What do you think?
Rate this book
The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching: A New Translation and Commentary
The first translation of the ancient classic that reveals the feminine nature of the Tao
Restores the feminine essence of the Tao Te Ching as well as the simplicity and poetic undertones of the chapters
Offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters and key Chinese characters to reveal their profound wisdom
Translated from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching
Paper with French flaps
In this book, Rosemarie Anderson shares her discoveries of the Divine Feminine Tao alongside her original translation of the Tao Te Ching . Working from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching, the author slowly translated all 81 chapters over the course of two years, allowing each section to reveal its intimate poetic and spiritual nature. To her surprise, she discovered that the Tao was unmistakably feminine, consistently referred to as “mother,” “virgin,” and the “womb” of creation.
Anderson explains how the Tao is a feminine force, the Dark Womb of Creation, the Immortal Void renewing life again and again in ordinary times and in times of crisis. She offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters to help reveal their profound wisdom. The author also restores the chapters’ simplicity and musical undertones, explaining how, in the original Chinese manuscripts, the text is poetic and rhymed because the Tao Te Ching was often recited or sung--yet most English translations are written in scholarly prose with long sentences and complex syntax. She shows how the great Tao’s message of wei wu wei --“act without acting” and “do without doing”--offers a path of peace and well-being for ourselves and for our relationships with others and the earth, a path that arises from spontaneous action that seeks no gain for the self.
Capturing the original feminine nature of this ancient text, Anderson’s translation sheds new light on the esoteric wisdom contained within the Tao Te Ching and on the mystical feminine essence of the Tao.
Restores the feminine essence of the Tao Te Ching as well as the simplicity and poetic undertones of the chapters
Offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters and key Chinese characters to reveal their profound wisdom
Translated from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching
Paper with French flaps
In this book, Rosemarie Anderson shares her discoveries of the Divine Feminine Tao alongside her original translation of the Tao Te Ching . Working from ancient silk and bamboo slip manuscripts, the oldest known copies of the Tao Te Ching, the author slowly translated all 81 chapters over the course of two years, allowing each section to reveal its intimate poetic and spiritual nature. To her surprise, she discovered that the Tao was unmistakably feminine, consistently referred to as “mother,” “virgin,” and the “womb” of creation.
Anderson explains how the Tao is a feminine force, the Dark Womb of Creation, the Immortal Void renewing life again and again in ordinary times and in times of crisis. She offers commentary for each of the 81 chapters to help reveal their profound wisdom. The author also restores the chapters’ simplicity and musical undertones, explaining how, in the original Chinese manuscripts, the text is poetic and rhymed because the Tao Te Ching was often recited or sung--yet most English translations are written in scholarly prose with long sentences and complex syntax. She shows how the great Tao’s message of wei wu wei --“act without acting” and “do without doing”--offers a path of peace and well-being for ourselves and for our relationships with others and the earth, a path that arises from spontaneous action that seeks no gain for the self.
Capturing the original feminine nature of this ancient text, Anderson’s translation sheds new light on the esoteric wisdom contained within the Tao Te Ching and on the mystical feminine essence of the Tao.
160 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2021
15 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 1, 2021
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet's website on 04/01/2021.
Translations matter. Anyone with even a passing interest in the Bible could tell you this. My husband loves to drive this point home by saying he learned to read Greek just so he could read older versions of the Bible to then use to argue against judgmental Christians. The fact is most ancient texts have been interpreted and reinterpreted again and again by men. These were the kinds of thoughts that were going through Rosemarie Anderson’s mind when she decided to translate the Tao Te Ching, using the oldest version of the text she could find.
The Tao Te Ching is a classic Chinese text that has influenced Chinese philosophy and religion into modern times. It has been translated many times. I happen to own 3 different translations. Out of the three I own, “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” by Rosemarie Anderson is my favorite.
