The Tao Te Ching is the most widely traslated book in world literature, after the Bible. Yet the gemlike lucidity of the original has eluded most previous translations, and they have obscured some of its central ideas. The Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is a series of meditations on the mysterious nature of the Tao-the Way, the guiding light, the very source of all existence. According to Lao Tzu (a name meaning 'the old master'), the Tao is found where we would least expect it-not in the strong but in the weak; not in speech but in silence; not in doing but in 'not-doing'.About the Author:Laozi was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the Warring States period of the 5th or 4th century BC. A central figure in Chinese culture, Laozi is claimed by both the emperors of the Tang dynasty and modern people of the Li surname as a founder of their lineage. Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various anti-authoritarian movements.