Tao Te Ching

Chinese classic text

This article is about the Chinese classic text. For the book by William Bennett, see The Book of Virtues.

Tao Te Ching

Ink on silk manuscript of the Tao Te Ching - from Mawangdui (2nd century BCE)

Author| Laozi (trad.)[1]
Language| Classical Chinese
Subject| Philosophy

Publication date

| 4th century BCE
Publication place| China

Published in English

| 1868

Original text

| Tao Te Ching at Chinese Wikisource
Translation| Tao Te Ching at Wikisource
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese| 道德經
Simplified Chinese| 道德经
Literal meaning| "Classic of the Way and Virtue"
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Dào Dé Jīng
Bopomofo| ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄐㄧㄥ
Wade–Giles| Tao4 Tê2 Ching1
Yale Romanization| Dàu Dé Jīng
IPA| [tâʊ tɤ̌ tɕíŋ] ⓘ

Romanization| Dau Teh Cin
Hakka
Romanization| Tau4 Dêd5 Gin1
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Douh Dāk Gīng
Jyutping| Dou6 Dak1 Ging1
IPA| [tɔw˨ tɐk̚˥ kɪŋ˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ| Tō Tek Keng
Tâi-lô| Tō Tik King
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese| DɑuX Tək̚ Keŋ
Old Chinese
Baxter (1992)| *luʔ tɨk keng
Baxter–Sagart (2014)| *[kə.l]ˤuʔ tˤək k-lˤeŋ
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese| 老子
Literal meaning| "The Old Master"
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Lǎozǐ
Bopomofo| ㄌㄠˇㄗˇ
Wade–Giles| Lao3 Tzŭ3
Yale Romanization| Lǎudž
IPA| [lǎʊ tsɹ̩̀]

Suzhounese| Lâ-tsỳ
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization| Lóuhjí
Jyutping| Lou5zi2
IPA| [lɔw˩˧.tsi˧˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ| Ló-chú
Tâi-lô| Ló-tsú
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)| *C.rˤuʔ tsəʔ
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese| 道德真經
Simplified Chinese| 道德真经
Literal meaning| "Sutra of the Way and Its Power"
| Transcriptions

Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin| Dàodé Zhēnjīng
Bopomofo| ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄓㄣ ㄐㄧㄥ
Wade–Giles| Tao4> Tê2 Chên1 Ching1
Yale Romanization| Dàudé Jēnjīng
IPA| [tâʊ tɤ̌ ʈʂə́n tɕíŋ]
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)| *[kə.l]ˤuʔ tˤək ti[n] k-lˤeŋ
Part of a series on

Taoism

* Outline
* History

Concepts

* Taoist philosophy
* Tao
* De
* Wuji
* Taiji
* Yin and yang
* Bagua
* Wuxing (five phases)
* Bianhua
* Fan (reversal)
* Wu wei (non-action)
* Wu xin (no-mind)
* Ziran
* Xian (immortal)
* Zhenren
* True form
* Three Treasures
* Jing
* Qi
* Shen
* Hun and po

Practices

* Three Treasures (virtues)
* Five Precepts
* Ten Precepts
* Meditation
* Alchemy
* Neidan
* Waidan
* Bugang
* Chu
* Diet (Bigu)
* Sexual practices
* Art
* Fulu
* Priesthood

Texts

* I Ching
* Tao Te Ching
* Zhuangzi
* Huainanzi
* Taipingjing
* Xiang'er
* Liezi
* Sanhuangjing
* Huahujing
* Qingjing Jing
* Baopuzi
* Daozang

Theology

* Hongjun Laozu
* Three Pure Ones
* Yuanshi Tianzun
* Lingbao Tianzun
* Daode Tianzun
* Four heavenly ministers
* Jade Emperor
* Ziwei Emperor
* Tianhuang Emperor
* Houtu
* Queen Mother of the West
* King Father of the East
* Three Great Emperor-Officials
* Eight Immortals
* Chang'e
* Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
* Yellow Emperor
* Guan Yu
* Li Hong
* Body god

People

* Laozi
* Zhuang Zhou
* Lie Yukou

* * *

* Heshang Gong
* Wei Boyang
* Zhang Daoling
* Gan Ji
* Zhang Jue
* Zhang Lu
* Ge Xuan
* He Yan
* Wang Bi

* * *

* Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
* Guo Xiang
* Sun Hanhua
* Wei Huacun
* Ge Hong
* Bao Jingyan
* Kou Qianzhi
* Lu Xiujing
* Tao Hongjing

* * *

* Cheng Xuanying
* Chen Tuan
* Zhang Boduan
* Sun Bu'er
* Wang Chongyang
* Qiu Chuji

* * *

* Zhang Guoxiang
* Zhang Sanfeng
* Zhu Quan

* * *

* Fangshi

Schools

* Huang–Lao
* Way of the Taiping
* Xuanxue
* Shangqing School
* Way of the Li Family
* Lingbao School
* Chongxuan School
* Quanzhen School
* Dragon Gate
* Wuliupai

* * *

* Way of the Celestial Masters
* Way of the Five Pecks of Rice
* The Southern Celestial Masters
* The Northern Celestial Masters
* Zhengyi Dao

* * *

* Chinese ritual mastery traditions
* Yao Taoism

Sacred places

* Grotto-heavens
* Sacred Mountains of China
* Wudang Mountains
* Mount Penglai
* Mount Kunlun
* Taoist temple
* White Cloud Temple
* Louguantai
* Cebu Taoist Temple
* Taoist Temple (Hanford, California)

Institutions and organizations

* Chinese Taoist Association
* Celestial Masters
* Taoist priests

* Category

* v
* t
* e

The Tao Te Ching[note 1] (traditional Chinese: 道德經; simplified Chinese: 道德经) or Laozi is a Chinese classic text and foundational work of Taoism traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, although the text's authorship and date of composition and compilation are debated.[7] The oldest excavated portion dates to the late 4th century BCE.[8]

