What is the most reliable version of daodejing?

[rezaf]

I have three books of "daodejing" and I have noticed that the three of them are quite different. As I want to memorize the text I want to know whether there is any reliable and standard version of "daodejing"?

[Daan]

Yes, there are many quite different versions of the 道德經 (or the 德道經). For example, there's the transmitted text, the 郭店老子, and a 馬王堆 manuscript. I think yet another version was found in the 敦煌 caves, too. It's impossible to determine which of these is the "real" 道德經, as they are all "real" 道德經s. That said, the edition with 王弼's commentaries was generally hailed as the "best" edition of the 道德經 in traditional China.

You may want to read this

[rezaf]

thanks

[hbuchtel]

Hi Rezaf, I was just thinking about this question of how there are different versions of various classics - I think the best choice in this case would be to find the version that has been in use for the longest time, or that has the greatest amount of commentary.

My point being that a large part of the value of these classics is in the commentaries. Finding the most 'authentic' version (the one from Ma Wang Dui, for example), might be of lesser practical value if it contains verses that have never been read and discussed and commented on.

To answer your question, I would find a good teacher first (hopefully one who is part of a lineage that includes study of Daode Jing), and memorize which ever version they themselves use.

Regards, Henry

[rezaf]

Finally I decided to memorize the 王弼 version which at least in modern Mandarin rhymes better than the others.

I would find a good teacher first (hopefully one who is part of a lineage that includes study of Daode Jing), and memorize which ever version they themselves use.

I'm not very familiar with 道家 or 道教 but by finding a teacher do you mean learning it in a 道觀 or are there other systems that include studying 道德經 outside of temples? (I'm already married so 出家 and going to a 全真派 temple is not an option.)

[hbuchtel]

Hi Rezaf,

I didn't really mean finding a practicing Daoist, or becoming one yourself :rolleyes:

There are a lot of connections between Daoism and Chinese medicine (as I'm sure you know), so I'm thinking that at your school there ought to be a couple of professors or doctors who have studied the Daodejing. Perhaps you could take lessons with one just to get to know the book?