-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Best Translation of the Tao Te Ching
- Thread starter xkatz
- Start date
dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
There's not really a best translation. However, J. Legge's translation is probably the most popular.
It's probably best to read as many different translations of the Tao Te Ching as possible so as to ascertain its meaning rather than becoming too fixated on exact wording and doctrine. My personal favorite translation might be the one by John C. H. Wu, but the fact it comes in pocket size may have something to do with it.
I'm a fan of Ursula K. LeGuin's edition, at the very least because it comes from the perspective of a woman who is a Taoist who doesn't read a word of ancient Chinese. So it becomes a manifestation of a very personal relationship with the Tao, instead of a product of academic inquiry.