Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching: a guide to the interpretation of the foundational book of Taoism
downloadable pdf and print-on-demand (hardcover or paperback, 634 pages).
It includes my translation, excerpts of other translations, commentary and analysis of Chinese text.
From the Introduction (565 kb)
Chapter 48 (168 kb)
My number one favorite book. I know of no other text that comes as close to expressing what lies beyond words. The little booklet (it consists of about five thousand characters) begins with the statement: “the Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao.” And then it goes on speaking about the Tao, not in the mode of definition, but in that of allusion, suggestion, provocation. That is its charm, that is why it has cast its spell over generations of readers from East and West. It does not speak to the logical mind: it points to an experience. Like Zen koans, it walks the reader to the edge of an abyss, where the mind stops.
Interviews in Uomini e Profeti
workshops and lectures the valley spirit