The Tao Te Ching, a book that finds the way
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Description
Book Introduction
“I found peace of mind thanks to reading the Tao Te Ching.” —Tolstoy
“When you are tired of this cruel world and feel like quitting, I recommend you open this book.
“No one is teaching me, I am learning on my own.”
―Highly recommended by novelists Kim Yeon-su and Won So-yoon!
* The most literary and moving 『Tao Te Ching』 told by world-renowned novelist Ken Liu
* 2500 years of philosophy toward a life of quiet freedom and true self.
* Lao Tzu's aphorisms that will serve as anchors in a swaying life
World-renowned novelist Ken Liu reinterprets Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching," a 2,500-year-old classic that permeates an age of uncertainty.
The author, who confessed that he found new strength to live by reading and writing the Tao Te Ching when he was at a dead end in life, has translated the classic into the most comfortable and clear language possible so that anyone can enjoy the solace of Lao-tzu's philosophy.
A deep understanding of Lao-tzu's philosophy and moving storytelling combine to leave a profound resonance, like a work of literature.
Born around 400 BC in a time of chaos and desire, the Tao Te Ching has been a scripture that has helped countless people, including Tolstoy and Hermann Hesse, find peace of mind over the years.
Sentences like “Having little is like having everything, and having much ends in confusion,” “A journey of a thousand miles begins right where you stand,” and “The enlightened one loves himself but is not proud” calmly stop us and impart the wisdom we need at every crossroads in life.
『The Tao Te Ching: A Book of Finding the Way』 is a book of philosophy, but also a book of warm comfort.
It gives comfort without conventional comfort, and points the way without teaching.
It allows you to relax and reflect on your shoulders that were tense from anxiety and stress.
No matter which page you open, there are sentences waiting to be engraved in your heart, one by one.
Readers who read this book first praised it, saying, “Thanks to author Ken Liu, I was able to approach the Tao Te Ching with ease for the first time,” and “This book helped me break out of the cage my mind had created.”
Even for those who have found the Tao Te Ching too difficult to tackle, and even for those who have long admired it, this book will convey the comfort and inspiration of a profound philosophy they have never encountered before.
“When you are tired of this cruel world and feel like quitting, I recommend you open this book.
“No one is teaching me, I am learning on my own.”
―Highly recommended by novelists Kim Yeon-su and Won So-yoon!
* The most literary and moving 『Tao Te Ching』 told by world-renowned novelist Ken Liu
* 2500 years of philosophy toward a life of quiet freedom and true self.
* Lao Tzu's aphorisms that will serve as anchors in a swaying life
World-renowned novelist Ken Liu reinterprets Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching," a 2,500-year-old classic that permeates an age of uncertainty.
The author, who confessed that he found new strength to live by reading and writing the Tao Te Ching when he was at a dead end in life, has translated the classic into the most comfortable and clear language possible so that anyone can enjoy the solace of Lao-tzu's philosophy.
A deep understanding of Lao-tzu's philosophy and moving storytelling combine to leave a profound resonance, like a work of literature.
Born around 400 BC in a time of chaos and desire, the Tao Te Ching has been a scripture that has helped countless people, including Tolstoy and Hermann Hesse, find peace of mind over the years.
Sentences like “Having little is like having everything, and having much ends in confusion,” “A journey of a thousand miles begins right where you stand,” and “The enlightened one loves himself but is not proud” calmly stop us and impart the wisdom we need at every crossroads in life.
『The Tao Te Ching: A Book of Finding the Way』 is a book of philosophy, but also a book of warm comfort.
It gives comfort without conventional comfort, and points the way without teaching.
It allows you to relax and reflect on your shoulders that were tense from anxiety and stress.
No matter which page you open, there are sentences waiting to be engraved in your heart, one by one.
Readers who read this book first praised it, saying, “Thanks to author Ken Liu, I was able to approach the Tao Te Ching with ease for the first time,” and “This book helped me break out of the cage my mind had created.”
