It is best if the books are written by reputable people, such as professors of Chinese religions or renowned historians. However, make sure you buy books from both Chinese and foreign professors of these subjects, (for example, British or German professors), as doing so will give you both an insider’s opinion and an outsider’s. It is preferable that most of your books are not written by Chinese professors, only some, as the Chinese government have tried to suppress Taoism. Professors from China may be under pressure to write defamatory things on Taoism, which is often seen as too sexually liberal, even by Western standards.
Be aware that the style of the Tao Te Ching is poetic and the ideas are singular; the Tao Te Ching purposefully encourages contradictory interpretations through use of vague and ambiguous words. [3] X Research source Your interpretations and understandings of the Tao Te Ching may change over time. There is no one right way of interpreting it and no single reader can claim to have the upper hand in understanding its “real essence”. Perhaps its ambiguity is its real beauty, allowing you to reassess yourself, through varying stages of life.
