The Tao te Ching by the shadowy figure Lao-Tzu is the seminal text for the philosophical and religious tradition of Taoism. Scholars date the text to the 4th century BC and it has since become one of the most widely translated texts after the bible. The 'Book of the Way' is the philosopher's quintessential hand book for the art of living in accordance with Tao. At 5000 Chinese characters organized into 81 chapters the Tao te Ching is a short, yet poetic and esoteric experience.
