A Butchery of a Sacred Text
–
TheWanderingSmith –
2012-04-13
This is the most disappointing and disgusting butchery of the Dao De Jing I have ever read. The authors have so clearly missed the message of the work, it is both pathetic and angering.
To carry on in verbose, disconnected, needlessly complicated, academic language for hundreds of pages, when the subject matter is simplicity, clarity, harmony, connection is shameful.
This is exactly what happens when people start trying to be "smart and clever" in front of others and selling it. I recommend in the strongest possible terms that no one purchase this travesty. Rather, either find Thomas Cleary's translation (not available here, only in physical print as far as I am aware) or any other straightforward, translation without commentary as it is not required. Studying the original text alone, provided the translation is good is the whole point in the first place.