Tao Te Ching
by
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CHAPTER 4
1 The power of the invisible Tao is inexhaustible;
Deep like an abyss, he appears as the progenitor of all things.
2 Abandon self-righteousness.
Be free from temptations.
Come to the light.
Accept that by nature you are dust.
The being then may be dimly visible in the distance.
3 I do not know whose child he is,
For he is before all visible gods.
CHAPTER 15
1 So subtle, discerning and profound
Are the ancient followers of Tao
That words can only poorly describe them as:
2 Watchful as if crossing a winter river,
Cautious as if in fear of their neighbors,
Polite and respectful like guests,
Natural and authentic like melting ice,
Simple like uncarved wood,
All-embracing like a valley,
Earthy like muddy water.
3 Who can settle the mud to make water clear?
Who can revive a stiff corpse?
4 Those who follow this Tao will not be conceited.
Only through lack of conceit can one be renewed
when worn out and dying.
CHAPTER 16
1 Humble to the utmost and completely tranquil,
I can see the coming and the going of all that grows.
2 Flourishing things of a million kinds
All return to their roots.
3 Such a return is called tranquility;
4 Such tranquility is called return to life;
5 Such a return is eternity.
6 To know eternity is enlightenment;
7 Not to know eternity is waywardness,
Which results in calamity.
8 To know eternity is to embrace whatever comes;
To embrace whatever comes is to be just;
9 To be just is to be complete;
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About the Book
Tao Te Ching: Original Text and A Modern Interpretation by Yuan Zhiming
English Translation by Daniel Baida Su and Chen Shangyu
Among hundreds of English translation and thousands of Chinese interpretation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Yuan Zhiming offers a unique perspective – seeing Lao Tzu from the vantage point of the ancient Hebrew Bible. This is a dawning moment in the history of Lao Tzu interpretation. Historically, there have always been huge differences from one interpretation to another, each tinted with individual interpreter’s specific world view, mostly from the view point of Confucianism, Buddhism, Legalism, Militarism, Yin and Yang, Neo-Confucianism, Marxism, and so on. Only in the light of the Bible, the mysterious and profound Tao becomes visible, touchable, explicit, and understandable.
Yuan Zhiming describes his enlightenment: “When I enter into Tao, experiencing the magnificent and miraculous divinity through the life of Jesus, there seems a ray of brilliant light illuminating Lao Tzu, enabling me to recognize the inner meaning behind each of Lao Tzu’s word.”
Yuan Zhiming firmly believes that there must be a spiritual source which links the ancient Hebrew civilization with the ancient Chinese civilization, and with all other ancient civilizations. This source is unquestionably originated from the One who sets all nations on one planet (Earth) and that One is Logos – Tao.
Tao is universal. The universal Tao will illuminate all hearts in the East and the West.
About the Author
Yuan Zhiming, a brilliant scholar of Chinese philosophy and an enlightened student of Jesus, is the author of eleven books and director of three documentary film series on Chinese culture and Christianity, including Cross: Jesus in China. He is also one of the script writers of the acclaimed TV series River Elegy, which provided the spiritual seeds for the famous Tiananmen Square Student Demonstration in
"Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Jing in pinyin romanization) is one of the most renowned classics of Chinese literature and philosophy, appealing to audiences in both the East and West. Many have wondered whether there is any connection between the Tao Te Ching and the wisdom of the Bible. Yuan Zhiming, a Chinese Christian who has long studied the classic of Taoism, offers his own interpretation after years of study and research." Comments David Aikman, a 23-year foreign correspondent at Time Magazine, former Beijing Bureau Chief and Aikman is an award-winning journalist and the author of Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Transforming China and Changing the World Balance of Power (Regnery Publishing, 2006).