This is a new translation of Laozi's Tao-te Ching (The Book of the Way and its Power) the foundation text of Taoism, along with two original commentaries, one popular and the other scholarly. The earliest was penned by the 'Old Man who Lived up the River' and represents the folk tradition of the book; the second is by the early philosopher Wangbi. The first is a guide to qigong or Taoist yoga, while the second is the earliest exposition of the Tao-te Ching's philosophy of 'being' and 'non-being'. These gentle philosophies of turning away from the world's troubles and deepening an inner life crystallise all that is best in the Chinese mind. They reveal an message of harmony, and naturalness in action, rejection of pretence and artificiality, and a simple life with regard to the environment. Both are newly rendered into English and placed directly after the original text in the traditional manner. There is a short note to each chapter describing its content and textual variations.

About the author

Richard Bertschinger is a translator from the classical Chinese of the The Golden Needle, (Churchill Livingstone 1991) also The Secret of Everlasting Life, (Element 1994), early alchemical and medical texts. He taught ten years at Yeovil College - Tai-chi, massage and relaxation. He has been in acupuncture practice twenty-five years with Jane Robinson and Lesley Jenkins in Yeovil. He studied Tai-chi, meditation and translation with Mr Gia-fu Feng, American-Chinese Taoist teacher until his death in 1986, also learning his acupuncture from Jack Worsley at Leamington Spa, and working as a primary school teacher in the UK and in Gestalt Therapy in the USA. A first degree in philosophy, he also worked ten years at Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton, in the NHS Pain Clinic promoting Traditional Acupuncture.