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Review Summary: a fabrication |
Date: 2009-01-05 |
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Details: In his preface and notes which form a part of this book, Mitchell (1)makes clear his belief that Lao-tzu is a historic person , and not just a mythical figure; (2) asserts that the Tao Te Ching (TTC)is the work of a single author, Lao-tzu; (3) states that his "most essential preparation" for writing his version of the TTC is a 14 year study of Zen Buddhism "which brought me face to face with Lao-tzu and his true disciples, the early Chinese Zen Masters." As to assertions 1 and 2, for the past 40 years, experts on Taoism (I will define "experts" as professors specializing in Taoist studies at US, Asian and EU colleges and universities who have published books on Taoism) have unanimously agreed that there is a total absence of documentary evidence for the historical existence of Lao-tzu, and that the TTC is definitely not the work of one author. And the overwhelming majority of experts on Taoism over the past 40 years are in agreement that Taoism and Zen Buddhism are NOT identical or substantially identical religions or philosophies. In a review of Mitchell's book in a 10/26/89 issue of "The Nation,"the reviewer David Hinton observes:"by my rough estimation, in the course of translating the {TTC}...(approximately 985 lines),Mitchell has rewritten about 150 lines so radically that they bear virtually no relation to the original, has eliminated about 250 lines, and about 170 lines HAVE BEEN INVENTED OUT OF THIN AIR (emphasis added). Sometimes the inventions replace lines Mitchell has deleted. sometimes they are simply added to what was already there.In either case, they correspond to nothing whatsoever in the text...I suppose Mitchell's crowning moment comes in chapter 50, where lines of his own invention are crowned with commentary by Zen master Seung Sahn." For his translations of the works of classical Chinese poets,Hinton subsequently received the top two poetry translation awards in the US--the Landon Award and the PEN Award. Stephen Mitchell has not received and will not receive either of these two awards--unlike the majority of the Amazon reviewers of this book, professional translators understand what Mitchell does, which is fabrication, or, more bluntly, the creation of falsehoods. If Mitchell has produced a work which bears only a faint resemblance to the received text, he does accurately reveal truths about himself--one need only examine the lines which he chooses to alter or delete: in the second verse of Chapter 8, for example, he deletes the following 3 lines--"In giving, the good thing is being like Heaven/In speaking the good thing is sincerity/In affairs the good thing is ability." |
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Review Summary: Stephen Mitchell makes the translation of the Tao simple, crisp, and clear |
Date: 2008-12-11 |
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Details: I have tried to read other English translations of the timeless, beautiful, and wise book by Lao-Tzu, but they were hard to read and the concepts were hard to grasp; I think it was because the way the Tao-Te-Ching was written, it is hard to translate. This book, however, is not meant as a literal translation per say, but as the author's personal version, and he proves to be a competent voice on the subject. Stephen Mitchell had seven years of heavy-duty Zen training under his belt and another six or seven years of informal practice before writing this book and you can tell from the clarity of his writing that it emerges with clarity from the one true Source. It was quite refreshing to read a book about the Tao, while very much like the original English "translations", was written in a modern up-to-date format. I highly recommend anyone interested in spirituality, Zen, Buddhism, eastern tradition, etc. pick this gem up. |
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Review Summary: The Added Tracks Distract from Mitchells Work |
Date: 2008-12-09 |
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Details: I like Stephen Mitchells voice on his recording of his translation. I first heard him on a tape from the local library. So I was very happy to get the CDs. But be warned, there was a new track one on disc one with an intro by another party. Then worst of all, as I was listening to the second disc in a meditative state suddenly at the end came an abrasive female voice advertising for childrens audio books. It was such a disruptive shock, as I wanted to stay in the meditative state at the end. Thusly, I had to burn the discs to my computer and remove the offending and incongruous tracks. |
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Review Summary: Timeless |
Date: 2008-11-24 |
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Details: This book is a timeless guide for life. It is an important work that has helped to improve everyday living for countless individuals. Quite simply, it's a must read for anyone with an open mind and a willingness to improve their outlook on life and reduce stress. |
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Review Summary: BEWARE OF CLUELESS REVIEWERS! |
Date: 2008-09-01 |
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Details: The naysaying reviewers did not bother to read this book through. Nowhere does it claim to be a literal translation, and following the lessons are the author's notes, explaining exactly what he did or didn't add, and why, as well as references to what was replaced from the original -- much of which is as wonderful as the lessons themselves. There is so much beauty and depth in this "new version" that this reviewer can see no reason for the downright fury it seems to provoke in these other readers. Perhaps they should keep reading the Tao -- ANY version. |
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out of 182 Reviews