Even for those who have found the Tao Te Ching too difficult to tackle, and even for those who have long admired it, this book will convey the comfort and inspiration of a profound philosophy they have never encountered before.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Preface to the Korean edition
Book of Tao
The Book of Virtue
Translator's Note
Book of Tao
The Book of Virtue
Translator's Note
Detailed image
Into the book
The path we can walk is not an eternal path, and the name we can call is not an unchanging name.
--- From "First Sentence"
I began to read the Tao Te Ching with a sense of desperation.
I read it because I couldn't read or tell the story anymore.
I read it because the future seemed completely hopeless.
I read it hoping to find a way out of the darkness.
And the book was completely different from what I expected.
Lao Tzu, who appears in the Tao Te Ching, was not a kind and wise sage who spouts empty platitudes like in an Orientalist fairy tale.
He was sharp but not cutting, just but not judging, hopeful but not sweet.
--- From "A Preface That's Not Really a Preface"
I love the image of an enlightened swallow sitting comfortably in its mud nest, unfazed by the lure of luxury and exotic sights.
When you hold on to the Tao and the Tao anchors you, the fear of loss, the longing for favor, and the dread of the capriciousness of the mortal universe disappear.
The mind becomes calm and the trembling of the limbs stops.
We can embrace the eternal dance of terror and beauty between heaven and earth.
The dance that happens regardless of you, but also because of you.
--- From "I'd Rather Drag My Tail in the Mud"
He who speaks does not know.
Those who know do not speak.
Without being shaken by intimacy,
Even when we move away, we are not shaken,
Unshaken by the benefits,
Unshaken by harm,
Unshaken by goodwill,
Are you not shaken by contempt?
That is why everyone respects those who have attained the Way.
--- From "He Who Speaks Does Not Know"
Even a tree that cannot be embraced with two arms begins from a single seed,
Even a hill that reaches the sky begins with a few handfuls of dirt,
A journey of a thousand miles begins right where you stand.
People often falter when they are almost at their goal.
If you look at the end the same way as the beginning, you won't fall.
--- From "Right Where You Stand"
Lao Tzu answered.
“It is human nature to become depressed when frustrated and arrogant when satisfied.
We are prisoners of passion.
When excited, it burns like fire, when depressed, it freezes like ice, when calm, it is deeper than the abyss, and when moving, it is lighter than a moving cloud.
There is nothing more capricious than the human mind.
Let's look back at history.
Has there ever been a single wise king or sage legislator who succeeded in "improving" the human heart even a little? Just look around you.
The executed corpses are packed tightly together, and the prisons are overflowing.
Yet, Confucianism and Mohism still argue outside, criticize each other, seek attention, vie for power, and are surrounded by chains and guards.
What could be more shameless than this? If only we could stop worshipping the wise and abandon all notions of wisdom… Perhaps then the world would finally find peace.
--- From "Without Intervention"
What is the best way?
The path of heaven is one of kindness, without favoritism.
--- From "First Sentence"
I began to read the Tao Te Ching with a sense of desperation.
I read it because I couldn't read or tell the story anymore.
I read it because the future seemed completely hopeless.
I read it hoping to find a way out of the darkness.
And the book was completely different from what I expected.
Lao Tzu, who appears in the Tao Te Ching, was not a kind and wise sage who spouts empty platitudes like in an Orientalist fairy tale.
He was sharp but not cutting, just but not judging, hopeful but not sweet.
--- From "A Preface That's Not Really a Preface"
I love the image of an enlightened swallow sitting comfortably in its mud nest, unfazed by the lure of luxury and exotic sights.
When you hold on to the Tao and the Tao anchors you, the fear of loss, the longing for favor, and the dread of the capriciousness of the mortal universe disappear.
The mind becomes calm and the trembling of the limbs stops.
We can embrace the eternal dance of terror and beauty between heaven and earth.
