The Tao Te Ching(or Dao De Jing), attributed to Laozi (6th century BCE), is a foundational Taoist text of 81 poetic chapters. It explores the Tao (“Way”), the natural order of the universe, and Te (“virtue”), the power of alignment.
Central to its philosophy is wu wei (“effortless action”)—achieving through non-interference, like water wearing away stone. It praises humility, simplicity, and yielding strength, warning against greed, force, and excess. Paradoxes abound: “The soft overcomes the hard,” “Knowing ignorance is strength.”
Influencing philosophy, leadership, and ecology, it teaches harmony with nature (yin-yang balance) and inner peace. Its cryptic verses invite reflection, urging rulers to govern lightly and individuals to embrace stillness.
A timeless guide, the Tao Te Ching remains among the most translated works globally, offering wisdom for life beyond dogma.
Original Text (Chinese) 道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。 无，名天地之始；有，名万物之母。 故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。 此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄。 玄之又玄，众妙之门。 Pinyin (Pronunciation) Dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào; míng kě míng, fēi cháng míng. Wú, míng tiāndì zhī shǐ; yǒu, míng wànwù zhī mǔ. Gù cháng wú, yù yǐ guān qí miào; cháng yǒu, yù yǐ guān qí jiào. Cǐ liǎng zhě tóng chū ér yì míng,…
