The Tao Te Ching is a book of Chinese philosophical poetry, written sometime between the seventh and the fourth centuries BCE. According to tradition it was written by a quiet librarian named Lao Tzu, and describes a way of life that is free of strife and stress. The principle scripture of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, consisting of just 5,000 Chinese characters, is one of the most sublime, meaningful, and downright practical works of mysticism in the human canon. This new translation by John R. Mabry is simple, poetic, and profound. Cleaving closely to the Chinese text, this translation succeeds in being not only readable and accurate, but beautiful as well.