Renowned translator William Scott Wilson has rendered Lao Tzu’s spiritual and philosophical classic in the most authentic way possible, using both the ancient text from 200 BCE and characters from the even older Great Seal script used during Lao Tzu’s time. By accessing these earlier characters, Wilson is able to offer a text that is more authentic in language and nuance, while also preserving the poetry of the work.
This translation is accompanied by exquisite seventeenth-century Chinese ink paintings and two short essays: one exploring the relationship between Taoism and Zen, and the other explaining the roots that link the spiritual aspects of the Tao to the practice of Chinese and Japanese martial arts.
Not much is known about the legendary Lao Tzu, to whom authorship of the Tao Te Ching is popularly attributed. Some scholars believe the author was an elder contemporary of Confucius.
William Scott Wilson is the foremost translator into English of traditional Japanese texts on samurai culture. He received BA degrees from Dartmouth College and the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, and an MA in Japanese literary studies from the University of Washington. His best-selling books include The Book of Five Rings, The Unfettered Mind, and The Lone Samurai, a biography of Miyamoto Musashi.
William Scott Wilson is the foremost translator into English of traditional Japanese texts on samurai culture. He received BA degrees from Dartmouth College and the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, and an MA in Japanese literary studies from the University of Washington. His best-selling books include The Book of Five Rings, The Unfettered Mind, and The Lone Samurai, a biography of Miyamoto Musashi.
Praise
"Renders the classic anew and authentically, accompanied by Chinese ink paintings and ancillary material." —Publishers Weekly