In her introduction, Anderson shares her journey that culminated with her sitting down and doing her own translation of the Tao Te Ching. She shares her genuine surprise at how overtly feminine the Tao was in her translation. After reading “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” I reached for my other two copies of the Tao, one from 2008 translated by James Legge and the other from 1993 that was translated by Man-Ho Kwok, Martin Palmer, and Jay Ramsay. And whoa yeah, there are many differences between the three texts. In the divine feminine defense of the other two, they both did translate some phrases in a more feminine way, but none to the extent of Anderson’s translation.
However, it’s not just the overtly feminine translation that makes “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” my favorite. Anderson’s presentation of the text is more poetic and lyrical than the others I read. It flows better when being read, and I suspect sounds wonderful read aloud. It lends itself nicely to being read repeatedly, and the Tao Te Ching is a text that is meant to be repeatedly read and reflected on.
All of this is to say, “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” by Rosemarie Anderson will be my definitive translation of the Tao going forward.
Translations matter. Anyone with even a passing interest in the Bible could tell you this. My husband loves to drive this point home by saying he learned to read Greek just so he could read older versions of the Bible to then use to argue against judgmental Christians. The fact is most ancient texts have been interpreted and reinterpreted again and again by men. These were the kinds of thoughts that were going through Rosemarie Anderson’s mind when she decided to translate the Tao Te Ching, using the oldest version of the text she could find.
The Tao Te Ching is a classic Chinese text that has influenced Chinese philosophy and religion into modern times. It has been translated many times. I happen to own 3 different translations. Out of the three I own, “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” by Rosemarie Anderson is my favorite.
In her introduction, Anderson shares her journey that culminated with her sitting down and doing her own translation of the Tao Te Ching. She shares her genuine surprise at how overtly feminine the Tao was in her translation. After reading “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” I reached for my other two copies of the Tao, one from 2008 translated by James Legge and the other from 1993 that was translated by Man-Ho Kwok, Martin Palmer, and Jay Ramsay. And whoa yeah, there are many differences between the three texts. In the divine feminine defense of the other two, they both did translate some phrases in a more feminine way, but none to the extent of Anderson’s translation.
However, it’s not just the overtly feminine translation that makes “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” my favorite. Anderson’s presentation of the text is more poetic and lyrical than the others I read. It flows better when being read, and I suspect sounds wonderful read aloud. It lends itself nicely to being read repeatedly, and the Tao Te Ching is a text that is meant to be repeatedly read and reflected on.
All of this is to say, “The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching” by Rosemarie Anderson will be my definitive translation of the Tao going forward.
October 8, 2022
This is a perfect gift for honoring the feminine, motherhood, and mothering. Anderson, one of my PhD professors at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (currently Sofia University), has pioneered the first translation revealing the feminine nature of the Tao. She says that translating the Tao Te Ching was a work of love, inspired by a psychology/research position she had in Asia in the 1970s. During that trip, she effortlessly embodied wi wu wei, meaning to "act without acting," or "knowing without knowing." Thus, when aligning with the Tao, we become more spontaneous and selfless.
"Tao," says Anderson, "is consistently referred to as 'mother,' 'virgin,' and 'womb of creation,'" clearly making it feminine.
When read out loud, the 81 verses in the book have a beautiful musical quality. In fact, Anderson suggests singing them to your favorite tune.
This book is destined to become a classic. One of my favorites is Poem 36:
What you wish to diminish
You must first let it stretch
What you wish to weaken
You must first let it strengthen
What you wish to destroy
You must first let it exalt
What you wish to seize
You must first let it rise up
This is called subtle knowing
The soft and weak overcoming the hard and strong....
"Tao," says Anderson, "is consistently referred to as 'mother,' 'virgin,' and 'womb of creation,'" clearly making it feminine.
When read out loud, the 81 verses in the book have a beautiful musical quality. In fact, Anderson suggests singing them to your favorite tune.
This book is destined to become a classic. One of my favorites is Poem 36:
What you wish to diminish
You must first let it stretch
What you wish to weaken
You must first let it strengthen
What you wish to destroy
You must first let it exalt
What you wish to seize
You must first let it rise up
This is called subtle knowing
The soft and weak overcoming the hard and strong....
