review of The Original Wisdom of the Dae De Jing, New Translation and Commentary by P.J. Laska May 13, 2012
Format:Paperback
This book is a treasure! Laska’s translation/re-interpretation of these historic verses (dating back to early Chinese history, possibly 350 BCE or before) is a considerable scholarly accomplishment. The “Comment” section that accompanies each is an invaluable guide for focusing this time-honored philosophy on current ecological concerns. The poetry–aphoristic, occasionally elusive–retains the subtlety and wisdom of the ancient text yet reveals ecological insights of startling relevance to today’s issues–how to sustain the totality of life without ruining nature’s normal cycles. Awareness has become so global now that these questions are urgent, given the onset of climate change and population densities that are impacting resources at an alarming rate. Page by page, here is an illustration of how human intelligence can be brought to bear on governing the whole along with individual responsibility on governing the self in order to preserve natural sufficiency. The poetry is concise, provocative, highly appealing in its logical and profound wisdom–not esoteric, but quite accessible. And always instructive
