tao te ching: Liber Clvii: The Equinox (Vol. 3, No. 8) (Equinox, V. 3, No. 8) [Paperback]

Aleister Crowley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0877288461 | ISBN-13: 978-0877288466 | Publication Date: October 1, 1995

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was uniquely qualified to produce a translation of Lao-tzus Tao Te Ching. He was called the finest English metrical poet of his generation by some of his contemporaries, and his work is anthologized in the Oxford Book of Mystical Verse. He was also a profound and experienced magician, mystic, and philosopher, trained in western esotericism, Hermeticism, the Qabalah and more traditional western philosophy, but with a deep and abiding interest in the ancient philosophies of the Orient. Crowley traveled widely in the East, and he actually walked across Southern China in 1906. His first-hand experience of the Orient made him one of the first students in the West to grasp oriental philosophy on its own terms, without a Eurocentric or Judeo-Christian cultural bias. The Chinese scholar Hellmut WIlhelp acknowledged the primacy of Crowleys work in Taoist studies. Crowley had no Chinese, and his translation is that of a poet interpreting the dry and scholastic translation of James Legge, as Ezra Pound would later do with the Confucian Analects. He contributes and autobiographical and critical introduction that discusses his religious philosophy and his lifelong attraction to Taoism, and his extensive notes and commentary to his translation help to amplify the meaning of the Chinese classic. This edition includes Crowleys verse translation of the Ching-ching Ching (Liber XXI, The Classic of Purity) as an appendix. This edition includes an editorial forward by Hymenaeus Beta, Frater Superior of O.T.O., as well as bibliography and index.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877288461
• ISBN-13: 978-0877288466
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Tao Te Ching

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and profound version of the Taoist classic., December 14, 1998

By 

J. E. Strobhert Jr. "Joe Strobhert" (Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: tao te ching: Liber Clvii: The Equinox (Vol. 3, No. 8) (Equinox, V. 3, No. 8) (Paperback)

Although this volume is more of an interpretation than a translation, since by Crowley's own admission he was working from English texts, nevertheless it displays those multiple levels of spiritual wisdom and understanding which are typical of his best work. In addition, the book serves as an excellent introduction to his work for a broader audience, in that he has omitted his usual technique of shocking the unwary out of complaisancy through the use of humor.

He has somehow managed to synthesize the basic tenets of the Tao Te Ching with his own core doctrine as expressed in the Book of the Law. This resolution of seeming opposites goes to the heart of both systems, in that each teaches that the nature of Truth is Paradox. In this work the author appears (for him) incredibly restrained, as though in awe of the text he is working with. There are many levels of depth to be derived from each chapter, and the book deserves repeated reading and meditation. Those unfamiliar with Crowley's work will have a chance to encounter the depth of his wisdom without trepidation, and old fans will realize herein deeper profundities reserved for the initiated and the willing.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Occult Masterwork, December 11, 2000

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This review is from: tao te ching: Liber Clvii: The Equinox (Vol. 3, No. 8) (Equinox, V. 3, No. 8) (Paperback)

This unusual book, which many Crowley readers don't even know exists, highlights the author's unique genius. In many respects, Crowley's is a perfectly legitimate, sturdy translation of the ancient Chinese wisdom book. Yet Crowley is able to add just the right wrinkle to its words to subtly infuse it with his "do what thou wilt" philosophy. I wouldn't advise making this version the only Tao Te Ching translation on your shelf -- for that look to Jonathan Star and some of the other master translators. But alongside the existing Tao literature, this is a fascinating and masterful supplement. For Crowley readers, it is a must. And due to its accessibility, this work may even be a good introduction to the nature of Crowley himself. In any case, it shows his intellectual and artistic mastery, not only of occult and esoteric wisdom, but also of poetic form and interpretive art.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dry, but worthwhile, December 2, 2000

By 

J. French "93 93/93" (Oakland, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: tao te ching: Liber Clvii: The Equinox (Vol. 3, No. 8) (Equinox, V. 3, No. 8) (Paperback)

Crowley's intepretation of the Taoist classic is very illuminating, showing if nothing else the flexibility of the Law of Thelema. The book is a peircing look into Crowley's own sycretist mind. However, Crowley's technique of intepretation leads to a very dry reading of the text. The book is set up like a typical Thelemic Liber, with paragraph headings and so forth. The chapters are written in prose paragraphs, rather than free verse as other translations. THus, the poetic power of the text is actually somewhat diminshed. The inclusion of footnotes to explain things is very unTaoist in spirit. Overall, however, Crowley's Toa Te Ching is a very illuminating read. It shows that the Law truly is for all, and that it has been hiding for centuries. This, if nothing else, makes the book worthwhile.

Provisionally reccomended