The Tao Te Ching is central to both philosophical and religious Taoism, and has been highly influential to Chinese philosophy and religious practice in general. It is generally taken as preceding the Zhuangzi, the other core Taoist text.[8] Terminology originating within the text has been reinterpreted and elaborated upon by Legalist thinkers, Confucianists, and particularly Chinese Buddhists, introduced to China significantly after the initial solidification of Taoist thought. One of the most translated texts in world literature, the text is well known in the West.[8]

## Title

[edit]

In English, the title is commonly rendered Tao Te Ching, following the Wade–Giles romanization, or as Daodejing, following pinyin. It can be translated as The Classic of the Way and its Power,[9] The Book of the Tao and Its Virtue,[10] The Book of the Way and of Virtue,[11][12] The Tao and its Characteristics,[5] The Canon of Reason and Virtue,[6] The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way,[13], The Book of Virtues,[citation needed] or A Treatise on the Principle and Its Action.[14][15]

Ancient Chinese books were commonly referenced by the name of their real or supposed author, in this case the "Old Master",[16] Laozi. As such, the Tao Te Ching is also sometimes referred to as the Laozi, especially in Chinese sources.[8]

The title Tao Te Ching, designating the work's status as a classic, was only first applied during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han (157–141 BCE).[17] Other titles for the work include the honorific Sutra of the Way and Its Power (道德真經; Dàodé zhēnjing) and the descriptive Five Thousand Character Classic (五千文; Wǔqiān wén).

## Authorship

[edit]

The Tao Te Ching was traditionally ascribed to Laozi, whose historical existence has been a matter of scholarly debate. His name, which means "Old Master", has only fuelled controversy on this issue.[18] Legends claim variously that Laozi was "born old" and that he lived for 996 years, with twelve previous incarnations starting around the time of the Three Sovereigns before the thirteenth as Laozi. Some scholars have expressed doubts over Laozi's historicity.[19]

Laozi riding a water buffalo

The first biographical reference to Laozi is in the Records of the Grand Historian,[20] by Chinese historian Sima Qian (c. 145–86 BCE), which combines three stories.[21] In the first, Laozi was a contemporary of Confucius (551–479 BCE). His surname was Li (李), and his personal name was Er (耳) or Dan (聃). He was an official in the imperial archives, and wrote a book in two parts before departing to the West; at the request of the keeper of the Han-ku Pass, Yinxi, Laozi composed the Tao Te Ching. In the second story, Laozi, also a contemporary of Confucius, was Lao Laizi (老萊子), who wrote a book in 15 parts. Third, Laozi was the grand historian and astrologer Lao Dan (老聃), who lived during the reign of Duke Xian of Qin (r. 384–362 BCE).[22]

## Textual history

[edit]

### Principal versions

[edit]

Among the many transmitted editions of the Tao Te Ching text, the three primary ones are named after early commentaries. The "Yan Zun Version", which is only extant for the Te Ching, derives from a commentary attributed to Han dynasty scholar Yan Zun (巖尊, fl. 80 BCE - 10 CE). The "Heshang Gong" version is named after the legendary Heshang Gong ("legendary sage"), who supposedly lived during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han (180–157 BCE). This commentary has a preface written by Ge Xuan (164–244 CE), granduncle of Ge Hong, and scholarship dates this version to c. the 3rd century CE. The origins of the "Wang Bi" version have greater verification than either of the above. Wang Bi (226–249 CE) was a Three Kingdoms-period philosopher and commentator on the Tao Te Ching and I Ching.[23]

### Archaeologically recovered manuscripts

[edit]

Tao Te Ching scholarship has advanced from archaeological discoveries of manuscripts, some of which are older than any of the received texts. Beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, Marc Aurel Stein and others found thousands of scrolls in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang. They included more than 50 partial and complete manuscripts. Another partial manuscript has the Xiang'er commentary, which had previously been lost.[24]: 95ff [25]

In 1973, archaeologists discovered copies of early Chinese books, known as the Mawangdui Silk Texts, in a tomb dated to 168 BCE.[8] They included two nearly complete copies of the text, referred to as Text A (甲) and Text B (乙), both of which reverse the traditional ordering and put the Te Ching section before the Tao Ching, which is why the Henricks translation of them is named "Te-Tao Ching". Based on calligraphic styles and imperial naming taboo avoidances, scholars believe that Text A can be dated to about the first decade and Text B to about the third decade of the 2nd century BCE.[26]

In 1993, the oldest known version of the text, written on bamboo slips, was found in a tomb near the town of Guodian (郭店) in Jingmen, Hubei, and dated prior to 300 BCE.[8] The Guodian Chu Slips comprise around 800 slips of bamboo with a total of over 13,000 characters, about 2,000 of which correspond with the Tao Te Ching.[8]

Both the Mawangdui and Guodian versions are generally consistent with the received texts, excepting differences in chapter sequence and graphic variants. Several recent Tao Te Ching translations utilise these two versions, sometimes with the verses reordered to synthesize the new finds.[27]

## Chronological theories

[edit]

Although debated more in early scholarship, early modern scholars like Feng Youlan and Herrlee G. Creel still considered the work a compilation;[28] Gu Jiegang believed it to have been written over three centuries.[29] Most modern scholarship holds the text to be a compilation, as typical for long-form early Chinese texts.[30] Discussing concepts of names and realities, Feng Youlan's early work theorized the school of names as preceding the work, but it does not demonstrate school of names influence the way the Zhuangzi does.[31]

### Before Zhuangzi

[edit]

Linguistic studies of the Tao Te Ching's vocabulary and rime scheme point to a date of composition after the early Classic of Poetry (or Book of Songs), but before the Zhuangzi,[32] and would generally be taken as preceding the Zhuangzi.[33] This is the traditional "before Zhuangzi" theory.[34] Although the Book of Songs is a diverse work, they do not bear any especial resemblance.[35] Upholding the traditional early dating of Sima Qian, Hong Kong professor Liu Xiaogan argued that the Tao Te Ching's poetic structure resembles the Book of Songs more than the later, Warring States period Songs of Chu.[8]

