Finally a book has been published in English for the first time!
The author Taichi Taniguchi is another pen name for the original author of this blog known as Ise-HakuSun-Do or Ryman.
The book is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Japan
I sincerely hope you will read this book. I think it is truly worthy of your time.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4864900345/isehakusandou-22/ref=nosim
from mobile phones:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d.html?a=4864900345&at=isehakusandou-22&url=/gp/aw/d.html
Sales on Amazon in other countries may take another few weeks. The publisher is working on that right now.
Product Description
Preface
The North Star is fixed in place in the night
sky, making it a valuable navigation beacon for the travelers since the ancient
times. In the same way, the ancient words of Laozi have remained an
invariable source of truth and wisdom over the long centuries. I have tried to
translate Laozi's words into softer, easier expressions for the sake of modern
society, in the hope that people living in this turbulent age can use them as a
guideline.
As I translated Laozi’s eighty-one stanzas, from the
beginning to the end, his ideas surprised me constantly. I have spent much time
in my life reading about the religions and spirituality of all times and
nations, but Laozi’s words from twenty five hundred years ago struck me as the
most timeless and straightforward truth. In many places throughout these
stanzas, I have found the essence of profound Buddhist philosophy condensed in
short phrases with well-polished words. The chapters also contain many words
that can guide our daily lives in today’s society. Indeed, Laozi is a man of wisdom.
According to Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian,
Laozi was last seen leaving China riding on a water buffalo. As I realized the
deep insights of Laozi’s words, I started to seriously consider whether he
might have journeyed all the way to
India and became a teacher of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in
his boyhood.
The compilation of the Buddha's words began long after his
death. Strictly speaking, the Buddha’s own words are unknown to us, just like
how Jesus Christ didn’t write the Bible. His disciples collected his words. But
in case of Laozi, ancient historical records that contain Laozi’s work have
been excavated from tumuli in China. The fact that these records have been
preserved is a miracle and it may well signify the work of Providence. I
believe it is fitting to call Laozi a true sage.
You may not understand the meanings of the original verses
in Chinese characters. But if you just keep looking at them, perhaps you will
start to feel the spirit of the characters that Laozi himself chose two
thousand five hundred years ago. I sense that Laozi carefully chose the
characters one by one. He chose the most expressive characters with layers of
meanings most suitable for short verses.
I hope
you will take this to heart and enjoy reading every line of Laozi’s words. I
would be happy if you keep the book handy and read it not just once but over and
over again. I am sure the lines will give you different impressions and
thoughts every time.
Taichi Tanigawa
A little episode on the process choosing the cover design:
I chose the letter "道" (means path or way) in calligraphy form for the cover of this book. I picked out one from a list that was registered for it's copy right and available to buy. However the profile of this author was not disclosed. He must have been quite a well-known person who could sell his calligraphy. I inquired to the publishing company about why the author's name was a non-disclosure. And the answer was that the author was not happy about this particular piece of work. Hence he requested the profile to be a non-disclosure.
What I felt here from this little episode is that the letter "道" has such deep meaning to it. The author could never be happy about the outcome no matter how many times he wrote it. It means that The Way or The Path is a never ending journey.
I thought this letter was really perfect to be on the cover of this book that interprets the words of Laozi.
A word from A. Morrow who helped us a great deal in the proof-reading.
"As the title hints, this is not an academic translation trying to reconstruct ancient China, but an interpretation for "everyday life" with lots of advice for our personal lives and careers. I'm pleased to have restored a Japanese passage that Tanagawa thought would be too difficult for English speakers. You will really be surprised and impressed by the spirit expressed in this book."
Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu
I am grateful to be led to live this life
生かして頂いて ありがとう御座位ます
