Translation and Acceptability of Taoism’s Core Concept in Thailand

Abstract

Taoism is one of the main ancient schools of philosophy in China. It represents a significant part of traditional Chinese culture with central figures like Laozi and Zhuangzi and major writings such as Tao Te Ching, Zhuangzi. As globalization deepens, cultural exchanges across different regions have been thriving and Chinese philosophical systems are gradually becoming known throughout the world. Tao Te Ching, with its poetic language and profound philosophical concepts, is the most translated Chinese classic outside China. So far, it has been translated into more than 40 languages and more than 1,000 versions. In Thailand, since Taoism was introduced to Thailand in the 1960s, there have been more and more Thai translations of Tao Te Ching. Preliminary estimates show that there are 29 Thai versions of Tao Te Ching, making it the most translated Chinese classic in Thailand, which reflects the keen interest of Thai scholars and readers in Taoism. This thesis reviews some of the Thai translations of Chinese classic and focuses on analyzing the translations and acceptability of the core concept “Tao” in Thailand, as an attempt to examine the spread and acceptability of Taoism in Thailand.