Stephen Mitchell was educated at , the , and , and de-educated through intensive   practice, most notably with the Korean teacher  and with Robert Aitken in Hawaii. He is widely known for his translations of old classics which use a poetic rather than literal approach. Languages that Stephen Mitchell has translated from include: , , , , , , , and . Languages that he has not translated from, but rather put together interpretive versions from existing translations into Western languages include:   (),  (),  or ancient  (). He also co-wrote two of Byron Katie's books, Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy.