The foundational text of Taoist philosophy. 81 chapters of paradoxical wisdom.
The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. This opening line sets the tone: language and concepts are fingers pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.
Reading this requires letting go of the Western need to analyze and categorize. The wisdom emerges from sitting with the contradictions. Water is soft yet carves through rock. The usefulness of a cup comes from its emptiness. Return to this one regularly.