Compared by Sima Qian with Laozi, the text would traditionally be taken as preceding Shen Buhai. Creel proposed that Shen Buhai may have preceded it as well,[36] but Shen Buhai does bear a "striking" resemblance to Laozi.[37] Although not enough to eliminate a late dating, the discovery of the early Mawangdui silk texts and Guodian Chu Slips again made a dating before the third-century BCE more probable.[38] As one criticism of late theories for the work, although the earliest recovered versions are from late in the range of possible dating, their language is already "coherent and natural".[39] Benjamin I. Schwartz still considered the Tao Te Ching remarkably unified by the time of the Mawangdui, even if these versions swap the two halves of the text.[40]

### After Zhuangzi

[edit]

Essentially the dating of A.C. Graham, the Stanford Encyclopedia supposes compilation of the current text as dating back to the late Warring States period circa 250 BCE, drawing on a wide range of versions further dating back a century or two.[41] Termed the "After Zhuangzi" theory, representative of Ch'ien Mu and Graham, a lack of early references contributes to Graham's late dating. While the Zhuangzi is the first reference for the Tao Te Ching, its Inner Chapters do not demonstrate familiarity with it. Thus, an early stratum representative of the Zhuangzi's core Inner Chapters may have preceded it.[42]

Listed in the Outer Zhuangzi's history before Laozi and Zhuangzi, Shen Dao shares content with the Inner Zhuangzi,[43] and can also be directly compared with the Tao Te Ching.[44] Less technically complex than Shen Buhai, Shen Dao's current might theoretically even precede him,[45] back to the fourth century BCE.[46] Sinologist Chad Hansen does not consider the Outer Zhuangzi entirely accurate chronologically, but positioned Shen Dao under "Pre-Laozi Daoist Theory" for the theoretical framework of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Daoism's 2024 edition. With Shen Dao being comparable, his time would theoretically form a grounding for it, or might have existed by his time, if the Zhuangzi's (and other) indications are not chronologically accurate.[47]

The late Han Feizi has the work's earliest known commentaries.[48] With a compilation supposed to date back to the late Warring States period, but including earlier Shen Dao content, Leo S Chang theorizes potential Laozi influences for the Huangdi Sijing, with some passages similar to the Zhuangzi. But it does not actually quote the Laozi. As Chang notes, there are "no lengthy parallel expressions between" the Sijing and Laozi, arguably baring more resemblance to the Guanzi. The Sijing has similar ideas to Laozi of strategically "assuming feminine conduct", but the ruler switches to an active posture at "the right moment", countervailing against Laozi's passivity. In Laozi, the Dao gives birth to the One; in the Sijing, they are the same. Laozi disparages law; the Sijing's law 'derives from Dao'.[49]

## Contents

[edit]

### Themes

[edit]

See also: Laozi § Tao Te Ching

You can help expand this section with text translated from the corresponding article in German.  (June 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.

*   * Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
* Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 1,932 articles in the main category, and specifying`|topic=` will aid in categorization.
* Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
* You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is `Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Daodejing]]; see its history for attribution.`
* You may also add the template `{{Translated|de|Daodejing}}` to the talk page.
* For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

|

The Tao Te Ching describes the Tao as the source and ideal of all existence: it is unseen, but not transcendent, immensely powerful yet supremely humble, being the root of all things. People have desires and free will (and thus are able to alter their own nature). Many act "unnaturally", upsetting the natural balance of the Tao. The Tao Te Ching intends to lead students to a "return" to their natural state, in harmony with Tao.[50] Language and conventional wisdom are critically assessed. Taoism views them as inherently biased and artificial, widely using paradoxes to sharpen the point.[51]

Wu wei, literally 'non-action' or 'not acting', is a central concept of the Tao Te Ching. The concept of wu wei is multifaceted, and reflected in the words' multiple meanings, even in English translation; it can mean "not doing anything", "not forcing", "not acting" in the theatrical sense, "creating nothingness", "acting spontaneously", and "flowing with the moment".[52]

This concept is used to explain ziran, or harmony with the Tao. It includes the concepts that value distinctions are ideological and seeing ambition of all sorts as originating from the same source. Tao Te Ching used the term broadly with simplicity and humility as key virtues, often in contrast to selfish action. On a political level, it means avoiding such circumstances as war, harsh laws and heavy taxes. Some Taoists see a connection between wu wei and esoteric practices, such as zuowang ('sitting in oblivion': emptying the mind of bodily awareness and thought) found in the Zhuangzi.[51]

### Structure and style

[edit]

The Tao Te Ching is a text of around 5,162 to 5,450 Chinese characters in 81 brief chapters or sections (章). There is some evidence that the chapter divisions were later additions—for commentary, or as aids to rote memorisation—and that the original text was more fluidly organised. It has two parts, the Tao Ching (道經; chapters 1–37) and the Te Ching (德經; chapters 38–81), which may have been edited together into the received text, possibly reversed from an original Te Tao Ching.[53]

Contrasting with Confucianism, it's general statements are free of narration or reference to "any particular persons, times, or places."[54] The written style is laconic, with few grammatical particles. While the ideas are singular, the style is poetic, combining two major strategies: short, declarative statements, and intentional contradictions, encouraging varied, contradictory interpretations. The first of these strategies creates memorable phrases, while the second forces the reader to reconcile supposed contradictions.[53] With a partial reconstruction of the pronunciation of Old Chinese spoken during the Tao Te Ching's composition, approximately three-quarters rhymed in the original language.[55]

The Chinese characters in the earliest versions were written in seal script, while later versions were written in clerical script and regular script styles.[56]

## Translation

[edit]

The Tao Te Ching has been translated into Western languages over 250 times, mostly to English, German, and French.[57] According to Holmes Welch, "It is a famous puzzle which everyone would like to feel he had solved."[58] The first English translation of the Tao Te Ching was produced in 1868 by the Scottish Protestant missionary John Chalmers, entitled The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity, and Morality of the "Old Philosopher" Lau-tsze.[59] It was heavily indebted[60] to Julien's French translation[11] and dedicated to James Legge,[4] who later produced his own translation for Oxford's Sacred Books of the East.[5]

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.