The dance that happens regardless of you, but also because of you.
--- From "I'd Rather Drag My Tail in the Mud"
He who speaks does not know.
Those who know do not speak.
Without being shaken by intimacy,
Even when we move away, we are not shaken,
Unshaken by the benefits,
Unshaken by harm,
Unshaken by goodwill,
Are you not shaken by contempt?
That is why everyone respects those who have attained the Way.
--- From "He Who Speaks Does Not Know"
Even a tree that cannot be embraced with two arms begins from a single seed,
Even a hill that reaches the sky begins with a few handfuls of dirt,
A journey of a thousand miles begins right where you stand.
People often falter when they are almost at their goal.
If you look at the end the same way as the beginning, you won't fall.
--- From "Right Where You Stand"
Lao Tzu answered.
“It is human nature to become depressed when frustrated and arrogant when satisfied.
We are prisoners of passion.
When excited, it burns like fire, when depressed, it freezes like ice, when calm, it is deeper than the abyss, and when moving, it is lighter than a moving cloud.
There is nothing more capricious than the human mind.
Let's look back at history.
Has there ever been a single wise king or sage legislator who succeeded in "improving" the human heart even a little? Just look around you.
The executed corpses are packed tightly together, and the prisons are overflowing.
Yet, Confucianism and Mohism still argue outside, criticize each other, seek attention, vie for power, and are surrounded by chains and guards.
What could be more shameless than this? If only we could stop worshipping the wise and abandon all notions of wisdom… Perhaps then the world would finally find peace.
--- From "Without Intervention"
What is the best way?
The path of heaven is one of kindness, without favoritism.
--- From "Always Kind"
Publisher's Review
The birth of the most moving 『Tao Te Ching』 ever seen
Ken Liu's compelling storytelling: A record of how one man moved from darkness to light.
“I am absorbed in Lao Tzu.
“My soul found peace because I read the Tao Te Ching.” - Tolstoy
“The Tao Te Ching is a poem that illuminates the soul of the ordinary person.” - Ursula K. Le Guin
The classic 『Tao Te Ching』, beloved for over 2,500 years, is a philosophy that advocates living a life true to oneself rather than striving for fulfillment, and finding quiet freedom rather than noisy success.
This is the only book left by Laozi during the Warring States period, a time of chaos and greed.
It is also a book that has provided comfort and inspiration to numerous writers over a long period of time, including Tolstoy, Hermann Hesse, and Ursula Le Guin.
World-renowned novelist Ken Liu also encountered the Tao Te Ching when he was going through the darkest period of his life.
He was the first writer to win all three of the world's top science fiction literary awards, including "Paper Zoo" and "The Tale of Silver Wolf," and was successfully walking his way through life, but suddenly he was put at a dead end.
He was so familiar with the Tao Te Ching that he said, “I grew up breathing Lao-tzu in the air,” that he opened the classics again with a sense of urgency, and through conversations with the book, he gained the strength to move forward again.
The Tao Te Ching, a book that seeks the path, is a work of true experience and insight from one author. It is the most moving edition of the Tao Te Ching, and a record of hope in which a human being finds the strength to live again in the wisdom of the classics.
Ken Liu translated the Tao Te Ching in simple and clear language, following Lao Tzu's teaching of "do not embellish."
There are no difficult Chinese characters or lengthy commentaries in 『The Tao Te Ching: A Book for Finding the Way』.
Ken Liu helps readers savor Laozi's thoughts more comfortably by adding fables and interesting commentary from Zhuangzi.
This book, which speaks to today's readers in the simplest and most serene sentences, shows the path to quiet freedom that is not overcome by fear.
A 2,500-year-old philosophy that resonates with us today, here and now.
The Key to a Good Life as Offered by Lao Tzu
An old comfort that soothes a weary heart
In a society where showing off happiness, the need for recognition, competition and conflict are part of our daily lives, we often feel exhausted and drained.
