Overview

"DaoDeJing serves as one of the two foundational sources for Chinese culture. Other societies have tried to understand this collection of wisdom-metaphors, usually superimposing their own assumptions on this unique tradition. This 21st-century translation of the ancient Chinese wisdom-metaphors of DaoDeJing has been influenced by previous English translations, yet it radically departs from them. 19th century English grammar-syntax-semantics proposed extremely limited ranges of meanings for the Chinese characters. This work seeks to update and modernize contemporary meanings and bonds between European and Chinese cultures, and their languages. Using the interpreting lens of Alfred North Whitehead's philosophy of organism, commonly known as ""process philosophy,"" DaoDeJing: a Process Perspective explores multiple layers, meanings, and values underlying ancient Chinese culture. For more than 4,000-years, these meanings have created the fabric of a growing contemporary influence in politics and economics. Western thinkers are just beginning to appreciate their nuances and profound importance. This new, organic translation seeks to answer a series of epistemological-cosmological questions starting with, ""What's happening here?"" From the perspective of ""events,"" rather than ""objects-with-characteristics,"" it explores subtle yet profound meanings by focusing on the ""action"" occurring between and among the Chinese characters. Where normative definitions have been accepted routinely by scholars, this work investigates the deeper relationships operating within the structure of the wisdom-metaphors, individually and collectively. This scholarship makes bold suggestions for ethical-living and social-governance, providing opportunities for engagement between two quite different cultures and civilizations. It also presents a constructive alternative to the current Western model of competing-dominating-exploiting. DaoDeJing promotes cooperating between ""contrasts,"" dynamically-transforming those contrasts into a harmonious balance. This function is quite different from the standard Western model of ""compromise,"" where each component of the ""contrast"" experiences no real fulfillment, instead settling for something deemed hierarchically inferior. The dynamic-transforming of DaoDeJing yields a creative advance for all contrasting elements. It is not a ""zero-sum"" contest. It is an Endlessly-Creating series of dynamically-transforming processes. DaoDeJing offers a profound alternative to western approaches to power where subjugating and dominating yield only rancor and divisiveness. It is our firm hope that the concepts of ""balance"" and ""harmony"" in DaoDeJing can offer new vistas of ""Creating-Endlessly"" for all peoples and cultures."

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9781733120609

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Dear Dr.Hank, Thank you for sharing your translation of Dao De Jing. I am thrilled to see how accurately and vividly of your translation from the perspectives of phonology, formality and style. Meanwhile, I can deeply feel your passion for Chinese culture and also profound understanding of essence of Taoism. That is to follow the nature. I do hope that we can have more cultural exchange in the near future. Welcome to Pu'er University any time. Best Wishes! Sincerely, Yu Ganqian Pu'er University Dear Dr. Hank, How are you? It's already seven years since we met in Claremont. I am so glad to receive your translation of Dao De Jing. I was so touched when I realized an American did it. I know it is not easy. Congratulations! I started to study Dao De Jing some thirty years ago. Until now, I still feel that I did not get it all. Your book is valuable to me to get more understanding. Thank you for all your hard work! The words last two thousand years. And we see more and more people in America and Europe are studying it. We need exchange of our thinking about it. Your book provides a very good example for the exchange. Hope more people can read your book. Take care and keep in touch! Cherie Dear Dr. Hank, How are you? I am Huili He, a professor of China Agricultural University in Beijing, China. Four months ago, I have received the translation and commentary work by you and Yu Fu, DaoDeJing, from Dr. Wang Zhihe . It's my Great Honor. I really want to thank you after I finished reading it carefully. To me, this book has three distinct features and meanings: 1. Every sentence and word in every chapter is translated with great care, and the words are used with most precision. I think this is the best contribution to the friendly and full exchange of Chinese and Western culture and thoughts. 2. There are more than 80 pictures in the whole book, each one is so natural, beautiful and philosophically inspiring. They offer the understanding of the readers to have a relationship between difficult complementary and easy aesthetic. 3. The first part of this book is devoted to understanding and commenting on some key phrases in DaoDeJing, including Dao - De( - ), Wu - You( - ), Yin - Yang( - ), Wei -- Wu Wei( - ), Bu Zheng( ), Tian Xia( ), Sheng Ren( ), Zi Ran( ), Xiao( ), etc. They are very insightful, very accurate. DaoDeJing was written by Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher, 2,500 years ago in Hangu Pass, my hometown-Lingbao county, Henan Province. Many of his ideas are very useful for solving the problems facing human beings now! For example, in Chapter 8, it is said that the most valued creating is like flowing water, and there must be a good, beautiful and common way between Human-living. Chapter 25 says the meaning of world rules and principles,Human-Living emulates the world, the word emulates the Cosmos, and the Cosmos emulates Endless-Creating, Endless-Creating emulates Ultimate-Process. Thank you for your great contribution to China's excellent traditional culture! I will read your masterpiece well and cherish your trust and generosity! Best wishes, Yours sincerely

Dear Dr.Hank, Thank you for sharing your translation of Dao De Jing. I am thrilled to see how accurately and vividly of your translation from the perspectives of phonology, formality and style. Meanwhile, I can deeply feel your passion for Chinese culture and also profound understanding of essence of Taoism. That is to follow the nature. I do hope that we can have more cultural exchange in the near future. Welcome to Pu'er University any time. Best Wishes! Sincerely, Yu Ganqian Pu'er University Dear Dr. Hank, How are you? It's already seven years since we met in Claremont. I am so glad to receive your translation of Dao De Jing. I was so touched when I realized an American did it. I know it is not easy. Congratulations! I started to study Dao De Tsing some thirty years ago. Until now, I still feel that I did not get it all. Your book is valuable to me to get more understanding. Thank you for all your hard work! The words last two thousand years. And we see more and more people in America and Europe are studying it. We need exchange of our thinking about it. Your book provides a very good example for the exchange. Hope more people can read your book. Take care and keep in touch! Cherie

Author Information

"Hank Keeton received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union/University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College) in Claremont, CA. In 2004 he published a co-edited volume of research based on a series of workshops with international participants, titled ""Physics and Whitehead: Quantum, Process and Experience."" Hank's interests span a broad spectrum from philosophy-to-physics, from culture-to-agriculture, from ecology-to-art. He has been a professional photographer for more than 50-years. Yu Fu, received her Ph.D. in science of religion from Zhejiang University. From 2014 to 2016, she was a visiting graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University. She has translated three books in the field of comparative religion and theology, and in 2019 contributed to a revised translation of ""Matteo Ricci: Letters from China"". Her areas of interest include: interreligious dialogue, comparative religion, and cultural interaction between East and West. She is currently Associate Professor, Department of English, Zhejiang University City College, Zhejiang, China. Susanna Mennicke graduated from Concordia University, with a degree in art history (Summa cum laude), and continued her studies in graphic design. She currently works for a graphics house in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and designs a wide variety of print projects. Her custom font design for this book, and her overall MS layout highlights the harmony of these wisdom-metaphors."

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