tao te ching
The key book that most use to begin their understandings of the Tao is the Tao Te Ching. On first reading, you may think, "What? This makes no sense!" Truly, it is difficult to understand, as many religious and philosophical texts are. Keep in mind that this text has been translated from an obscure version of ancient Chinese, and there is often no direct English word or phrase for Lao Tzu's thoughts. As with your own life, your ability to make sense of the book depends on your state of mind and how ready you are to understand truth. As you follow the Tao's teachings, the Tao Te Ching will make more sense to you. At some point you may even choose to write your own version of the Tao Te Ching yourself as many followers have. Hundreds of versions have been written, and it is through reading one of these versions that we begin our journey with the Tao. I am providing just one version here, but here are links to a few other versions that you may want to explore.
Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell (a favorite of many, though some feel Mr. Mitchell has included too many of his own, often Western, interpretations)
