Author Description

"In whatever way reality may be described, that is not Reality as it is" Reading the Tao Te Ching is like drinking from a pure mountain stream. In its gentle admonishment for a life of simplicity, harmony, and humility, it serves as a reminder of what we have lost in our pursuits of attainment. Lao Tzu beckons us to return to a state of childlike innocence, to a purified vision of the mysteriousness inherent in all things, and to a state of uncomplicated wonder. This translation of the Tao Te Ching is founded on a unified vision of all the great paths of Eastern wisdom. In its return to the clarity of Lao Tzu's original path, it encompasses the essence of the Buddha's teachings from the Pali canon, the profound depths of the Mahayana sutras, the directness of Zen, and the wondrous non-duality of Advaita Vedanta. About the translator: Ariya Mutti is a solitary monk devoted to a life of effortlessness and simplicity. As a lifelong student of all Eastern philosophies, he holds the Tao Te Ching to have the final say in harmonious living and unaffected relinquishment. Living in the mountains of Southern Africa, he spends his days in serene meditation.