Read
April 4, 2023I think I’m reading on pure anger these days, everything pisses me off, I love it.
August 26, 2024
A nice translation of the Tao Te Ching, with some descriptive notes and historical context.
February 3, 2025
This is a Chinese philosophy classic, that has been translated throughout generations by many people. The translations can vary so much, as I found while reading two versions at the same time.
There are 81 short poems, many of them tough to read and few of them really hit home. I honestly think it depends on where you are in life. Someone might understand them or interpret them differently than you. It is definitely interesting to read about the root of other religions.
That said, this translation was so much easier to read. It flowed so well, some poems felt like a song, which made more sense to me as many ancient lessons were often communicated throughout generations word of mouth rather than print (less people knew how to read or write).
I think I’ll be coming back to this from time to time, one poem at a time.
There are 81 short poems, many of them tough to read and few of them really hit home. I honestly think it depends on where you are in life. Someone might understand them or interpret them differently than you. It is definitely interesting to read about the root of other religions.
That said, this translation was so much easier to read. It flowed so well, some poems felt like a song, which made more sense to me as many ancient lessons were often communicated throughout generations word of mouth rather than print (less people knew how to read or write).
I think I’ll be coming back to this from time to time, one poem at a time.
February 14, 2022
A found poem:
If you wish to hear the messages of
the Tao Te Ching, you must enter into
wei wu wei. Listen to the words. Take your
time. Read the poems aloud. Get into
the beat and the musicality
of the poems. Try singing them to a
favorite tune. Let the words roll over
you like the lyrics of a song you love.
Read or sing one poem a day and live
with it for the day. Imagine yourself
on the banks of one of the great rivers
of China or high in the mountains of
central China where the Taoist masters
may have lived. Sink into the sense of a
wilderness so vast and remote control
is an illusion. Abide in a world
beyond your control and let the river
and the mountains tell their story. Be
wei wu wei- act without acting, do without
doing. Let the poems and their meanings
seep into your bones and your soul.
Aligning with the Tao is not about
rules. Instead the Tao calls you to be
enigmatic, riotously, wilding
you and no one else. The Tao strips you down
to the nothing of everything that is.
The Tao Te Ching has been revered
by the Chinese people for more
than 2,500 years. Copied down
on robust silk fabric and bamboo slips
early in the second century BCE,
the poems may have circulated
as far back as the eleventh century.
To be like undyed silk
and uncarved wood:
there is no sin or evil
in the Tao Te Ching,
just an abiding sense of
movement toward the good.
All things flow to the Tao,
a treasure to the good
and a shield to the bad.
Aligned with the Tao and
without judgement, the wise
view everyone as equal
and see that movement
toward the good and truthful
is always possible. No one is left behind,
either by the Tao or the wise
who enact the Tao every day.
The wise have no set mind
Their mind is joined to the mind of the people
The wise live in the world and unite with it
The world knows beauty
Yet when beauty appears
Ugliness rises too
The world knows virtue
Yet when virtue appears
Recklessness arises too
Presence and absence create the other
Hence the wise abide without action
Teach without words
Attend to all things without withdrawing
Act without expectation.
The Tao is empty
Yet when used
Never exhausts
An abyss!
That seems the ancestor of all
She softens our edges
Loosens our entanglements
Tempers our light
Merges with ordinariness
Knowing not-knowing is best
Not knowing not-knowing is a flaw
The wise are not flawed
Because they recognize a flaw a flaw
Hence they are without flaw
The Tao flows everywhere!
She stretches to the left and to the right
All things rely on Her for life
Know the masculine
But hold to the feminine
And be to the world a channel
As a channel to the world
Your original nature never departs
Know the glorious
But hold to the lowly
And be to the world a mirror
If you wish to hear the messages of
the Tao Te Ching, you must enter into
wei wu wei. Listen to the words. Take your
time. Read the poems aloud. Get into
the beat and the musicality
of the poems. Try singing them to a
favorite tune. Let the words roll over
you like the lyrics of a song you love.