Many translations are written by people with a foundation in Chinese language and philosophy who are trying to render the original meaning of the text as faithfully as possible into English. Some of the more popular translations are written from a less scholarly perspective, giving an individual author's interpretation. Critics of these versions claim that their translators deviate from the text and are incompatible with the history of Chinese thought.[61] Russell Kirkland goes further to argue that these versions are based on Western Orientalist fantasies and represent the colonial appropriation of Chinese culture.[62][63] Other Taoism scholars, such as Michael LaFargue[64] and Jonathan Herman,[65] argue that while they do not pretend to scholarship, they meet a real spiritual need in the West. These Westernized versions aim to make the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching more accessible to modern English-speaking readers by, typically, employing more familiar cultural and temporal references.

### Challenges in translation

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The Tao Te Ching is written in Classical Chinese, which generally poses a number of challenges for interpreters and translators. As Holmes Welch notes, the written language "has no active or passive, no singular or plural, no case, no person, no tense, no mood."[66] Moreover, the received text lacks many grammatical particles which are preserved in the older Mawangdui and Beida texts, which permit the text to be more precise.[67] Lastly, many passages of the Tao Te Ching are deliberately ambiguous.[68][69]

Since there is very little punctuation in Classical Chinese, determining the precise boundaries between words and sentences is not always trivial. Deciding where these phrasal boundaries are must be done by the interpreter.[68] Some translators have argued that the received text is so corrupted due to[citation needed] its original medium being bamboo strips[70] linked with silk threads—that it is impossible to understand some passages without some transposition of characters.[citation needed]

### Notable translations

[edit]

* Le Livre de la Voie et de la Vertu (in French), translated by Julien, Stanislas, Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1842
* The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity, and Morality of the "Old Philosopher" Lau-tsze, translated by Chalmers, John, London: Trübner, 1868, ISBN 978-0-524-07788-7 `{{citation}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
* Müller, Max, ed. (1891), The Tao Teh King, Sacred Books of the East – Sacred Books of China, vol. XXXIX:V, translated by Legge, James, Oxford University Press - via Project Gutenberg.
* Giles, Lionel; et al., eds. (1905), The Sayings of Lao Tzu, The Wisdom of the East, New York: E. P. Dutton
* Suzuki, Daisetsu Teitaro; et al., eds. (1913), The Canon of Reason and Virtue: Lao-tze's Tao Teh King, La Salle: Open Court.
* Les Pères du Système Taoiste, Taoïsme, Vol. II (in French), translated by Wieger, Léon, Hien Hien, 1913
* Wilhelm, Richard (1923), Tao Te King: das Buch vom Sinn und Leben (in German), Jena: Diederichs
* Duyvendak, J.J.L. (1954), Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and Its Virtue, John Murray
* Waley, Arthur (1958) [1934], The Way and Its Power, New York: Grove Press
* Chan, Wing-tsit (1963), The Way of Lao Tzu: Tao-te ching, Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill
* Houang, François and Leyris, Pierre (1979), La Voie et sa vertu: Tao-tê-king (in French), Paris: Éditions du Seuil
* Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, translated by Mitchell, Stephen, New York: Harper Collins, 1988, ISBN 978-0-06-180739-8.
* Henricks, Robert G. (1989), Lao-tzu: Te-tao ching. A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts, New York: Ballantine Books, ISBN 0-345-34790-0
* Tao Te Ching, translated by Lau, D. C., Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 1989, ISBN 9789622014671
* Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way, translated by Mair, Victor H., New York: Bantam, 1990, ISBN 978-0-307-43463-0.
* Tao-Te-Ching, translated by Bryce, Derek; et al., York Beach: Samuel Weiser, 1991, ISBN 978-1-60925-441-4
* Addiss, Stephen and Lombardo, Stanley (1991) Tao Te Ching, Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company.
* Ursula K. Le Guin Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of Way, Shambhala Press, 1998, ISBN 978-1611807240.
* David Hinton, Tao Te Ching, Counterpoint Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1582431826.
* Chad Hansen, Laozi: Tao Te Ching on The Art of Harmony, Duncan Baird Publications, 2009
* Red Pine, Lao-tzu's Taoteching, Copper Canyon Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1556592904
* Sinedino, Giorgio (2015), Dao De Jing (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Unesp

## See also

[edit]

* Bogar
* Ecclesiastes
* Huahujing
* Huainanzi
* Huangdi Yinfujing
* Qingjing Jing
* Sanhuangjing
* Straw dog
* Taiping Jing
* Xishengjing
* Four Books and Five Classics

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Standard Chinese: [tâʊ tɤ̌ tɕíŋ] ⓘ; in English often UK: /ˌtaʊ tiː ˈtʃɪŋ/ TOW tee CHING, US: /ˌdaʊ dɛ ˈdʒɪŋ/ DOW deh JING;[2]

Less common romanisations include Daodejing, Tao-te-king,[3] Tau Tĕh King[4] and Tao Teh King.[5][6]

