Customer Reviews

The Essential Tao : An Initiation into the Heart of Taoism Through the Authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang-Tzu

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Any chance to read the Tao Te Ching, as well as get the essentials of Chuang Tzu under the same covers, must be celebrated. Unless you can read the Chinese original, you need many interpretations to gather a sense of the ineffable Dao, the Way of Life, and Cleary's is a worthy attempt. I like Feng/English and Mitchell's translations too, but in this case you also get a concise introduction to the whole of philosophical Daoism.

This book holds fond memories for me. I carried it for a long time, perusing it occasionally, trying to get a hold of this thing called 'the Tao'. But, as with the Way of the Tao, one day I simply 'got it'. And this entire book made complete sense. My life would never be the same. There is before and after that moment. So for that I hold it in high regard.

As I've matured a bit and have become familiar with other translations, this one shows its limitations. It is a great introduction and Cleary obviously knows his stuff. But it is written with a Western (American?) audience in mind.

While all translations carry interpretation as well, this one leans more toward an interpretation, one tailored to a Western audience (though definitely not as tailored as others, e.g. Stephen Mitchell's). So while it does makes sense of the text it also rides that edge of losing something as well.

The inclusion of Chuang-Tzu also makes the book a great value. Chuang-Tzu brings great humor and insight to the Tao Te Ching. Cleary's translation is clear but is a bit scholarly (though I suppose it is difficult for anyone to bring out the playfulness of the text, thus Lao-Tzu's concept that 'if it can be explained it ain't the Tao').

There are some translation of certain lines that I prefer and find brilliant. For example, 'when everyone knows good as good, this is bad' adds a different twist to the traditional rendering of 'when everyone knows good as good, this is because bad is already there'. But there are other translations that yield the same gems. I literally have seven different translations. Yikes. For a Way that is supposed to be unspoken, there are certainly a lot of words about it.

All in all, though, this is a great starter. Make sure to add it to or add to it other translations to really seek the essence and, more importantly, to live it.

Thomas Cleary, a recognised and respected scholar on Eastern religions and philosophies, is an acknowledged master also of translation from classic Chinese and Japanese tests. If one seeks out English translations of `The Taoist I Ching' or `The Art of War,' Cleary's version is probably the edition most likely to be found.

Thus, the work in this book, `The Essential Tao,' an initiation into the heart of Taoism through the authentic `Tao Te Ching' and the inner teachings of `Chuang Tzu,' carries a great pedigree. It fully lives up to expectations. These two works, which together describe the essentials of the philosophy and practice of Tao, impart great wisdom and insight, and Cleary's translation keeps much of the distinctiveness of the original Chinese.

The `Tao Te Ching' and `Chuang Tzu' cover a wide array of topics, from traditionally religious subjects such as mysticism, spirituality, morality, and cosmology, to more practical matters such as politics, economics, and even how to manage stress in a stress-filled world (which may account for the rise in popularity of Eastern philosophies as we hurry toward a 24-hour non-stop economy).

`Few of the world's great books have achieved the perennial currency of these writings. Countless readers have found endless fascination and enlightenment in the pregnant aphorisms and fantastic allegories of these ancient texts.'

Those who mastered the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, the teachings and wisdom of Lao-tzu, the Old Master, were sought after as advisors, spiritual leaders, mentors, and administrators. According to the ethos of Tao, the developments, insights and wisdom gained from following Tao must be shared, put to the service of all.

`The Way is unimpeded harmony;
its potential may never be fully exploited.
It is as deep as the source of all things:
it blunts the edges,
resolves the complications,
harmonises the light,
assimilates to the world.
Profoundly still, it seems to be there:

I don't know whose child it is,
before the creation of images.'

Some of the aphorisms read as proverbs:

`To speak rarely is natural.
That is why a gusty wind doesn't last the morning,
a downpour of rain doesn't last the day.'

and

`Be tactful and you remain whole;
bend and you remain straight.
The hollow is filled,
the old is renewed.'

These are hopes and promises of many religions, and the goal of many sciences and philosophies.

The second work, the `Chuang Tzu,' is a great work of Chinese literature, in addition to being a source of Taoist wisdom. Written by Chuang Chou, the first Taoist master and scholar of the teachings of Lao-tzu, this work has allegories and symbols that have been contemplated since it was first written. Chuang Chou lived at a rather more turbulent time than Lao-tzu, and because of his learning, was sought after as advisors to kings, but declined, preferring not to become, as he put it, a sacrificial animal.

Chuang Chou looked for freedom in many ways, psychological and social as well as political. He looked for freedom from tyranny of emotions, social convention, intellect, and even from death. `Chuang Tzu' consists of three sections, the inner, outer and miscellaneous chapters. This work of Cleary's contains the inner chapters, a basic core of his philosophy and symbolism.

`If all is one, can anything be said? Once it has been said that all is one, can nothing be said? Unity and speech make two; two plus one make three. What follows cannot be grasped even by skilled calculators, much less by ordinary people. Therefore when you go from nonbeing to being, you thereby come to a third point. How about when you go from being to being! It is simply for this reason that there is no getting anywhere.'

Chuang Chou recounts the tale of the maestros, who each knew his field (a harpist, a tuner, and a philosopher) -- they were successful, and known to posterity. Their devotion set them apart. However, they wanted to teach, but tried to explain what they could not fully understand, and thus slipped into sophistry. Thus, when their culture died, so did their memory. Can this, Chuang Chou asks, be counted as success?

However, `the aim of sages is for diffused brilliance: they do not employ it for affirmation, but entrust it to the constant. This is called using clarity.'

Cleary concludes with translation notes -- Chinese being quite distinct from English, and the concepts here being subtle, the possibility for confusion is magnified moreso than a translation from another European language into English. These translator notes are useful to see the complexity of thinking in the simplest thoughts.

May this help you find your Tao, your Way.

Cleary seems to have little acquaintance with classical Chinese history and culture. Cleary's language is flaccid, and so full of his own fancy that it's difficult to say what relation his translation has to the Chinese text. Over-produced in so many senses, the form and even content of this translation contradicts the spirit of tao. If you would like to read Chuang Tzu, a much less vaporous translation is Burton Watson's Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings. The language is direct, giving some hint of the concision and grace of classical Chinese, but also retains some of the subtle humor of this profoundly subversive philosopher.

This review concerns the hardbound edition.

Cleary's translation shows some insight of a philosophy that can be easily misunderstood. The beginning western reader to the Tao cannot be armed with too many translations to assist them. The Tao is from a culture whose philosophical basis of reasoning is foreign to most westerners. While I would not reccomend Mr. Cleary's work as the one and only translation for Americans, I have found that his work, when used in conjunction with some of the more "clasical" versions, is of value. The reader should note that for the non-oriental, non-chinese, mindset there is yet no "one" translation that can be depended upon for clarity.

Now, it's true that it's difficult to translate the Tao Te Ching and make the result seem new, but there's no sense in Cleary's distortion of the original text here. Previously clear sentences and phrases become overly ornamented, confusing, and sometimes just plain meaningless compared to the original. Why Cleary insists on putting his unique stamp (self-consiously subtle, didactic, and all around strange) on all his translations I'll never know, but in trying to be original with the Tao Te Ching he _really_ goofed.

The Chuang Tzu chapters here aren't much better, either; the Cleary-style shines through. Why would anyone want to own this book, when there are literally a dozen better translations of both works to be found elsewhere?

Thomas Cleary, a recognised and respected scholar on Eastern religions and philosophies, is an acknowledged master also of translation from classic Chinese and Japanese tests. If one seeks out English translations of The Taoist 'I Ching' or 'The Art of War,' Cleary's version is probably the edition most likely to be found.

Thus, the work in this book, 'The Essential Tao,' an initiation into the heart of Taoism through the authentic 'Tao Te Ching' and the inner teachings of 'Chuang Tzu,' carries a great pedigree. It fully lives up to expectations. These two works, which together describe the essentials of the philosophy and practice of Tao, impart great wisdom and insight, and Cleary's translation keeps much of the distinctiveness of the original Chinese.

The 'Tao Te Ching' and 'Chuang Tzu' cover a wide array of topics, from traditionally religious subjects such as mysticism, spirituality, morality, and cosmology, to more practical matters such as politics, economics, and even how to manage stress in a stress-filled world (which may account for the rise in popularity of Eastern philosophies as we hurry toward a 24-hour non-stop economy).

'Few of the world's great books have achieved the perennial currency of these writings. Countless readers have found endless fascination and enlightenment in the pregnant aphorisms and fantastic allegories of these ancient texts.'

Those who mastered the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, the teachings and wisdom of Lao-tzu, the Old Master, were sought after as advisors, spiritual leaders, mentors, and administrators. According to the ethos of Tao, the developments, insights and wisdom gained from following Tao must be shared, put to the service of all.

'The Way is unimpeded harmony;
its potential may never be fully exploited.
It is as deep as the source of all things:
it blunts the edges,
resolves the complications,
harmonises the light,
assimilates to the world.
Profoundly still, it seems to be there:

I don't know whose child it is,
before the creation of images.'

Some of the aphorisms read as proverbs:

'To speak rarely is natural.
That is why a gusty wind doesn't last the morning,
a downpour of rain doesn't last the day.'

and

'Be tactful and you remain whole;
bend and you remain straight.
The hollow is filled,
the old is renewed.'

These are hopes and promises of many religions, and the goal of many sciences and philosophies.

The second work, the Chuang Tzu, is a great work of Chinese literature, in addition to being a source of Taoist wisdom. Written by Chuang Chou, the first Taoist master and scholar of the teachings of Lao-tzu, this work has allegories and symbols that have been contemplated since it was first written. Chuang Chou lived at a rather more turbulent time than Lao-tzu, and because of his learning, was sought after as advisors to kings, but declined, preferring not to become, as he put it, a sacrificial animal.

Chuang Chou looked for freedom in many ways, psychological and social as well as political. He looked for freedom from tyranny of emotions, social convention, intellect, and even from death. Chuang Tzu consists of three sections, the inner, outer and miscellaneous chapters. This work of Cleary's contains the inner chapters, a basic core of his philosophy and symbolism.

'If all is one, can anything be said? Once it has been said that all is one, can nothing be said? Unity and speech make two; two plus one make three. What follows cannot be grasped even by skilled calculators, much less by ordinary people.'

'Therefore when you go from nonbeing to being, you thereby come to a third point. How about when you go from being to being! It is simply for this reason that there is no getting anywhere.'

Chuang Chou recounts the tale of the maestros, who each knew his field (a harpist, a tuner, and a philosopher) -- they were successful, and known to posterity. Their devotion set them apart. However, they wanted to teach, but tried to explain what they could not fully understand, and thus slipped into sophistry. Thus, when their culture died, so did their memory. Can this, Chuang Chou asks, be counted as success?

However, 'the aim of sages is for diffused brilliance: they do not employ it for affirmation, but entrust it to the constant. This is called using clarity.'

Cleary concludes with translation notes -- Chinese being quite distinct from English, and the concepts here being subtle, the possibility for confusion is magnified moreso than a translation from another European language into English. These translator notes are useful to see the complexity of thinking in the simplest thoughts.

May this help you find your Tao, your Way.

What I recommend to anyone who wants to learn about Taoism is: start by translating the Tao Te Ching yourself!

That may sound absurd but it's not as difficult as it seems. You can go on-line and find the Chinese text with a click feature which directs you to the dictionary entry for each character. You can also find a website that has literally 50 or more different English translations, so you can pick 6 or 7 to display simultaneously, then compare your own reading of the characters with the various translations. And of course you don't have to translate the whole thing. Some sections are more famous and canonical than others. (Frankly, some of them seem to me to be pure mystical gobbledygook!)

What you'll find is a rather remarkable diversity among the translations. You'll immediately appreciate how much subjective interpretation goes into translating. You'll see that some of the translators stick to more literal readings, whereas others indulge in quite fanciful interpretations which sometimes bear only a tenuous relationship to the literal text. Some translations are more poetical, others try to recapitulate the terseness and brevity of the original. There's one for every taste!

Cleary's translation often tends to be of the more fanciful variety. When you see how many translations are already extant, it's clear that there's not much need for yet another one, so maybe he was trying to justify his effort by finding some original perspectives. Maybe he succeeded! You can decide for yourself.

Ultimately, it's a matter of taste. You can make up your own mind which translation you like best. Maybe it'll be your own translation. Why not?

Of the three translations/versions of the Tao Te Ching, and commentaries on it, that I have read to date, I recommend Cleary's. Some readers complain that Cleary's translation isn't as 'readable' as other translations of the Tao Te Ching. Stephen Mitchell's translation is more popularly admired, but this says more about readers than the integrity of the respective texts. Reason suggests that a close and accurate translation should indeed sound foreign and awkward to 21st century Western hearers. Cleary is highly regarded for his scholarship of ancient Chinese texts, and his translation also includes the Inner Teachings of Chuang Tzu, with commentary/notes on both texts.

The Tao Te Ching is a well-known battery of apparently counter-intuitive assertions, overwhelming contrary to materialist / consumerist / modernist assumptions, sometimes opaque and generally suggesting a need for scholarly commentary. Again, Cleary seems to be a trustworthy guide, dispassionate and well informed.

The Inner Teachings of Chuang Tzu are more fanciful and perhaps somewhat less interesting, but in part underscore one of the Tao's thematic threads, that of knowing and not-knowing:

"What is more, there is a great awakening, after which we know this is a grandiose dream. Yet fools think themselves to be awake. . . Even my saying you are dreaming is a dream too. This kind of talk is called extremely strange . . . Suppose I have a debate with you, and you beat me, I don't beat you--does that mean that you are actually right and I am actually wrong? If I beat you and you don't beat me, does that mean I am actually right and you are actually wrong? Are both right, or both wrong?"

I won't feign any personal expertise or intimate knowledge of Taoism, but merely observe what seems fairly obvious to me--this volume is a sound "initiation into the heart of Taoism through the authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang Tzu."

This is definitely not the best translation you'll find of either the Tao Te Ching or the Chuang Tzu. If you've read either of these works before, then I don't think you'll find much value in purchasing this book.

On the other hand, this was the first translation I ever read of either, and I retain a certain fondness for it even though I have found many other "better" translations. I've never found a single translation that is the best in every way, and this one has enough merit that I still pull it every once in a while, for certain passages.

The fact that it contains both the Tao Te Ching and part of Chuang Tzu also make it a pretty good value to someone who is new to taoism in general. While the coarseness of the translation will irritate those who are more familiar with the subtleties of taoist philosophy, it's not likely to bother someone who is reading it for the first time. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.