Tao Te Ching

Laozi c. 400 BCE

Eighty-one short poems describe the Tao, or Way, and how to live and lead by yielding instead of forcing. One chapter holds the famous line that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

37 pages 43 min reading time

Why it lasts

  • A founding classic of Chinese philosophy and one of the most translated books in the world.
  • Teaches that the Tao, or Way, is the nameless source of all things, and that the wise live in harmony with it.
  • Urges wu wei, acting without forcing, and yielding like water, which is soft yet wears away stone.
  • It became the central scripture of Taoism, both a philosophy and a religion.
  • Its ideas helped shape Chan Buddhism, known in Japan as Zen.

Behind the book

  • Written at a border gate

    Legend says a gatekeeper would not let Laozi leave China until he wrote down his wisdom in this book.

  • Found buried in tombs

    Archaeologists found copies on silk in 1973 and on bamboo strips in 1993, older than any versions known before.

  • Author may be legend

    Many scholars think "Laozi," or "Old Master," may not be one real person, and the book may have several writers.

  • About five thousand characters

    The whole book is only about five thousand Chinese characters long, so it can be read in one sitting.

Translated by James Legge 1891