Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of the Way and Its Virtue
About this audiobook
For twenty-five centuries, the Tao Te Ching has been one of the most read — and most quietly influential — books ever written.
In eighty-one short chapters, the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu sets out the philosophy of the Tao, "the Way": a vision of living in harmony with the natural order through simplicity, humility, patience, and effortless action. Its verses on leadership, on strength through yielding, and on the quiet power of stillness have guided readers for more than two thousand years — and have lost none of their force today.
This is a book to return to rather than simply finish. Whether you come to it for philosophy, for reflection, or for a calmer way of moving through the world, its wisdom rewards a lifetime of listening.
This edition presents the complete text in the classic translation by James Legge, one of the most respected translators of the Chinese classics, in the public domain.
This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.
Presented by Codex Audio Books — timeless works of philosophy and wisdom, clearly narrated for the modern listener.
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About the author
Lao Tzu, meaning "Old Master," is the semi-legendary Chinese philosopher traditionally credited with founding Taoism and authoring the Tao Te Ching in the 6th century BC. Little is known of his life with certainty, but his teachings on humility, simplicity, and living in harmony with the natural order have shaped Chinese thought for more than two thousand years and continue to influence readers around the world.
James Legge (1815–1897) was a Scottish sinologist and missionary who became the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University. His translations of the Chinese classics — including the Tao Te Ching, the Analects of Confucius, and the I Ching — were among the first to bring these works to English readers, and remain widely respected for their scholarly rigor more than a century later.
