There are many possible translations of the book's title, owing to the polysemy of the component Chinese words: On one hand, there are transmitted versions and commentaries that date back two millennia on the other, there are ancient bamboo, silk, and paper manuscripts that archeologists discovered in the last century. The Tao Te Ching has a long and complex textual history. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into Western languages. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. This ancient book is also central in Chinese religion, not only for Taoism ( Daojiao 道教) but Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts. The Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the Taoist school ( Daojia 道家) of Chinese philosophy and strongly influenced other schools as well, such as Legalism and Neo-Confucianism. The text's authenticity, authorship, and date of composition or compilation are still debated. A careful reading of the text, however, suggests that it is a compilation of maxims sharing similar themes.

According to tradition, it was written around 600 BCE by the Taoist sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, 'Old Master'), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court. The Tao Te Ching ( Traditional Chinese: 道德經 ), roughly translatable as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see below), is a Chinese classic text. See discussion at Daoism-Taoism romanization issue. The pinyin title Dao De Jing originated in the late 20th century, and this romanization is becoming increasingly popular. The Wade-Giles title Tao Te Ching dates back to the first English translations in the late 19th century, and some people continue using it. Related subjects: Philosophy 'Tao Te Ching'

Tao te ching the book of the way