Coming in 2028
“Knowing others is intelligence,
Knowing yourself is true insight.
Conquering others takes force.
Conquering yourself is true strength.”
–Dao De Jing XXXIII
Sometimes translated as “the book of the Way (Dao) and the Power (De), along with the Christian Bible, the Chinese Dao De Jing attributed to the ancient sage Lao Tzu, is perhaps the world’s most translated, discussed, and written about work of Wisdom Literature. It has been read as a work of mysticism and a guide to practical political philosophy, and has been pointed to as a work of fundamental wisdom by figures as diverse as Franz Kafka and martial artist Bruce Lee, science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin (who did her own translation of the work), and composer John Cage. For over 2,000 years, poets, politicians, philosophers, and business leaders have turned to the enigmatic, mysterious, aphoristic poems contained between its pages for guidance, insight, and inspiration. Working from three (selected from more than 300) English-language translations, we will explore this work by alternately paying close attention to some of the most perplexing and rewarding poems it contains while also seeking to understand the structure and larger meaning of the whole.
