Tao Te Ching

Tao Te Ching, along with Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism, and strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism, which, when first introduced into China, was largely interpreted through the use of Daoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners, have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, and it is among the most translated works in world literature. Tao Te Ching has been translated into Western languages over 250 times, mostly to English, German, and French. According to Holmes Welch, "It is a famous puzzle which everyone would like to feel he had solved." The first known English translation of the Tao Te Ching was produced in 1868 by a Scottish Protestant missionary named John Chalmers, entitled The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity and Morality of The Old Philosopher Lau Tsze. Other notable English translations of the Tao Te Ching are those produced by Chinese scholars and teachers: a 1948 translation by linguist Lin Yutang, a 1961 translation by author John Ching Hsiung Wu, a 1963 translation by sinologist Din Cheuk Lau, another 1963 translation by professor Wing-tsit Chan, and a 1972 translation by Taoist teacher Gia-Fu Feng together with his wife Jane English. It is the 2017 English translation of Tao Te Ching and may be better than previous English translation texts in respects of correctness and reading comfort. The Book has 81 chapters in total and is edited in the sequence of original classic text--modern Chinese text--English translation.