The Tao Te Ching is a guide to the philosophy of Taoism and commonly credited to 6th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu, though some portions of the text date back to the late 4th century. Taoism was a school of thought and method for survival in turbulent times, and its eighty-one short books explain what the Tao (roughly translated as “the way”) consists of.

The Tao Te Ching begins with the idea that the tao is nameless and that it is ineffable, as language is not capable of describing it. Nonetheless, the tao has created the universe. It is this tension or contradiction that is at the root of Taoism; the way seems like nothing, but is everything. It is “shadowy and indistinct,” but it existed even before the universe.

The short, poetic books in the Tao Te Ching approach an understanding of this mystical, all-encompassing force. To do so, the text often produces contradictions, or opposites. For example, it is because the way seems like nothing that it is everything, as D.C. Lau notes in his Introduction to the text of his 1963 translation.

To follow Taoism, one must leave behind any trace of egoism and effort. Instead, the text preaches submissiveness, simplicity, and pacifism. As Lau notes, the idea of trying too hard—of amassing too many goods, of being too arrogant, or of war-mongering—will lead one to a fall. Instead, if one is going to survive, one must be submissive, passive, and pacific. If one is simple, one will always be content. The text includes many references to the “uncarved block,” which stands roughly for the unschooled, empty mind that Taoism favor.

The book is also a guide for rulers and a kind of primer on political philosophy. The successful ruler, or sage, is the person who is meek and submissive. In thinking of others, the sage elevates him or herself. It is this kind of person who should lead the empire, according to Lao Tzu. By doing nothing, this type of passive ruler leaves nothing undone.

In a series of books that have repetitive themes, the text explains the way in poetic terms. One symbol that arises as representative of the tao is water—it goes wherever it is forced, and it seems peaceful, but is forceful. It is this contradiction—apparent peacefulness that leads to force—that is at the heart of the tao.

Editor’s note: This guide refers to the 1963 Penguin Books edition, translated by D.C. Lau.