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Ellwood, Robert S. (2008), "Lao-tzu (Laozi)", The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Infobase, p. 262, ISBN 978-1-4381-1038-7
2. ^ "Tao Te Ching". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
3. ^ Julien (1842), p. ii.
4. ^ a b Chalmers (1868), p. v
5. ^ a b c Legge & al. (1891).
6. ^ a b Suzuki & al. (1913).
7. ^ Eliade (1984), p. 26
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Chan (2013).
9. ^ Waley, Arthur, ed. (1958), The Way and its Power, New York: Grove, ISBN 0-8021-5085-3, OCLC 1151668016 `{{citation}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
10. ^ Kohn & al. (1998), p. 1.
11. ^ a b Julien (1842).
12. ^ Giles & al. (1905), Introduction.
13. ^ Mair (1990).
14. ^ Wieger (1913), p. 3.
15. ^ Bryce & al. (1991), p. ix.
16. ^ Chalmers (1868), p. ix.
17. ^ Seidel, Anna (1969), La divinisation de Lao-tseu dans le taoïsme des Han (in French), Paris: École française d'Extrême‑Orient, pp. 24, 50
18. ^ Cao Feng (20 October 2017), Daoism in Early China: Huang–Lao Thought in Light of Excavated Texts, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-137-55094-1
19. ^ Tao Te Ching, translated by Lau, D. C., Penguin, 1963, p. 162, ISBN 978-0-14-044131-4, "The tentative conclusion we have arrived at concerning Lao Tzu the man is this. There is no certain evidence that he was a historical figure." `{{citation}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
20. ^ Records of the Grand Historian, vol. 63, tr. Chan 1963:35–37.
21. ^ Sima Qian; Sima Tan (1739) [90s BCE]. "Vol. 63, biography of Laozi". Shiji 史記 [Records of the Grand Historian] (in Literary Chinese) (punctuated ed.). Beijing: Imperial Household Department.
22. ^ Records of the Grand Historian, vol. 63.
23. ^ Wagner, Rudolf G. (2000). The Craft of a Chinese Commentator: Wang Bi on the Laozi. Albany: SUNY Press. p. 10\. ISBN 978-0-7914-4395-8.
24. ^ Boltz, William G. (1982), "The Religious and Philosophical Significance of the Hsiang erh Lao tzu 相爾老子 in the Light of the Ma-wang-tui Silk Manuscripts", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 45, JSTOR 615191
25. ^ Zandbergen, Robbert (2022), "The Ludibrium of Living Well", Monumenta Serica, 70 (2): 367–388, doi:10.1080/02549948.2022.2131802, S2CID 254151927
26. ^ Loewe, Michael (1993), Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide, Society for the Study of Early China, p. 269, ISBN 978-1-55729-043-4
27. ^

* Lau (1989)
* Henricks (1989)
* Mair (1990)
* Henricks (2000)
* Allan and Williams (2000)
* Roberts (2004)

28. ^ Creel (1982), pp. 1–2.
29. ^ Creel 1982, p. 38.
30. ^ Zhang, Hanmo (2018). "Text, Author, and the Function of Authorship". Authorship and Text-Making in Early China. Library of Sinology, vol. 2. De Gruyter. pp. 26, 30. doi:10.1515/9781501505133-003. ISBN 978-1-5015-0513-3. JSTOR j.ctvbkk21j.5.
31. ^ Hansen 2024b; Hansen 2024; Feng 1948, p. 93; Hansen 1992, p. 217.
32. ^ Tao Te Ching, translated by Lau, D. C., Penguin, 1963, p. 162, ISBN 978-0-14-044131-4 `{{citation}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
33. ^ Chan 2013.
34. ^ Mou 2008, p. 213.
35. ^ Mou 2008, p. 217.
36. ^ Creel (1982), pp. 48–51, 93.
37. ^ Creel 1974, p. 189 (Creel's opinion); Creel 1982, p. 50 (citing Jin 1963, pp. 241–246); Liu 2014, p. 248 (citing Jin 1962)
38. ^ Mou 2008, p. 213,214; Barlow 1985, p. 92.
39. ^ Liu 1994, p. 184.
40. ^ Schwartz, Benjamin Isadore (2009). The World of Thought in Ancient China. Harvard University Press. p. 187\. ISBN 978-0-674-04331-2.
41. ^ Chan, Alan. "Laozi". In Edward N. Zalta (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 ed.). Retrieved 3 February 2020.
42. ^ Mou 2008, p. 215; Graham 1989, pp. 213, 217.
43. ^ Graham 1989, p. 376; Hansen 1992, pp. 345, 205, 208; Schwartz 1985, p. 186; Liu 1994, p. 55.
44. ^ Emerson 2013.
45. ^ Barlow 1985, p. 93.
46. ^ Peerenboom 1993, p. 12-15,17.
47. ^ Hansen 2024b.
48. ^ Pines 2013, p. 71 footnote.
49. ^ Chang 1998, p. 18,29,69,91.
50. ^ Van Norden & Ivanhoe (2005), p. 162.
51. ^ a b Chan (2000), p. 22
52. ^ Watts & Huang (1975), pp. 78–86.
53. ^ a b Austin, Michael (2010), Reading the World, New York: W. W. Norton, p. 158, ISBN 978-0-393-93349-9
54. ^ Pines 2024b, p. 27.
55. ^ Minford, John (2018), Tao Te Ching: The Essential Translation of the Ancient Chinese Book of the Tao, New York: Viking Press, pp. ix–x, ISBN 978-0-670-02498-8
56. ^ Henricks, Robert G. (1979). "Examining the Ma-Wang-Tui Silk Texts of the Lao-Tzu: With Special Note of Their Differences from the Wang Pi Text". T’oung Pao. 65 (4/5): 166–199 at 167. JSTOR 4528176.
57. ^ LaFargue & al. (1998), p. 277.
58. ^ Welch, Holmes (1966), Taoism: The Parting of the Way, Beacon Press, p. 7, ISBN 978-0-8070-5973-9
59. ^ Chalmers (1868).
60. ^ Chalmers (1868), p. xix.
61. ^ Eoyang, Eugene (1990), "Review: Tao Te Ching: A New English Translation by Stephen Mitchell", The Journal of Religion (book review), vol. 70, no. 3, University of Chicago Press, pp. 492–493, doi:10.1086/488454, JSTOR 1205252
62. ^ Kirkland, Russell (1997), "The Taoism of the Western Imagination and the Taoism of China: De-Colonizing the Exotic Teachings of the East" (PDF), University of Tennessee, archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2007
63. ^ Kirkland, Russell (2004), Taoism: The Enduring Tradition, Taylor & Francis, p. 1, ISBN 978-0-203-64671-7
64. ^ LaFargue, Michael (1994). Tao and Method: A reasoned approach to the Tao Te Ching. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9781438409863.
65. ^ Herman, Jonathan R. (1998), "Reviewed work: Tao te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way, Ursula K. Le Guin", Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 686–689, doi:10.1093/jaarel/66.3.686, JSTOR 1466152
66. ^ Welch (1965), p. 9
67. ^ Henricks (1989), p. xvi
68. ^ a b Record, Kirby (March 2022). "On Translating the Dark Enigma: The Tao Te Ching". Translation and Literature. 31 (1): 52–65\. doi:10.3366/tal.2022.0494. Retrieved 9 April 2024. "The problem of intentional ambiguities in the original work lies at the heart of all poetry translations but is particularly challenging in the case of ideographic texts of antiquity..."
69. ^ Chan, Alan K. L. (October 1993). "Review: On Reading the Tao Te Ching: Mair, Lafargue, Chan". Philosophy East and West. 43 (4): 745–750\. doi:10.2307/1399212. JSTOR 1399212. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
70. ^ Shen, Andrea (22 February 2001). "Ancient script rewrites history". Harvard Gazette. Retrieved 9 April 2024.

### Sources

[edit]

* Ariel, Yoav; Raz, Gil (2010), "Anaphors or Cataphors? A Discussion of the Two qi 其 Graphs in the First Chapter of the Daodejing", Philosophy East and West, 60 (3), University of Hawai'i Press: 391–421, doi:10.1353/PEW.0.0108, JSTOR 40666591, S2CID 170969512
* Barlow, Jeffrey G. (1985). Donald H. Bishop (ed.). Chinese Thought: An Introduction. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9780836411300.
* Boltz, William G. (1993), "Lao tzu Tao-te-ching", in Loewe, Michael (ed.), Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, pp. 269–92, ISBN 1-55729-043-1.
* Chan, Alan (2013), "Laozi", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University.
* Chang, Leo S (1998). The Four Political Treatises of the Yellow Emperor: Original Mawangdui Texts with Complete English Translations and an Introduction. Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. Monograph No.15. University of Hawaiʻi Press.
* Cole, Alan (August 2006), "Simplicity for the Sophisticated: Rereading the Daode Jing for the Polemics of Ease and Innocence", History of Religions, 46 (1), University of Chicago Press: 1–49, doi:10.1086/507927, JSTOR 10.1086/507927, S2CID 170162034
* Creel, Herrlee Glessner (15 September 1982) [1970]. What Is Taoism?: And Other Studies in Chinese Cultural History. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226120478. JSTOR 1397689. OCLC 1256745090 - via Google Books.
* Creel, Herrlee Glessner (1974). Shen Pu-hai: Chinese Political Philosopher of the Fourth Century B.C. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-12027-0.
* Damascene, Hieromonk; Lou, Shibai; Tang, You-Shan (1999), Christ the Eternal Tao, Platina, CA: Saint Herman Press
* Eliade, Mircea (1984), A History of Religious Ideas, vol. 2: From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity, translated by Trask, Willard R., University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-20403-1
* Emerson, John (2013). Shen Dao: Text, Translation, and Study. Éditions Le Real. OCLC 911414271.
* Goldin, Paul R. (2012). Dao Companion to the Philosophy of Han Fei. Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy. University of Pennsylvania: Springer. ISBN 978-0-19-760347-5.
* Pines, Yuri (2013), Submerged by Absolute Power: The Ruler's Predicament in the Han Feizi. In: Dao Companion to the Philosophy of Han Fei (PDF), pp. 67–86, doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4318-2_4, ISBN 978-94-007-4317-5
* Graham, A.C. (1989), Disputers of the Tao: Philosophical Argument in Ancient China, Open Court, ISBN 978-0-8126-9942-5
* Hansen, Chad (1992). A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-535076-0.
* Hansen, Chad (2024). "Zhuangzi". In Zalta, Edward N.; Nodelman, Uri (eds.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2024 ed.). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
* Hansen, Chad (2024b). "Daoism". In Zalta, Edward N.; Nodelman, Uri (eds.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 ed.). Retrieved 14 June 2025.
* Jin, Dejian (1963). Sima Qian suo jian shu kao 司馬遷所見書考. Shanghai: Shanghai ren ming chu ban she. OCLC 20065670.
* Kaltenmark, Max (1969). Lao Tzu and Taoism. Translated by Roger Greaves. Stanford University Press.
* Klaus, Hilmar (2009) [2008], Das Tao der Weisheit. Laozi-Daodejing [The Tao of Wisdom. Laozi-Daodejing] (in German and English), Aachen: Mainz
* LaFargue, Michael (1998), Kohn, Livia; LaFargue, Michael (eds.), Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0-7914-3600-4
* LaFargue, Michael; Pas, Julian (1998), "On Translating the Tao-te-ching", in Kohn, Livia; LaFargue, Michael (eds.), Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, pp. 277–302, ISBN 978-0-7914-3600-4
* Mou, Bo (2008). Routledge History of Chinese Philosophy. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-134-24937-4.
* Peerenboom, Randall P. (1993). Law and Morality in Ancient China: the Silk Manuscripts of Huang-Lao. SUNY Press. ISBN 9781438415741.
* Pines, Yuri (2024). Dao Companion to China's fa Tradition. Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Springer. ISBN 9789048129270.
* Pines, Yuri (2024b), Chapter 1 Shang Yang and The Book of Lord Shang. In: Pines, Y. (eds) Dao Companion to China's fa Tradition (PDF), Springer, Cham, pp. 23–56, doi:10.2307/600068, JSTOR 600068
* Liu Xiaogan (1994). Classifying the Zhuangzi Chapters. Michigan Monographs in Chinese Studies, vol. 65. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. doi:10.3998/mpub.19186. ISBN 9780472901340.
* Liu, Xiaogan (2014). Xiaogan Liu (ed.). Dao Companion to Daoist Philosophy. Springer. ISBN 9789048129270.
* Kohn, Livia, ed. (2000), Daoism Handbook, Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 4: China, vol. 14, Boston: Brill, doi:10.1163/9789004391840, ISBN 978-9004112087
* Chan, Alan K. L. "The Daode Jing and Its Tradition". In Kohn (2000), pp. 1–29.
* Komjathy, Louis (2008), Handbooks for Daoist Practice (10 vols.), Hong Kong: Yuen Yuen Institute
* Schwartz, Benjamin (1985). The World of Thought in Ancient China. Harvard: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-96191-3.
* Van Norden, Bryan W.; Ivanhoe, Philip J. (2006), Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy (2nd ed.), Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, ISBN 978-0-87220-780-6
* Watts, Alan; Huang, Chung-liang (1975), Tao: The Watercourse Way, New York: Pantheon, ISBN 978-0-394-73311-1
* Welch, Holmes (1965) [1957], Taoism: The Parting of the Way, Boston: Beacon, ISBN 978-0-8070-5973-9
* Feng Youlan (1948). A Short History of Chinese Philosophy. Free Press. ISBN 978-0-684-83634-8. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Tao Te Ching.

English Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Tao Te Ching

Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article:

道德經

* Daodejing (in Literary Chinese and English), translated by Legge, James (Wang Bi ed.) - via Chinese Text Project
* Laozi (in Literary Chinese) (Guodian ed.) - via Chinese Text Project
* Laozi (in Literary Chinese) (Mawangdui ed.) - via Chinese Text Project
* Legge translation at Standard Ebooks
* Tao Te Ching public domain audiobook at LibriVox
* Legge, Suzuki, and Goddard's translations side-by-side, along with the original text

* v
* t
* e

Chinese philosophy

Schools|

* Agriculturalism
* Buddhism
* Confucianism
* Han learning
* Neo-Confucianism
* New Confucianism
* Huang–Lao
* Legalism
* Mohism
* Marxism
* School of Diplomacy
* School of Names
* Naturalism
* Taoism
* Daoxue
* Xuanxue
* Yangism
* Mixed School

* Nine Schools of Thought
* Hundred Schools of Thought

Philosophers|

| Eastern Zhou|

* Bu Shang
* Chunyu Kun
* Confucius
* Deng Xi
* Duanmu Ci
* Gaozi
* Gongsun Long
* Guan Zhong
* Han Fei
* Hui Shi
* Laozi
* Li Kui
* Li Si
* Lie Yukou
* Mencius
* Mozi
* Shang Yang
* Shen Buhai
* Shen Dao
* Su Qin
* Sun Tzu
* Wu Qi
* Ximen Bao
* Xu Xing
* Xunzi
* Yang Zhu
* Yuan Xian
* Zhang Yi
* Zhuang Zhou
* Zichan
* Zisi
* Zou Yan

|

* Qin
* Han

* Ban Zhao
* Dong Zhongshu
* Dongfang Shuo
* Dou Wu
* Huan Tan
* Jia Yi
* Jia Kui
* Jing Fang
* Kong Anguo
* Liu An
* Lu Jia
* Liu Xiang
* Ma Rong
* Wang Chong
* Wang Fu
* Xun Yue
* Yang Xiong

* Three Kingdoms
* Jin
Northern and Southern

* Bao Jingyan
* Fan Zhen
* Fan Ye
* Ge Hong
* Guo Xiang
* Fu Xuan
* He Yan
* Huiyuan
* Ji Kang
* Sengzhao
* Wang Su
* Wang Bi
* Xiahou Xuan
* Xie Daoyun
* Xun Can
* Yan Zhitui
* Zhi Dun

* Sui
* Tang

* Fu Yi
* Jizang
* Wang Tong
* Zhang Zhihe
* Han Yu
* Li Ao
* Liu Yuxi
* Liu Zongyuan
* Linji Yixuan

Five Dynasties
Ten Kingdoms
Song|

* Cheng Hao
* Cheng Yi
* Fan Zhongyan
* Hu Hong
* Lu Jiuyuan
* Shao Yong
* Shen Kuo
* Su Song
* Wang Anshi
* Wang Chongyang
* Wang Chuyi
* Ye Shi
* Zhang Zai
* Zhou Dunyi
* Zhu Xi

* Yuan
* Ming

* Chen Jiru
* Huang Zongxi
* Hong Zicheng
* Jiao Hong
* Jiao Yu
* Lai Zhide
* Li Zhi
* Liu Bowen
* Liu Zongzhou
* Luo Rufang
* Qian Dehong
* Wang Ji
* Wang Gen
* Wang Yangming
* Wu Cheng
* Xu Ai
* Zhan Ruoshui

Qing|

* Chen Hongmou
* Chen Menglei
* Dai Zhen
* Fang Bao
* Fang Lanfen
* Fang Quan
* Feng Guifen
* Gong Zizhen
* Gu Yanwu
* Hong Liangji
* Ji Yun
* Ma Qixi
* Lin Zexu
* Liu Yiming
* Pan Pingge
* Tan Sitong
* Tang Zhen
* Wang Fuzhi
* Wei Yuan
* Yan Yuan
* Yu Yue
* Yu Zhengxie
* Zhang Xuecheng
* Zhuang Cunyu
* Zeng Guofan

20th century|

* Cai Yuanpei
* Carsun Chang
* P. C. Chang
* Chen Daqi
* Chen Duxiu
* Chung-ying Cheng
* Ch'ien Mu
* Chu Anping
* Fang Keli
* Feng Youlan
* Gan Yang
* Gu Su
* Gu Zhun
* He Guanghu
* Hu Qiaomu
* Hu Shih
* Hua Gang
* Ray Huang
* Jiang Qing
* Jin Yuelin
* Kang Youwei
* Lee Shui-chuen
* Li Shicen
* Li Zehou
* Liang Qichao
* Liang Shuming
* Lin Yutang
* Liu Xiaofeng
* Lu Xun
* Mao Zedong
* Mou Zongsan
* Qiu Renzong
* Sun Yat-sen
* Tang Chun-i
* Tang Yijie
* Tsang Lap Chuen
* Xiong Shili
* Xu Fuguan
* Yang Changji
* Yin Haiguang
* Yu Dunkang
* Zhang Dongsun
* Zhang Shenfu
* Zhou Guoping
* Zhou Zuoren

