For twenty years, Gordon J. Van De Water has collected editions of the world classic the Tao Te Ching and pondered this ancient, yet still vibrant Chinese text of wisdom literature. Written in the sixth century before the Common Era and ascribed to Lao Tzu, a venerable sage, it offers a guide to life based on adherence to the Tao or Mother Nature, those forces and powers that govern and shape both the world and human nature. Its eighty-one verses repeatedly emphasize seeking harmony through simplicity, the rejection of the trappings of material wealth and the arrogance of power, and identification with the great underlying forces of the universe. Many of the verses also offer practical wisdom for those in leadership positions. So fascinating has been the compressed wisdom of the Tao Te Ching that it has been translated into many languages more often than any other book except the Bible. Van De Water has sought to strike to the heart of this highly compressed and often enigmatic text by creating a plain English version that highlights the continuing relevance of the Tao Te Ching for our complex and oft troubled times. His interpretation also includes an introduction, selected translations and interpretations in English by pioneering scholars, and an extensive bibliography of translations and interpretations in English.

The Tao Te Ching, written around 300BC, describes the fundamental beliefs of Taoism, addressing how to live a simple, peaceful and harmonious life, how to rid oneself of desires and institutions that promote greed. This traditional Chinese-bound dual-language edition presents the original Chinese text with a new translation on the facing page.

Lao Zi (also Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. His book, Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching), has been in circulation for more than 2,500 years. There are many versions and more than one thousand annotations, yet most readers still find it difficult to understand, let alone apply in daily life. Thus Dao De Jing is often misunderstood and regarded as containing mystical teachings disconnected from reality. In Mysteries of Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) Revealed, author Dr. Guo Yong Jin dismisses many myths about this great work, including its link to Taoism (a religion founded six hundred years after Lao Zi). Shedding the mystical and surreal, he brings clarity to the teachings by drawing on Lao Zi’s source of inspiration—nature. In this way, Dr. Guo distinguishes his interpretation of Dao De Jing from those before him. The typical interpretation focuses on the semantics of Lao Zi’s written word; Dr. Guo, however, returns to the roots of Dao De Jing, using simple observations of nature to clarify the text. Dao De Jing lays bare the truths and realities of life and the universe. It explains the origins of life and the principles upon which the universe operates. Though much of Dao De Jing is mirrored in science and psychology, the ancient text offers an even deeper understanding. It is neither superstitious nor religious, nor is it a personal philosophy. Dao De Jing is simply wisdom in its essence.

Dao De Jing, or so simply referred to as the Laozi, is a Chinese classic text. The text's true authorship and date of composition or compilation are still debated. The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BCE, but modern scholarship dates other parts of the text as having been written, or at least compiled later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi. The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism, and strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Daoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners, have used the Daodejing as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, and it is among the most translated works in world literature.

The Tao Te Ching is the foundational text of Taoism. Traditionally considered the work of the 'Old Master', Lao Tzu, a senior contemporary of Confucius, this 2500 years old text is a poetic and supremely concise formulation of some of humanity's highest wisdom. Revered as a basic book of spiritual guidance throughout Chinese history, it has become a beloved inspirational work in the West. The present work is meant to help the Western reader to penetrate the depth and subtlety of Lao Tzu's wisdom without requiring a knowledge of the Chinese language. Readers are offered a choice between various interpretations and are guided in non-technical terms to explore how they originate. More importantly, they are also offered the possibility to hold all the various resonances of the text simultaneously, just as a Chinese reader would, and thus access the original wealth of meaning in a way no ordinary translation could convey.

Confucianism and Daoism absorbing and mutually transforming new horizons, especially Buddhism; attention to the writings of Matteo Ricci and potential Christian contributions to modern development in Chinese culture.

The original mindfulness book, in a landmark new translation by the award-winning translator of the I Ching and The Art of War The most translated book in the world after the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or “Book of the Tao,” is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe. Traditionally attributed to Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius, it is the essential text of Taoism, one of the three major religions of ancient China. As one of the world’s great works of wisdom literature, it still has much to teach us today, offering a practical model based on modesty and self-restraint for living a balanced existence and for opening your mind, freeing your thoughts, and attaining greater self-awareness. With its emphasis on calm, simplicity, purity, and non-action, it provides a time-tested refuge from the busyness of modern life. This new translation seeks to understand the Tao Te Ching as a guide to everyday living and encourages a slow, meditative reading experience. The Tao Te Ching’s eighty-one brief chapters are accompanied by illuminating commentary, interpretation, poems, and testimonials by the likes of Margaret Mead, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Specially commissioned calligraphy for more than two hundred Chinese characters illustrates the book’s essential themes.

"Tao Te Ching, " also commonly known as "Lao Tzu, " is perhaps the most important of Chinese classical texts, with an unparalleled influence on Chinese thought. This bilingual edition consists of two parts. The English text in Part One is a reprint of the earlier translation of the so-called "Wang Pi" text, first published by Penguin Books in 1963. Part Two is the fresh translation of a text which is a conflation of two manuscripts of the "Lao Tzu, " dating at the latest from the early Western Han and discovered at Ma Wang Tui in December 1973. The result is a text with a fuller use of particles, free from the scribal errors and editorial tampering of subsequent ages.

Tao Te Ching, also commonly known as Lao Tzu, is one of the most important Chinese classics and has had great influence on Chinese thought. It is regarded as the bible of Taoism and is by far the most frequently translated Chinese classic, with over thirty translations into English alone.

The aesthetics of the mandala and the subtle power of the Tao create a unique opportunity for personal transformation. Combining the literary impact of materials from "A Fresh Look at the Way and its Virtues" with the artistic impact of 108 mandalas, this synergy of sacred circles and text is a potent tool for holistic meditation. The result is a book that at once soothes the mind while feeding the soul!