Foreword
Chinese people value greatly the “Tao,” or the Way. In ancient times a brutal emperor would be called “a decadent ruler who lacks the Tao.” Any behavior not conforming to the standard of morality, which, in Chinese, is denoted by the two characters Dao De, meaning “Tao” and “Virtue” respectively, was said “not to follow the principle of Tao.” Even revolting farmers put out banners proclaiming “achieve the Way on behalf of heaven.” Lao Zi [1] said, “There is something mysterious and whole, which existed before heaven and earth. Silent, formless, complete, and never changing. Living eternally everywhere in perfection, it is the mother of all things. I do not know its name; I call it the Way.” This suggests that the world is formed from “Tao.”