'All things end in the Tao just as the small streams and the largest rivers flow through the valleys to the sea.' The Tao Te Ching came into existence some 2,500 years ago, since when it has become the most influential text of Eastern philosophy. Best translated as The Classic Book of the Way and its Power (or Virtue), its teachings are of simplicity, humility, and 'non-action', and its cadenced poetry is at once spare and profound. A true classic, the Tao Te Ching is renowned for its timeless wisdom and subtle guidance on how to live well.