Tao Te Ching

Most philosophies and religions borrow traits from earlier schools, and indeed some of China’s most famous – including Confucianism and Buddhism – derive from Taoism, whose most important text is the Tao Te Ching, which hails from around 500 BCE and is attributed to Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu is thought to have been a record-keeper during the Zhou dynasty, and his work is translated by James Legge, a Victorian-era Scotsman who worked closely with Christian missionaries to China. The content of Tao Te Ching imparts advice for people from all walks of life, from royal emperors to the everyman.