
Mitchell believes he was simply writing a book that he always wanted to read: “The feeling was one of deep connectedness, of knowing exactly what to do, beyond any conscious intention.”Ībout Lao-tzu (also spelled Lao Tzu and Laozi):.He discovered the Tao Te Ching shortly before he began Zen training in 1973 (30 years old). His old Zen master taught him about Don’t-know mind: “the empty, luminous, infinitely open mind of realization.”.Stephen Mitchell was born in 1943, educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and “de-educated through intensive Zen practice.”.

A true philanthropist, like a good parent, brings people to the point where they can help themselves.” - Stephen Mitchell “The greatest help is wholeheartedly trusting people to resolve their own problems.
#BEST TAO QUOTES FOR FREE#
You can read a variety of Tao Te Ching translations online for free here and here.
#BEST TAO QUOTES UPDATE#
Over time, I will also be comparing my favorite Tao Te Ching passages to other translations/versions and update this post.


Zen Stages of Enlightenment: The Ten Bulls or Ten Oxherding Pictures (Short Story).If you like this post, you may also enjoy: But it’s one thing to read about being in harmony with the Tao, or even to understand what that means, and quite another to actually live it.” - Stephen Mitchell “It’s wonderful to discover that there is such a thing as a manual on the art of living, a book as profound as this, and as down-to-earth, that can point you in the right direction. Easily one of the wisest books I’ve ever read. I absolutely loved Tao Te Ching (pronounced Dow Deh Jing).
