gaff%ames.UUCP@ucsd.edu (07/11/90)
Just started a really good book called "The Tao of Peace" by Diane Dreher. It does an admirable job of reflecting the principles of the Tao in the light of the modern world. The focus of the book is to manifest the Tao through positive image reinforcement and the application of Taoist ideals to our inner and outer perspectives. For those who wish to read an excellent scholarly examination of the Tao, try "A New Translation of the Tao Te Ching" by Ellen M. Chen. This book is impressive in many ways. It's one of the first books on the Ching that provides translations of the original Chinese characters to better illustrate the various dimensions and interpretations of the text. The translation by Stephen Mitchell may (undeservedly) get all the mainstream press attention, but the *real* definitive intellectual examination of the Tao Te Ching is by Ellen Chen. I also highly recommend the Tao Te Ching translation (1972) by Gia Fu-Feng and Jane English. This is by far the most lyrical and spontan- enous translation I've seen. Most, like Mitchell's are lackluster and pretty unoriginal. -- Jon Gaff gaff@srhqla.sr.com gaff@srhqla.uucp "When the land is confused and in chaos, loyal ministers appear." -- Lao Tze.