Concepts|

* Tao
* De
* Fa
* Jian'ai
* Jing
* Jing zuo
* Li
* Confucianism
* Neo-Confucianism
* Ming yun
* Qi
* Qing
* Ren
* Three teachings
* Shen
* Si
* Ti
* Tian
* Mandate of Heaven
* Wu wei
* Filial piety
* Xin
* Human nature
* Self-cultivation
* Yi
* Yin and yang
* Yong
* Zhengming
* Ziran

Topics|

* Logic
* Theology
* Metaphysics
* Politics
* Ethics
* Role ethics
* State consequentialism
* Ink wash
* Shan shui
* Society
* Epistemology
* Metaphilosophy
* Legitimacy

* v
* t
* e

Religious texts (List)

Antiquity|

* Pyramid Texts (Egyptian religion)
* Vedas (Hinduism)
* Agamas (Jainism)
* Avesta (Zoroastrian)
* Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi (Taoism)
* Tripiṭaka (Buddhism)
* Pali Canon (Theravada Buddhism)
* Paracanon (Theravada Buddhism)
* Atthakatha (Theravada Buddhism)
* Tika (Theravada Buddhism)
* Bible (Judaism, Christianity)
* Tanakh (Judaism)
* Samaritan Torah (Samaritanism)
* Deuterocanon (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Christianity)
* New Testament (Christianity)
* Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism)
* Metamorphoses (Roman polytheism)
* Nag Hammadi library (Gnosticism)
* Talmud (Judaism)
* Theogony (Greek polytheism)
* Upanishads (Hinduism)
* Enneads (Neoplatonism)
* Divine Liturgy (Eastern Christianity)

Medieval|

* Puranas (Hinduism)
* Puya (Sanamahism)
* Quran (Islam)
* Kojiki (Shinto)
* Ambrosian Hymnal (Roman Catholicism)
* Hadith (Islam)
* Summa Theologica (Roman Catholicism)
* Chinese Buddhist canon (Han Buddhism)
* Tripitaka Koreana (Korean Buddhism)

Early modern|

* Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
* Luther's Large Catechism (Lutheranism)
* Augsburg Confession (Protestantism)
* Heidelberg Catechism (Protestantism)
* Book of Common Prayer (Anglicanism)
* Roman Missal (Roman Catholicism)
* Roman Catechism (Roman Catholicism)

Modern|

* Book of Mormon (Mormonism)
* Ofudesaki (Tenrikyo)
* Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Baha'i)
* Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya (Ahmadiyya)
* Liber AL vel Legis (Thelemite)
* Taishō Tripiṭaka (Mahayana Buddhism)
* Book of Shadows (Wiccan)
* Dianetics (Scientologism)
* The Satanic Bible (Satanism)
* Geniocracy (Raelian)
* Catechism (Roman Catholicism)

* v
* t
* e

Taoism

Philosophy|

| Metaphysics|

* Tao (way)
* Taiji (ultimate)
* Wuji (non-polarity)
* Yin and yang (duality)
* Bagua (eight trigrams)
* Feng shui
* Wuxing (five phases)
* Bianhua (transformation)
* Fan (reversion)

|

Ethics|

* De (integrity)
* Wu wei (nonaction)
* Ziran (spontenaity)

* Pu (plainness)

* Zhenren
* Five Precepts
* Ten Precepts

|

Practice|

* Neidan (internal alchemy)
* Waidan (external alchemy)
* Yangsheng (self-cultivation)
* Daoyin (calisthenics)
* Meditation
* Three Treasures
* Jing (essence)
* Qi (breath)
* Shen (spirit)
* Diet
* Xian (immortality)
* Art
* Fulu (talismancy)

Texts|

* Tao Te Ching
* Zhuangzi
* Liezi
* Huainanzi
* Taipingjing
* Xiang'er
* Sanhuangjing
* Huahujing
* Qingjing Jing
* Baopuzi
* Daozang

Deities|

* Hongjun Laozu
* Three Pure Ones
* Yuanshi Tianzun
* Lingbao Tianzun
* Daode Tianzun
* Four Sovereigns
* Jade Emperor
* Ziwei Emperor
* Tianhuang Emperor
* Houtu
* Three Great Emperor-Officials
* Queen Mother of the West
* King Father of the East
* Eight Immortals
* Chang'e
* Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
* Yellow Emperor
* Guan Shengdi
* Other deities

People|

* Laozi
* Zhuang Zhou
* Lie Yukou
* Heshang Gong
* Wei Boyang
* Zhang Daoling
* Gan Ji
* Zhang Jue
* Zhang Lu
* Ge Xuan
* He Yan
* Wang Bi
* Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
* Guo Xiang
* Wei Huacun
* Ge Hong
* Bao Jingyan
* Kou Qianzhi
* Lu Xiujing
* Tao Hongjing
* Cheng Xuanying
* Chen Tuan
* Zhang Boduan
* Sun Bu'er
* Wang Chongyang
* Qiu Chuji
* Zhang Guoxiang
* Zhang Sanfeng
* Zhu Quan
* Fangshi

Schools|

* Huang–Lao
* Taiping
* Way of the Five Pecks of Rice
* Way of the Celestial Masters
* Northern Celestial Masters
* Zhengyi
* Xuanxue
* Shangqing
* Lingbao
* Jingming
* Chongxuan
* Quanzhen (Dragon Gate)
* Wuliu
* Yao

Sacred places|

* Grotto-heavens
* Sacred Mountains of China
* Wudang Mountains
* Mount Penglai
* Mount Kunlun
* Temples
* Cebu
* Hanford
* Louguantai
* Tong Jee Teung
* White Cloud

Portals:

* Literature
* China
* Philosophy

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Japan
* Spain
* Israel
* Catalonia

Other|

* IdRef
* MusicBrainz work

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa
*[r.]: reigned
*[fl.]: floruit ('flourished' – known to have been active at a particular time or during a particular period)