Legend also has it that Lao Tsu's younger contemporary, Confucius, once visited him and came away completely awed by what he had experienced in Lao Tsu's presence. The ancient tale goes on to report that Lao Tsu was keeper of the royal archives in the capital city of Loyang. Because he came to feel that his society was unraveling around him, he decided to move away into the desert. But as he was leaving, the gatekeeper of the city, who had heard of his reputation for wisdom, begged him to stop and linger there long enough to write down his deepest wisdom on life. We are told that the result is this little but powerful book.
Translations usually keep the title untranslated.
I've read the Tao Te Ching many times in many different translations in the last few years, but most recently I've reread it very carefully through the lens of what I call The 7 Cs of Success. After years of study, I've discovered that in any relationship, enterprise, or challenge, as well as for life in general, if we want to experience deeply satisfying and sustainable success, success at meeting challenges that are right for us, we need to work on each of these seven conditions, which will structure our look at the Tao Te Ching over the next few weeks. But first, a few ruminations on what success is, and what it is not, from Lao Tsu himself. I'll use here mainly the Feng and English translation, occasionally borrowing from the Penguin Classics translation by D. C. Lau, and every now and then giving my own rendering. Numbers in parentheses after quotes will direct you to the appropriate chapters in the Tao Te Ching.