Tao-te ching Chin. , lit. “The Book of the Way and Its Power “; a work attributed to Lao-tzu. It consists of five thousand pictograms and for that reason is often referred to by the Chinese as Text of the Five Thousand Signs. The Tao-te ching forms the basis of both philosophical Taoism (tao-chia) and religious Taoism (tao-chiao). According to tradition, it was written by Lao-tzu during the 6th century B.C.E., but scholars now take the general view that it cannot have come into existence before the 4th or 3d century B.C.E. The oldest existing copy dates from between 206 and 195 B.C.E.
According to legend the Tao-te ching was given by Lao-tzu to Yin Hsi, the Guardian of the Mountain Pass, before continuing on his journey toward the West. It consists of eighty one short chapters, the first thirty-seven of which form The Book of the Way (Tao), and the remaining forty-four the Book of the Te. The reason for this somewhat arbitrary division is that Chapter 1 deals with the Tao and Chapter 38 with the te. The Tao-te ching contains, apart from Taoist ideas, teachings of other philosophical movements. Its central philosophy, however, revolves around two concepts: the Tao or (Way), and the te (virtue or power). Further central ideas of the Tao-te ching are wu-wei (unmotivated action) and Ju (the return of all things to their origin or source).
The Tao-te ching sees the Tao as the all-embracing ultimate principle, which existed before Heaven and Earth. It is unnamable and cannot be described; it is the mother of all things; it causes everything to arise, yet acts not. Its power (te) is that which phenomena receive from the Tao and which makes them what they are.
The goal of philosophical Taoism consists in becoming one with the Tao by realizing within oneself the universal law of the return of everything to its source (Ju). For this the aspirant must acquire the emptiness (wu) and simplicity (p’u) of the Tao and abide in nonaction (wu-wei). According to the Tao-te ching, the latter quality is also characteristic of the exemplary ruler, whose virtues it describes in some detail: the ideal ruler is one of whom the people are unaware, because he interferes as little as possible in the natural flow of things. He lays down the barest minimum of laws, whereby the number of transgres sors is reduced, and attaches no value to the traditional Confucianist virtues of uprightness (i) and humanity (Jen). He endeavors to diminish wishes and desires by reducing their objects, so that the hearts of the people may not be confused and simplicity p’u may be realized. Originally the Tao-te ching was known simply as the Lao-tzu; later it received its present title from an emperor of the Han Dynasty. By the designation ching it was raised to the same level as the Confucianist classics. More than fifty commentaries reflecting a great variety of views on the Tao-te ching have been preserved. It is quoted and referred to not only by Taoist movements but also by the Yin-Yang School (yin-yang chia), scholars of constitutional law, and followers of the I-ching.
Religious Taoism (tao-chiao) venerates Lao-tzu, under his title of Lao-chün, as its founder and bases its teaching on the main concept of the Tao-te ching, i.e., the Tao. For that reason, the followers of the tao-chiao consider it one of the sacred books: Chang Tao-ling and his descendants instructed their followers in its teaching and applied its principles. In addition, the basic text of the t’ai-p’ing tao, the T’ai-p’ing ching, refers to the Book of the Way and Its Power as its philosophical basis. Alchemists such as Wei P’o-yang and Chang Po-tuan quote the Tao te ching in justification of their practices, and rulers like the Han emperor Wen-ti, the T’ang emperor Hsüan-tsung, and the Ming emperor T’ai-tzu made its doctrine the basis of their rulership.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Tao-te ching documents
Books on Tao-te ching
External links