Read or sing one poem a day and live
with it for the day. Imagine yourself
on the banks of one of the great rivers
of China or high in the mountains of
central China where the Taoist masters
may have lived. Sink into the sense of a
wilderness so vast and remote control
is an illusion. Abide in a world
beyond your control and let the river
and the mountains tell their story. Be
wei wu wei- act without acting, do without
doing. Let the poems and their meanings
seep into your bones and your soul.
Aligning with the Tao is not about
rules. Instead the Tao calls you to be
enigmatic, riotously, wilding
you and no one else. The Tao strips you down
to the nothing of everything that is.
The Tao Te Ching has been revered
by the Chinese people for more
than 2,500 years. Copied down
on robust silk fabric and bamboo slips
early in the second century BCE,
the poems may have circulated
as far back as the eleventh century.
To be like undyed silk
and uncarved wood:
there is no sin or evil
in the Tao Te Ching,
just an abiding sense of
movement toward the good.
All things flow to the Tao,
a treasure to the good
and a shield to the bad.
Aligned with the Tao and
without judgement, the wise
view everyone as equal
and see that movement
toward the good and truthful
is always possible. No one is left behind,
either by the Tao or the wise
who enact the Tao every day.
The wise have no set mind
Their mind is joined to the mind of the people
The wise live in the world and unite with it
The world knows beauty
Yet when beauty appears
Ugliness rises too
The world knows virtue
Yet when virtue appears
Recklessness arises too
Presence and absence create the other
Hence the wise abide without action
Teach without words
Attend to all things without withdrawing
Act without expectation.
The Tao is empty
Yet when used
Never exhausts
An abyss!
That seems the ancestor of all
She softens our edges
Loosens our entanglements
Tempers our light
Merges with ordinariness
Knowing not-knowing is best
Not knowing not-knowing is a flaw
The wise are not flawed
Because they recognize a flaw a flaw
Hence they are without flaw
The Tao flows everywhere!
She stretches to the left and to the right
All things rely on Her for life
Know the masculine
But hold to the feminine
And be to the world a channel
As a channel to the world
Your original nature never departs
Know the glorious
But hold to the lowly
And be to the world a mirror
July 14, 2023
This is definitely not my favorite translation of the Tao. In many translations, there are numerous verses that always leave me scratching my head as to what the verse was intended to convey - these verses appear impenetrable regardless of the translator involved, and this is true here as well. Having said that, quite a few of Anderson's verse translations were rendered in ways that felt very on-target, but these were outnumbered for me by ones that felt quite wrong, as though they either missed the point that was (originally) being addressed entirely, or alternatively shed no real light on what was being stated or implied in the verse.
Anderson appears in the book to be making a big deal of rendering the feminine in the Tao, as though this is a recent discovery. It is not. Many/most translations refer to the moon, the valley, the womb, and earth itself as inherently feminine, and it is clear from all these translations that it is the feminine to which the reader or practitioner should orient. Interestingly, Anderson references Red Pine's works on the Tao, and Red Pine's translations do indeed reference Yin as a feminine force throughout, but never as personified as in Anderson's rendering (e.g. #4: She seems ever present / We do not know whose child this is / She seems to have existed / Before creation), where the Tao comes across almost as a female goddess.
The other thing that seems missing to me is some kind of reckoning with what 'Te' is. I think Anderson refers to Te as 'dark virtue' numerous times with no clear indication of what this phrase implies, and this feels like a crucial omission to me. My own half-baked notion is that this is a reference to a power (essentially Chi) that is achieved by returning to an original and direct relationship with our universe.
