Laozi's "Daodejing"

Laozi's "Daodejing": A New Translation With Environmentalist Commentary offers a new translation and fresh interpretation of the eighty-one-verse Daodejing, one of the central texts of Eastern philosophy. Likely written during the late Zhou Dynasty between 600-400 BCE, this foundational work is generally attributed to an individual named Laozi, although it is unlikely that any such person actually existed. Here, author Steve Hallett employs contemporary poetic form when translating the document's approximately 5,000 Chinese characters and provides short analytical essays that illuminate the verses with a specific focus on the teachings they offer about social and environmental sustainability. His examination of this 2,500-year-old text suggests that perhaps not all our modern crises are as modern as they seem: Much of what ails us today may involve the same foolishness that has ailed us for millennia. Ultimately, this timely study posits that lessons from the past can help us avoid making hasty decisions related to the environment and show us how to chart a calmer, more patient, and more persistent path toward a just and sustainable future.

Steve Hallett is a professor of horticulture at Purdue University and teaches classes on sustainability, environmental science, and food justice. He is the cofounder of the Purdue University Student Farm and the Sustainable Food and Farming Systems degree program. Hallett is an award-winning teacher listed in Purdue's Book of Great Teachers and a member of its Teaching Academy. He is the author of Life Without Oil, The Efficiency Trap, and A Life for a Life.

Acknowledgments Introduction Laozi and the Daodejing A Philosophy for People and the Planet A Radically Gentle Philosophy Translation and Interpretation Verse 1. It's All Here Verse 2. Yin and Yang Verse 3. Wei Wuwei: Do Not-Doing Verse 4. What Is the Dao? Verse 5. Nature Is Ruthless Verse 6. Gaia Verse 7. Unselfishness and Selflessness Verse 8. As Humble as Water Verse 9. Moderation Verse 10. Meditation Verse 11. The Silence between Notes Verse 12. Restrain the Senses Verse 13. The Mind Is Its Own Place Verse 14. The Great Mystery Verse 15. The Ancients of the Ancients Verse 16. Return to the Root Verse 17. Unobtrusive Leadership Verse 18. False Loyalty Verse 19. The Uncarved Block Verse 20. The Outsider Verse 21. By This Verse 22. Daoist Beatitudes Verse 23. Emulate Nature and Be One with Loss Verse 24. Short Shrift for Braggarts Verse 25. The End of Chaos Verse 26. Be Stoic Verse 27. Teacher and Student Verse 28. Sunlight and Shadow Verse 29. The Pathology of Control Verse 30. The Pathology of Domination Verse 31. The Pathology of Victory Verse 32. The Forest for the Trees Verse 33. Know Thyself Verse 34. A Moment of Revelation Verse 35. Contentment Over Desire Verse 36. The Weak Are Stronger Verse 37. Wuwei for the Mind Verse 38. A Great Second Best Verse 39. Everything Is Linked Verse 40. Everything Is Cyclic, Except Everything Verse 41. Students of the Path Verse 42. Dao, Qi, Modesty, and a Simple Rule Verse 43. Be Like Water, Like Air Verse 44. Enough Is Enough Verse 45. Stillness Overcomes Heat Verse 46. The Curse of Craving Verse 47. See with Other Eyes Verse 48. Gain the World Verse 49. Simple Kindness Verse 50. How to Live Verse 51. The Primal De Verse 52. Seal the Openings Verse 53. Lead Us Not into Temptation Verse 54. Think Globally, Act Locally Verse 55. Return to Infancy Verse 56. Close the Doors Verse 57. Don't Meddle Verse 58. Unobtrusive Government Verse 59. Lead with Moderation Verse 60. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Verse 61. Spring and Autumn: Warring States Verse 62. The Greatest Gift Verse 63. Wuwei, Wushi Verse 64. Act, Don't React Verse 65. Be Wary of Cleverness Verse 66. Blessed Are the Meek Verse 67. . . . and the Greatest of These Is Compassion Verse 68. The Art of Peace Verse 69. The Art of War Verse 70. Pearls before Swine Verse 71. Self-Awareness Verse 72. Oppression Can Seed Revolution Verse 73. Dare to Be Pacifist Verse 74. The Great Executioner Verse 75. Shape the Path Verse 76. Bend without Breaking Verse 77. Negative Feedbacks and Reinforcing Cycles Verse 78. The Persistence of Water Verse 79. De-escalation Verse 80. Utopia Verse 81. Wisdom over Knowledge Notes Index