Tao Te Ching
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The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing in pinyin) is a Chinese philosophical work, compiled between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. The author is unknown, but it is popularly ascribed to Lao Tzu 老子.
Its 81 chapters are short, and are written in an aphoristic style (eg: "those who think they know never learn"), and attempt to describe the Tao 道 ("the Way") and the virtues of wisdom.
As a religious work, it has some advantages and disadvantages:
- It doesn't mention God.
- It's short.
- It is confusing.
- It is esoteric, especially for people who are not familiar with Chinese mythology.
[edit] Themes
Many esoteric themes pervade the Tao Te Ching. One of these themes is the benefit of nothingness, stillness, or emptiness. An example of this is that the true usefulness of a jar is the empty volume inside the jar. Another is that everything depends on its opposite to exist as a concept. For example, the term "light" has no meaning without the existence of the term "dark."