What do you think?
Rate this book
Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell | Summary & Study guide
Tao Te Ching Study Guide consists of approx. 38 pages of summaries and analysis on Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell. This study guide includes the following Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.
43 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2011
15 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 8, 2021
Goodreads is lumping all versions of the Tao under one book? Despite the vast differences in translations and different ISBNs? I protest.
April 8, 2015
Despite being a short book, it's not the kind you can finish in one sitting. Its words need to be read and reread and reflected upon and even then you might not fully grasp their meaning. It's a book that needs to be revisited and reassessed every year or so as your mindset evolves with time and experiences. While some of the verses resonate with me at the moment, others went straight over my head. At my book club, all the participants were asked whether the book preaches a realistic or idealistic philosophy and there were some interesting perspectives shared. To me it's a bit of both, on an individual level, certain elements (like making judgments, controlling your desires, seeking knowledge etc.) can be adopted but then the last few pages talk about governance. They're almost Utopian, like the one in the penultimate chapter which is pretty much an idealistic scenario for most if not all of the world's countries:
If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and
its dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.
But the most thought-provoking comment shattered the entire discussion and I still can't quite get my head around it. It brought into focus the first two lines of the book, which are:
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
So what does this mean? Why did Lao Tzu even attempt to explain the Tao in the rest of the book if it is not meant to be put into words and why are millions even bothering to try to understand this philosophy? I can't figure it out. If you have, please enlighten me.
Overall, it was all right. I'm sure my perspective and understanding will change if I read this again in a couple of years.
If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and
its dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.
But the most thought-provoking comment shattered the entire discussion and I still can't quite get my head around it. It brought into focus the first two lines of the book, which are:
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
So what does this mean? Why did Lao Tzu even attempt to explain the Tao in the rest of the book if it is not meant to be put into words and why are millions even bothering to try to understand this philosophy? I can't figure it out. If you have, please enlighten me.
Overall, it was all right. I'm sure my perspective and understanding will change if I read this again in a couple of years.
April 22, 2014
This is Stephen Mitchell's English version of the renowed Tao Te Ching, or the Book of the Way, which is a classic text of the art of living. Although there have been discussions on whether Mitchell's paraphased version has altered the original meaning of the text, i found that his less-literal interpretation help make the Tao Te Ching easier to comprehend. Comprising of 81 brief chapters, it can be easily finished in less than half a day, but filled with much wisdom and advice.
October 5, 2019
Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
When people see some things as beautiful,
Other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
Other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
When you are content to be simply yourself
And don't compare or compete,
Everybody will respect you.
We shape clay into a pot,
But it is the emptiness inside
That holds whatever we want.
Just realize where you come from:
This is the essence of wisdom.
When the country falls into chaos,
Patriotism is born.
Throw away morality and justice,
And people will do the right thing.
How do I know this is true?
By looking inside myself.
Give evil nothing to oppose
And it will disappear by itself.
If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.
Because he believes in himself,
he doesn’t try to convince others.
Because he is content with himself,
he doesn’t need others’ approval.
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
Act without doing
work without effort.
Think of the small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.
The Master never reaches for the great;
thus she achieves greatness.
The giant pine tree
grows from a tiny sprout.
The journey of a thousand miles
starts from beneath your feet.
Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.
Therefore the Master takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm
at the end as at the beginning.
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
The generals have a saying:
“Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard.”
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
When people see some things as beautiful,
Other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
Other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
When you are content to be simply yourself
And don't compare or compete,
Everybody will respect you.
We shape clay into a pot,
But it is the emptiness inside
That holds whatever we want.
Just realize where you come from:
This is the essence of wisdom.
When the country falls into chaos,
Patriotism is born.
Throw away morality and justice,
And people will do the right thing.
How do I know this is true?
By looking inside myself.
Give evil nothing to oppose
And it will disappear by itself.
If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.
Because he believes in himself,
he doesn’t try to convince others.
Because he is content with himself,
he doesn’t need others’ approval.
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
Act without doing
work without effort.
Think of the small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.
The Master never reaches for the great;
thus she achieves greatness.
The giant pine tree
grows from a tiny sprout.
The journey of a thousand miles
starts from beneath your feet.
Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.
Therefore the Master takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm
at the end as at the beginning.
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
The generals have a saying:
“Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard.”
