardless of differences in personal beliefs, traditions, and religious practices. It is a concise account of the primordial wisdom of ancient times, in which the sage, hidden among the people, lives a contemplative life unencumbered by complex rites or the cares of the world.
Originally translated from Chinese into French by Leon Wieger, the illustrated 1913 edition was published as Les Peres du Systeme Taoiste. Recognized by the great Orientalist Ananda Coomaraswamy as one of the "handful" of Western Orientalists who truly understood the Chinese beliefs, the 1913 translation owes its exceptional clarity to Wieger's deep understanding of Chinese thought, his concise summaries and use of the traditional commentaries, and his dedication to translating the original Chinese language according to its ancient meaning.
Derek Bryce now translates Wieger's French into English. His translation demonstrates a conscious commitment to both the ancient Chinese meanings and the profound insights of Wieger's work. To this edition, Bryce adds summaries of the writings attributed to three other ancient Taoists, Huai-nan-tzu, Kuan-yin-tzu, and Tung-ku-ching. These works originally appeared in Wieger's Histoire des Crayances et des Opium Philosophiques en Chine (1917). Together, the Wieger-Bryce translation often incomparable fidelity to the ancient philosophy contained within, Tao-te-Ching.