Anderson appears in the book to be making a big deal of rendering the feminine in the Tao, as though this is a recent discovery. It is not. Many/most translations refer to the moon, the valley, the womb, and earth itself as inherently feminine, and it is clear from all these translations that it is the feminine to which the reader or practitioner should orient. Interestingly, Anderson references Red Pine's works on the Tao, and Red Pine's translations do indeed reference Yin as a feminine force throughout, but never as personified as in Anderson's rendering (e.g. #4: She seems ever present / We do not know whose child this is / She seems to have existed / Before creation), where the Tao comes across almost as a female goddess.
The other thing that seems missing to me is some kind of reckoning with what 'Te' is. I think Anderson refers to Te as 'dark virtue' numerous times with no clear indication of what this phrase implies, and this feels like a crucial omission to me. My own half-baked notion is that this is a reference to a power (essentially Chi) that is achieved by returning to an original and direct relationship with our universe.
January 22, 2022
The translator’s work is to deliver context and convey meaning to the resulting medium, staying close to the intent of the creator, maintaining its integrity. In translating Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching – a collection of poems written in 3 BC – Dr. Rosemarie Anderson offers a contemporary feminist read of the Tao in the The Divine Feminine Tao Te Ching. Because previous translators of the esoteric text have all been men, Anderson notes that the patriarchal perspective missed the allusions to the “dark womb,” the mother and virgin, which all point to the role of the divine feminine as the creator. Anderson invites the reader to consider the lessons of humility and tenderness of the Tao, traits often ascribed to the feminine.
One might wonder about Anderson’s intention and place as a White American woman in translating the Tao. Questions about cultural appropriation and co-optation are valid. By Anderson’s own account, it’s clear that the translator did the requisite work of becoming fully immersed in Chinese culture, spending years abroad to understand its history in order to deeply embody the language. Her practice of contemplation was guided by the Tao’s essential lesson of “wei wu wei:” act without acting, know without knowing. By listening and feeling deeply, Anderson allowed the ancient text to reveal timeless lessons to unveil a feminist perspective for Western seekers of wisdom.
This review was originally published in the San Francisco Book Review.
One might wonder about Anderson’s intention and place as a White American woman in translating the Tao. Questions about cultural appropriation and co-optation are valid. By Anderson’s own account, it’s clear that the translator did the requisite work of becoming fully immersed in Chinese culture, spending years abroad to understand its history in order to deeply embody the language. Her practice of contemplation was guided by the Tao’s essential lesson of “wei wu wei:” act without acting, know without knowing. By listening and feeling deeply, Anderson allowed the ancient text to reveal timeless lessons to unveil a feminist perspective for Western seekers of wisdom.
This review was originally published in the San Francisco Book Review.
April 10, 2021
Beautiful and evocative
This is a beautiful translation of the Tao Te Ching, one that flowed through me and allowed me to appreciate the text in a fresh and embodied way. I adore the idea of the Tao as She, and will now use this text as one of my primary sources for working with this wisdom. I highly recommend this book.
This is a beautiful translation of the Tao Te Ching, one that flowed through me and allowed me to appreciate the text in a fresh and embodied way. I adore the idea of the Tao as She, and will now use this text as one of my primary sources for working with this wisdom. I highly recommend this book.
March 3, 2022
This is my new favorite version of the Tao Te Ching. By bringing in a 'feminine' perspective, Anderson sheds new light on a number of the verses, and adds depth and clarity both to the meaning of this classic work. This is a powerfully useful version. Even if -- especially if -- you know the Tao Te Ching well, read this version for the fresh perspectives it will offer you.
Read
August 6, 2021299.51482 D6185 2021
January 25, 2022
A well-researched scholarly re-interpretation of the Tao Te Ching from its original feminine roots. Thank you for this important work Rosemarie Anderson.
May 8, 2022
Beautiful philosophy
June 21, 2024
This might be the most beautiful English translation of the Tao Te Ching that exists. I’ve been carrying it with me in my bag since I got it and reread a poem or 2 every day. Stunning.
June 26, 2024
A great translation...
August 7, 2022
A very modern translation ! well researched so more academically correct than other's i have read
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews