Customer Reviews

The Second Book of the Tao

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an incredible book. Stephen's book is really in sync with his wife, Byron Katie's, work. There are some very timeless qualities that he references with his poetry - such as impermanence, or that life is precious and doesn't go on forever. In his commentary, he links up these philosophical concepts with the modern world in very specific ways which I could relate to easily.
I found his book relaxing to read especially after a hectic day when I am too tired to concentrate on anything. I could savor each word and read slowly because he writes in such a succinct clear way.
If you like metaphysical books and you have challenges in your daily life that you want to look at from a more spiritual perspective, this book is an excellent choice for inspiration and support.

Based on Chuang Tzu's (CT's) "Inner Chapters" & Confucius' grandson's "Chung Yung" (CY), this work consists of
a short introduction,
pp. 1-130 with even pages of highly "adapted" text & facing page commentary,
pp. 131-82--endnotes on both text & commentary,
pp. 183-200: endnotes on the adaptation (left out/added words).
It's an awkward structure IMHO--one must continually flip back & forth between these 3 parts. I particularly liked his introduction's summary of CT--p. xiii: "simply someone who doesn't linger in any mental construct about reality, someone who lives as effortless action & peace of heart, because he has freed himself from his own beliefs." The text/commentary section's pages are hardly full--padding the number of pages. Further, CT & CY are intermixed, unmarked as to source, out of order, & lack a discernible (to me) logical order.

Though I'd already read Lao Tze (e.g. Tao Te Ching), Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters, & Blofeld's Taoism: The Road to Immortality, I had few problems with the loose adaptation of the text except when a bit heavy-handed--e.g. important lines left out. I admired SM's 3rd section which explains the omissions/additions. While SM makes some valuable observations in his commentary (e.g. p. 61: "The Master lives a life of appropriate action because he doesn't believe his own thoughts, there is no barrier between his mind & reality" & p. 81: "Some people have an Atlas complex: they carry the world on their shoulders"), as another reviewer said, he has lowered these exalted teachings to his own level. Much of the somewhat inane commentary/notes demonstrates IMHO a rather superficial understanding & his attempts at humor are often silly. Perhaps he's learning by doing/writing? Still, it's worth reading.

Antithetically, SM has chosen some excellent quotes for his endnotes, notably:
p. 144: Shakespeare, Hamlet II ii--"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so,"
p. 149: Epictetus "We are disturbed not by what happens to us but by our thoughts about what happens,"
p. 177: William Blake--"He has observed the golden rule Till he's become the golden fool" & delightful:
p. 171: Shunryu Suzuki Roshi --"Everything's perfect, but there's a lot of room for improvement."

Of course, Chuang Tzu's text is awesome (better than CY). My favorite lines (in SM's rendering) are:
p. 96: Let go of all your assumptions & the world will make perfect sense.
p. 82: "Only when you are truly unattached to words or to silence can you express the truth.
p. 192: When I talk about having no feelings, I mean that a man doesn't allow likes or dislikes to get in & do him harm. He just lets things be the way they are & doesn't try to help life along" & his paradoxical/fun:
p. 166: "Where can I find someone who has penetrated beyond words? That's whom I'd like to have a word with." But, Mitchell hasn't done so--there's a great difference between childish & childlike.
For possible further reading: Taoist Healing Imagery & The Tao of Psychology: Synchronicity and Self

Translations and Versions of the OldBoy's, Lao Tzu/Laozi, Tao Te Ching/Dao De Jing, are as numerous as the stars in the Galaxy UFO777V8. So, why not a Second Book of the Tao that will never be translated. No offense Stephen, but no one is ever going to translate Tao Te Ching 2. But then you already know this.

No, this is simply one man's collection of thoughts about the nature of the eternal Tao from the perspective of one that has read and thought about such things extensively. A Poet's account of the Tao from the perspectives of the trickster Chuang Tzu and Confucius' grandson Tzu-ssu, as well as his own.

Stephen gives us his version of something said long ago in a land far, far away. Or just around the corner. Or maybe even right in front of us all along. Whatever is before you is your teacher.

Stephen knows that the Whole cannot be said. "The great tao cannot be named, great discernment cannot be seen, great benevolence is not gentle, great modesty is not meek, great courage is not aggressive. When you truly understand the Tao that cannot be named, you become rooted in not-knowing. This is called inner radiance. Add to it, it is never full: take from it, it is never depleted. Who can tell where it comes from? It is the inexhaustible treasury."

The course that can be discoursed is not the eternal Course.

Stephen Mitchell's Tao is open to all possibilities and yet fixed on the underlying unity of existence. The Right Here and the Right Now of every place and every time. Zen.

I highly recommend "The Second Book of the Tao".

My disappointment that this is not the Chuang-tzu quickly dissipated as this charming transladaption of Taoist wisdom grabbed and held me. Over forty percent of the readings are drawn from the seven "inner" chapters of the Chuang-tsu with the rest split unevenly between the remaining 26 chapters and the Chung yung. Its like reading the Tao Te Ching with fresh eyes. As usual, Mitchell draws on non-Taoist spiritual traditions to broaden the insights of his "chapters." More fun than i've gotten from a single book in a very long time.

Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
*** Somewhat recommended, with reservations and only lukewarm fuzzies.

First, a comment of what I mean by my title's reference to "cream cheese wontons". In the past, when people visiting from out-of-town ask me for advice on good Chinese restaurants in the Denver area, my reply is always, "Do you want to eat at authentic Chinese restaurants or Americanized Chinese restaurants?" Sometimes, their reply will be, "What is the difference?" And I always tell them that many Americanized Chinese restaurants have cream cheese wontons, crab rangoon, and chop suey on the menu, along with wayyyyyy too much sugar added to their sauces, while most authentic Chinese restaurants do not have these on the menu (in the Denver area at least). And while there is nothing wrong with enjoying the taste of these along with always ordering sesame chicken, I tell them that they should be aware that is not really true Chinese cooking.

And thus it is this similar non-authentic feeling that I am left with after reading Stephen Mitchell's adaptation of the Chuang Tzu and the Chung Yung. If you enter either of these terms in the Amazon Web site's 'Search' field, you will get far more true-to-form translations of these classics instead of one person's adapted and subjectively modified versions. Stephen's commentaries pull in a who's who of Western references (Einstein, Shakespeare, Yeats, and William Blake get mentioned along with various others), and the commentaries are almost poetic at times because of that. This is a good read, but please do yourself a favor and first read a more authentic translation of these classics. Otherwise, it would be like going to hear your local symphony play "The Music of Led Zeppelin" or "The Music of The Eagles" without having ever heard their original recordings.

This is a book that I was REALLY looking forward to. I have admired Stephen Mitchell's powerful translation (or interpretation - see below) of the Tao Te Ching. While it is not my favorite translation (that would go to Jonathan Storm's translation) - it is nonetheless a work a great beauty and transformative power. What I was hoping for in this volume was a focus on Chuang Tzu. I was not entirely disappointed. This work is divided between the work of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. Mitchell's commentaries are excellent. They are revealing and insightful. I must admit I learned a lot from this book.
Here is my problem with it - it's just a little short on content. I think for $25.00 - the reader deserves a little more - after all, half of the book consists of revised translations of existing material. Perhaps, Mitchell would have been better served had he focused on more commentary and less new interpretation. I use the term "interpretation" since Mitchell does not speak or read Chinese - so his "translations" are really interpretations of existing translations. This is not a criticism, just a non-trivial point.
If you don't mind the money for a light work in size (but not in substance) - then go for it.Liberation from the Lie: Cutting the Roots of Fear Once and for All

I highly recommend this book to everyone. As they say, "Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living." One of my favorite lines of this book begins with "Let go of all your assumptions and the world will make perfect sense." How much wisdom is in that phrase alone? I thoroughly enjoyed this translation, it has had an impact on me.

There are so many golden nuggets in here that anyone can incorporate this ancient wisdom into their lives right now - doesn't matter what religion they practice. I also enjoyed the notes that were written by Stephen Mitchell along side the translations - this assisted the reader understanding these philosophical concepts for today's modern world. I enjoyed reading this slowly and letting it soak in right before I retired for the night.

I have really enjoyed reading Stephen Mitchell's adaptations and insights. The book also includes wonderful notes on his translations and commentaries. Unfortunately, the E book version has no links to the notes for each chapter, making it very frustrating to read the chapter and then look at the notes. In an well done e-book it is really great to be able to tap a link to the note if you want to read it and then tap it again to go back to the main text. At a minimum, this Kindle book should have a link at the end of each of 64 chapters that take you to the notes section for that chapter and a second link to take the reader to the notes on the adaptation for the chapter. The only way to navigate the book is via the table of contents which only gets the reader to the start of each notes section. This book should be easier to read as an e- book than a print copy with no page flipping to find the relevant note section, but this version is missing that advantage.

This book is a terrific companion to Mitchell's original translation. He adds commentaires that are easy to understand yet profound. For anyone who loves the wisdom of Taoism, or for newcomers who want a wonderful guide to help them understand the beauty of Tao, this is the perfect book.Like his original translation, Mitchell is the only translator I have seen who uses "He" and "She" alternately. As a woman, and a feminist, it is so good to have this inclusive language added to this ancient text.

Because Lao-Tzu's Tao Te Ching is one of my favorite books I was intrigued by Stephen Mitchell's new book "The Second Book of the Tao." I was not disappointed. Mitchell's 64 (not 81 like the original) chapters are drawn from the work of Lao-Tzu's disciples Chuang-tzu and Tzu-ssu. Mitchell's 64 commentaries add further depth and insight into what it means to be in harmony with the Tao or the way things are.
The Tao means "The Way" of the universe, it is the way a person should live their life so that they are in harmony with the universe. The Tao Te Ching means "the way of power" and we can get this by cultivating "stillness" of mind so that we can open to the Tao and its power.
The purpose of Mitchell's book is truth. Mitchell said in his commentary, "It's all about paying attention to what is happening within our innermost self, until the unseen, the unquestioned, is as obvious as the seen...A tragedy is a comedy misunderstood. Once you realize what you are there's nothing left but gratitude and laughter" and "There is no beginning in time, only a beginning of thought."
Like Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" and "A Course in Miracles" Mitchell's book shows a way to wake up and live in the now in peace and joy without judgment.