Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu - The Tao Te Ching is a series of meditations on the mysterious nature of the Tao--the Way, the guiding light, the very source of all existence. According to Lao Tzu (a name meaning "the old master"), the Tao is found where we would least expect it--not in the strong but in the weak; not in speech but in silence; not in doing but in "not-doing." Wise yet worldly, spiritual yet practical, the Tao Te Ching is beloved by seekers all the world over. This edition is rendered by Sam Torode based on the 1919 translation by Dwight Goddard, making this ancient work accessible to contemporary readers. "This is the gift that ancient humans would give us if they saw us today. The best gift you could ever give anyone: Wisdom." --Jimmy of the Bright Insight YouTube channel, reviewing the Ancient Renewal edition of the Tao Te Ching.

Lao Tzu (/la tsu, -dz/), also rendered as Laozi (UK: /lazr/; Chinese: , Mandarin: [làu.ts]; commonly translated as "Old Master") and Lao-Tze (/la dze/), was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. A semi-legendary figure, Lao Tzu is usually portrayed as a 6th-century BC contemporary of Confucius in the Spring and Autumn period. However, some modern historians consider him to have lived during the Warring States period of the 4th century BC. A central figure in Chinese culture, Laozi is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people of the Li surname as a founder of their lineage. Laozi's work has been embraced by both various anti-authoritarian movements and Chinese Legalism.[