Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching is a mystical Taoist document that is believed to have been written around the 6th century CE in China by Lao Tzu (Old Master). It was written during the same era of Pythagoras and Buddha. The document consists of 5000 characters and contains a total of 81 verses. The document forms the basis of philosophical and religious Taoism. Tao means "the way," te means "strength and virtue," and Ching means "scripture." In a tomb near the town of Guodian, the oldest version (Guodian text), was discovered in 1993.. The text, written on bamboo strips was dated to be written before 300 BCE and it contains 14 new verses and has some text that is not a part of the Tao Te Ching. These texts indicate a more tolerant view of Confucianism at the time. http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2001/02.22/07-ancientscript.html

This page contains more history related to the Tao Te Ching, also known as the Dao De Jing, and there are sections that have quotes and some authors of recent editions of this book that have been modified to reflect the content of the ancient texts that have been recently discovered. Below you will find a featured video of Eckhart Tolle who discusses the perennial importance of this ancient text. There are related Google and Mahalo links on this page, in addition to sections that contain news and blogs.

According to the Records of the Historian, written by Sima Qian (154-80 BCE), Lao Tzui was a curator in the royal archive in the capital of Zhou, and Confucius once visited him to ask about problems of li (rites). His journey was motivated by his observance of the decline of the state, during the "Warring States" period. As he was journeying across the western frontier of China, the keeper of the pass asked him to write a book before leaving. The Tao Te Ching is thought to be derived from the oral wisdom tradition within Taoism and is heavily influenced by the I Ching, or the "Book of Changes," which preceded it. The text is considered a sacred text within Taoism and there have been many English translations. www.routledge-ny.com/ref/chinesephil/LaoTzu.pdf

• Philosophical and Religious Taoism

• Understanding of mystical aspects of Taoist disciplines, such as meditation, qigong and tai chi

• Meditation and personal development

There are many translations of the Tao Te Ching. The translation by Stephen Mitchell is a popular book. http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/tao-te-ching-pdf.html Here are a few excerpts to illustrate the content of this important book:

See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.

The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind,
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything
life happens to bring his way.

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

D. C. Lau 1989, 1994 http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-Everymans-Library/dp/0679433163

R. G. Henricks 2000 - Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching": A Translation of the Startling New Documents Found at Guodian http://www.flipkart.com/book/lao-tzu-tao-te-ching/0231118163

Moss Roberts 2001 - Dao de Jing: The Book of the Way. http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Jing-Book-Way-Laozi/dp/0520242211#reader_0520242211