Treatise on Response and Retribution

Lao Tze

The symbolic legend of Lao Tze's life records the same spiritual journey taught by his philosophy, Taoism. Conceived through starlight, he was the Celestial Essence born under a plum tree. The name Lao Tze not only means Old Philosopher bu Ancient Child. The plum tree is the symbol of immortality. At birth he pointed to the tree saying, "I shall take my name from his tree." His surname is said to be Li, or plum; his proper name, Er, means ear. According to the story, He-Who-Heard-Immortality retired from active life in the province of Cheu, advising Confucius to do the same. When it was time to leave Cheu, the Keeper of the Pass stopped him and requested he write his philosophy. Lao Tze did this. It was the Tao Teh King, Taoism's paradoxical and dark bible.

Now, Paul Carus gives the more direct, lighter side of Taoism: The Treatise on Response and Retribution and the Taoist Folk Tales. The T'ai-Shang Kan-Ying P'ien also contains the original Chinese with a separate verbatim translation so the reader may see for himself how a skillful translator works. The Taoism of this book is filled with poetic images, animated by a deep love of nature and stocked with a rich store of good stories. Taoism has always appealed to artists, and the Paul Carus and D.T. Suzuki translation will appeal to all.