Tao Te Ching - Favorite Translations

<p>Just a few of my favorite translations of the Tao Te Ching</p>

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most widely translated books in history, second only to The Bible. Translating Chinese characters into English is extremely difficult at best. A harrowing task for anyone who decides to take it on. 

This website assembles more than a dozen translations into one place.http://www.egreenway.com/taoism/ttclzindex31.htm

This page is a wonderful example of the varying translations. It contains more than a dozen translations of Verse 1. http://www.egreenway.com/taoism/ttclz1.htm

Over the years I've studied dozens of translations. The list below contains some of the translations I tend to use. For whatever reason I seem connect and resonate with these the most. 

As with everything there is no right or wrong translation. Scholars, historians and Taoist experts have argued for centuries over the meaning of the characters and as such the proper translation. In the end it is up to the reader to decide for his/her self which translation best suits them. 

Tao Te Ching : The Definitive EditionTranslated by Jonathan Starhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1585426180/?coliid=I217WIM4XLIVNU&colid=3UGR8NYF0HW3I

Tao Te Ching : An Illustrated JourneyTranslated by Stephen Mitchellhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/0711212783/?coliid=I1N7FA99GOHMLW&colid=3UGR8NYF0HW3I

Tao Te Ching : A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts (Classics of Ancient China)Translated by Robert G. Henrickshttps://www.amazon.com/Lao-Tzu-Translation-Discovered-Ma-wang-tui/dp/0345370996/