The enduring wisdom of the Tao Te Ching can
become a companion
for your own spiritual journey.
Reportedly written by a sage named Lao Tzu
over 2,500 years ago, the Tao Te
Ching is one of the most
succinct—and yet among the most profound—spiritual
texts ever written. Short enough to read in an afternoon,
subtle enough to study for a lifetime, the Tao Te Ching distills into
razor-sharp poetry centuries of spiritual inquiry into the
Tao—the “Way” of the natural world around us
that reveals the ultimate organizing principle of the universe.
Derek Lin’s insightful commentary,
along with his new translation from the original
Chinese—a translation that sets a whole new standard for
accuracy—will inspire your spiritual journey and enrich
your everyday life. It highlights the Tao Te Ching’s
insights on simplicity, balance, and learning from the
paradoxical truths you can see all around you: finding strength
through flexibility (because bamboo bends, it is tough to
break); achieving goals by transcending obstacles (water simply
flows around rocks on its way to the sea); believing that small
changes bring powerful results (a sapling, in time, grows into
a towering tree).
Now you can experience the wisdom and
power of Lao Tzu’s words even if you have no previous
knowledge of the Tao Te Ching. SkyLight Illuminations provides insightful
yet unobtrusive commentary that describes helpful historical
background, explains the Tao Te Ching’s poetic imagery,
and elucidates the ancient Taoist wisdom that will speak to
your life today and energize your spiritual quest.
“Hits the mark! A native speaker of
both Chinese and English, Lin adeptly bridges the gap between
translation and interpretation ... applying [2,500-year-old
teachings] to our modern world. Don’t miss this book if
you want ancient knowledge that can change life for the better
today.”
—Edward
Monaghan, UCLA Mindful Awareness
Research Center
“A magnificent presentation of
arguably the most perfect and complete spiritual teaching ever
published, the Tao Te Ching. An absolute must in any home
library, no matter what tradition one follows.”
—Rabbi
David A. Cooper, author of God is a Verb
“Lin’s unique rendering
captures the spiritual wisdom, poetic grace and immense
practicality of this classic text. Will illuminate your way
regardless of the path you follow.”
—Philip
Goldberg, author of Roadsigns: On the Spiritual Path—Living at
the Heart of Paradox
“Derek Lin’s fine new
translation is as good as any and better than many, and his
commentaries help illumine the text.... [The Tao Te
Ching’s] sublime little sutras have edified, instructed,
encouraged, and entertained millions of people for millennia,
and they continue to do so today. Like a veritable treasure
trove, this masterful book of wise living and authentic being
provides both spiritual sustenance and practical guidance, so
necessary for us today and tomorrow.”
—from
the Foreword by Lama Surya Das
Derek Lin is
director of Tao Studies at the Great Tao Foundation of America
and is an active speaker and educator on the Tao Te Ching and
Tao spirituality. He also serves as webmaster of
www.taoism.net, a leading resource for the Tao on the Internet.
Lama Surya Das,
one of the foremost Western Buddhist leaders and teachers, is
author of the best-selling Awakening
the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World and other books. Founder of the Dzogchen
Meditation Centers in America, he also organizes the Western
Buddhist Teachers Conferences with the Dalai Lama.
