How to read the Tao Te Ching
I see a common question on forums:
Which version of Tao Te Ching is the best?There are myriad answers for this because there are so many different versions. Personally, I recommend reading a number of them—each has it's own interpretation.
More important—however—is how you read the Tao Te Ching.
I recommend that you read two versions concurrently, especially if one of them is annotated with the author's comments. Basically, you read verse 1 of one translation, then read verse 1 of the next translation, then you read any additional commentary.
For me, personally, I often read only one (or two) verses maximum in a single day. I contemplate and dig deeper into the words. This gives me time to internalize what it's saying and integrate the message(s) into my own life.
As for versions I can recommend:
- Gia-fu Feng and Jane English is popular.
- Anything by Lin Yutang is usually solid, including his TTC.
- Derek Lin has a version that was good, and I seem to recall it had commentary.
- There is a version online by Stephen Stenudd that has commentary. Totally free and easy to find.
- I enjoy the Ron Hogan version. It's not entirely serious, but it's fun. No commentary needed.
There are many translations on Terebess.
