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道可道非常道，
The way that can be followed is not the eternal Way.
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名可名非常名。
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
道德经 Dao De Jing
The Dao De Jing (道德经, also Tao Te Ching) is the classic of the Way and its virtue, attributed to Laozi: 81 short chapters, here recited in Mandarin with the Chinese text, pinyin and a literal translation.
Chapter of the day
Chapters
道经 The Book of the Way chapters 1 to 37
- 1道可道非
- 2天下皆知
- 3不尚贤使
- 4道冲而用
- 5天地不仁
- 6谷神不死
- 7天长地久
- 8上善若水
- 9持而盈之
- 10载营魄抱
- 11三十辐共
- 12五色令人
- 13宠辱若惊
- 14视之不见
- 15古之善为
- 16致虚极守
- 17太上下知
- 18大道废有
- 19绝圣弃智
- 20绝学无忧
- 21孔德之容
- 22曲则全枉
- 23希言自然
- 24企者不立
- 25有物混成
- 26重为轻根
- 27善行无辙
- 28知其雄守
- 29将欲取天
- 30以道佐人
- 31夫佳兵者
- 32道常无名
- 33知人者智
- 34大道泛兮
- 35执大象天
- 36将欲歙之
- 37道常无为
德经 The Book of Virtue chapters 38 to 81
- 38上德不德
- 39昔之得一
- 40反者道之
- 41上士闻道
- 42道生一
- 43天下之至
- 44名与身孰
- 45大成若缺
- 46天下有道
- 47不出户知
- 48为学日益
- 49圣人无常
- 50出生入死
- 51道生之德
- 52天下有始
- 53使我介然
- 54善建者不
- 55含德之厚
- 56知者不言
- 57以正治国
- 58其政闷闷
- 59治人事天
- 60治大国若
- 61大国者下
- 62道者万物
- 63为无为事
- 64其安易持
- 65古之善为
- 66江海所以
- 67天下皆谓
- 68善为士者
- 69用兵有言
- 70吾言甚易
- 71知不知上
- 72民不畏威
- 73勇于敢则
- 74民不畏死
- 75民之饥以
- 76人之生也
- 77天之道其
- 78天下莫柔
- 79和大怨必
- 80小国寡民
- 81信言不美
Key terms
- 道 dào the Way
- 德 dé virtue
- 无为 wú wéi non-action
- 自然 zì rán what is so of itself
- 朴 pǔ the uncarved block
- 玄 xuán mystery, mysterious
- 圣人 shèng rén the sage
- 常 cháng constant, eternal
- 一 yī the One
- 水 shuǐ water
- 不争 bù zhēng not contending
- 柔弱 róu ruò soft and weak
- 天下 tiān xià all under heaven, the world
- 万物 wàn wù the myriad things
How it works
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The book in figures
| Title | 道德经 (Dào Dé Jīng), also spelled Tao Te Ching |
|---|---|
| Attributed to | Laozi (老子, also Lao Tzu) |
| Parts | The Book of the Way (道经), chapters 1 to 37; the Book of Virtue (德经), chapters 38 to 81 |
| Length | 81 chapters, about 5,000 characters |
| Earliest manuscripts | Guodian (about 300 BC), Mawangdui (before 168 BC) |
| Text on this site | The received text of Wang Bi (3rd century AD) |
| Recitation | Mandarin, 45 minutes in all |
| Translations | English and French, literal, line by line |