July 12, 2024
So odd to give one star to one of the greatest books ever written... but Stephen Mitchell certainly took his liberties with this one. More so, the pronoun shift bothered me. Why use the "she" pronoun at all? I'm sorry, but that's not remotely historically accurate. In 571BCE when Lao Tzu was born, women were educated in "women's rites" alone and prevented from owning property or holding office, but we're going to use "she" for the whole book because "I liked it". More than that, the meaning of several sections were completely shifted. I get the feeling Stephen Mitchell did not understand the Tao as much as his pundits like to believe. Imagine my surprise when I looked up Mitchell's credentials and found out that he didn't speak a word of Chinese. Yes. This is not a conspiracy theory. Look it up. Mitchell did not speak a word of Chinese. More so, he writes himself, "Sometimes, when the original text seemed weak or conventional, written from what seemed to me a denser level of consciousness, I tossed it out the window and improvised." Well, you improvised poorly! What a horrible book. Those poor souls who buy this and believe it to be the Tao Te Ching. But then, the Tao that can be written is not the true Tao, so I hope some people still find a shred of inspiration in this nonsense.
August 3, 2024
I have read several versions of the Tao te Ching and this one is my favorite. It is easily accessible to a reader with any background… at least more than the other versions I have read.
Five years ago my son passed away; and reading from this book every day assisted me in processing grief, regret, and anger. It also allowed me a wide open space for forgiveness and appreciation for the circumstances surrounding my son’s death.
If I were to be on a deserted island and have the choice of any book that has ever been written, it would be this one… even though I have already read it (literally) hundreds of times.
I don’t read from it as often as five years ago, but every time I do, something arises from it that I had not seen before. It is a beautiful translation.
Five years ago my son passed away; and reading from this book every day assisted me in processing grief, regret, and anger. It also allowed me a wide open space for forgiveness and appreciation for the circumstances surrounding my son’s death.
If I were to be on a deserted island and have the choice of any book that has ever been written, it would be this one… even though I have already read it (literally) hundreds of times.
I don’t read from it as often as five years ago, but every time I do, something arises from it that I had not seen before. It is a beautiful translation.
July 8, 2025
Good reads lumps all the translation of the 道德經 together which is wrong. The Dao is the most translating work of chinese literature and for good reason. I am working on my own translation and have read a couple now. Mitchell’s is my favourite as he is not dogmatic to the text, his creative liberties work to enhance the translation meanings. The translation is not authentic but any reading of the Dao should be held in isolation, it is a book that reflects the readers thoughts more than the authors.
TLDR: I would recommend this one to anyone who has not read it before, thanks Telegraph Chris for the book!
TLDR: I would recommend this one to anyone who has not read it before, thanks Telegraph Chris for the book!
June 29, 2021
First, I have enjoyed every book Stephen Mitchell has written from my first book written (translated) by him - Ranier Maria Rilke's, Letters to a Young Poet. Second, everyone must read and become familiar with the wisdom inherent in The Tao Te Ching. Combining Stephen Mitchell and The Tao Te Ching is a recipe for appreciating Life on a whole new level. Enjoy!
August 3, 2022
Really wonderful translation and the version of this text I recommend over the many others available… it’s a shame Goodreads seems to lump all the translations together! They are all so different. Notes are also thoughtful and helpful.
September 18, 2018
Pure made up crap. Nothing to do with the actual Tao Te Ching.
January 2, 2023
Calming
August 2, 2024
Required reading for most people, in my opinion.
August 22, 2024
Calming. Reminds me to be centered. Nice summary of Tao.
August 24, 2024
I don't understand everything in this book, but it feels very good to read this book.
There's some rhythm and ryme to it that is hard to explain.
There's some rhythm and ryme to it that is hard to explain.
July 3, 2025
Wisest book in the universe?
November 16, 2015
This is an excellent, modern translation of the Tao. If half stars could be given, this would be a 4.5. Some of the modernizing seemed a bit of stretch, but this is a very minor quibble. As always, Stephen Mitchell provides an excellent translation for novice and expert alike. This edition is extensively annotated after the main text.
April 6, 2014
This is, by far, the best translation available. It captures what the words mean rather than simply what they've always said. If you're going to read the Tao Te Ching, read the Stephen Mitchell; it's a work of art.
March 10, 2012
I continuously read this. It is a beautifully written Tao Te Ching.
December 17, 2017
This for me is the spiritual guide that I turn to on a daily basis and have for years. He can translate like no other.
October 14, 2014
very in lightening
Want to read
October 27, 2014mistake
November 6, 2016
Very profound. Principles and teachings cannot be understood in one sitting. I will probably need to read about each principles in details through other books to grasp the deeper meaning
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews