| The Tao De Jing was known as Lao Tzu's "The | | | | It is a short book, the original only 5000 words long. |
| Way". According to tradition it was written around the | | | | Rather that prose it speaks in stanzas that reveal the |
| 6th century BC by the sage Lao Tzu, or Old Master | | | | masters actions in situations that occur in life. It puts |
| who was purported to be a record keeper in the Zhou | | | | me in a place where I believe I can be a master, at |
| Dynasty court. | | | | least the master of my destiny. This verse is an |
| On my bathroom floor in front of the toilet lays a | | | | example: |
| pocket edition translation of Stephen Mitchell's Tao Te | | | | "I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, |
| Jing. I picked it up so often the pages fell from the | | | | compassion. These are your greatest treasures. |
| binding, and then I bought a new one. It is one of the | | | | Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to your |
| most inspirational books in my possession and a | | | | source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, |
| constant reminder to relax and enjoy life. | | | | you accord with the way things are. Compassionate |
| There are 81 stanzas in the book followed by a brief | | | | toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world." |
| analysis of each by Mitchell. I have no idea how many | | | | For me, reflecting in the Tao is an experience that I |
| times I have reviewed this small book, but it must be | | | | would recommend to anyone interested in following |
| hundreds of times. It is a true classic and never gets | | | | ancient Chinese wisdom. Stephen's translation is |
| old. Each time I review a stanza more insight comes | | | | beautiful, lucid, easily understood, and fits our times as |
| into view. | | | | well as those thousands of years ago. |