We try to keep up with the rapidly changing world, but we are faced with the futility and exhaustion of wondering, 'Why am I living like this?'
The era in which Lao Tzu lived was also a time of great technological and social change.
Everyone was searching for a new order in the darkness, and the struggle for hegemony and competition reached its peak.
Even in such an era, Lao Tzu stood against the trend of worshipping strength and advocated wisdom that was low and calm like the sea.
He emphasized that softness overcomes strength, and that the happiest people are those who know how to be content.
The 'good life' that Lao Tzu speaks of is not about having more or knowing more.
The key to a good life lies not in the 'knowledge' that allows you to be superior to others, but in the 'wisdom' that allows you to become the master of your own life through simplicity and humility.
The success that Lao Tzu speaks of is not endless desire, but freedom from bondage.
It refers to a life that is sufficiently abundant without having much, a life that is solid without showing off.
Lao Tzu's philosophy is a more effective antidote for modern people consumed by materialism and meritocracy.
If you feel exhausted from chasing empty goals, what you need now is to find a natural direction in life.
The leisure to surrender to the wind for a moment rather than recklessly confronting the storm, the gentle strength to achieve without fighting.
The wisdom of the Tao Te Ching transcends competition and empowers me to live in the most comfortable and free way possible.
Proverbs of wisdom written in over five thousand characters
From attitude toward life to wisdom in relationships
Lao Tzu's words illuminating every crossroads of life
The only book left behind by Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching, contains insights on how to live condensed into just 5,000 characters.
It is full of sentences that are worth pondering at every crossroads in life, such as attitudes toward work, loss and death, wisdom in relationships, and political philosophy.
Familiar phrases that make you think, 'This sentence came from the Tao Te Ching,' resonate deeply and pleasantly.
“To solve difficult problems, you must start with easy ones.
“All great achievements are accomplished through very small things.” (Chapter 63)
“It is healthy to know that you don’t know.
“If you think you know when you don’t, you are sick.” (Chapter 71)
“People often falter when they are almost at their goal.
“If you look at the end as if it were the beginning, you will not fall.” (Chapter 64)
“When there is discord in the family, family love begins to come up in the conversation,
“When a country is on the verge of collapse, patriots overflow.” (Chapter 19)
“What is the best way?
“The path of heaven is one of impartiality and is always accompanied by kindness.” (Chapter 79)
In this age where we seem to be losing ourselves as we pursue the path of a "good life" set by society, Lao Tzu's words awaken our turbid minds to clarity and tranquility.
As you read the words of Lao Tzu, who gives direction without teaching, you will experience a moment when the time you were wandering like a maze turns into a wide, open path.
The Tao Te Ching awaits us like a wide road open to everyone.
In this chaotic age, why read the Tao Te Ching again?
A special Korean edition preface from Ken Liu
Novelist Kim Yeon-su and Won So-yoon strongly recommend
It's a good season to look back on the year, and "The Tao Te Ching: A Book to Find the Way" has been on the bestseller list since its release, receiving a warm response from readers.
Ken Liu sent a preface specifically for Korean readers ahead of the publication of this book.
Regarding the meaning of reading the Tao Te Ching today, the author tells this story.
“The Tao Te Ching is a guidebook that shows the way to freedom and meaning.
In an age where answers are cheap and instantaneous, caution and humility become more precious. In an age where AI completes our sentences and gives us the illusion of omniscience, the Tao Te Ching teaches us how to leave our sentences incomplete.
Until desire falls away and freedom finally finds room to breathe.
While writing 『The Tao Te Ching: A Guide to Finding the Way』, I did my best to establish milestones that helped me.
I hope this book will help you find your way and serve as a guide for a brief respite.”
Author Kim Yeon-su, who read this book first and praised it, said, “This book is not a simple translation, but a conversation between the fantastic storyteller Ken Liu and Lao Tzu,” and recommended this book, saying, “It would be good to open it when you are tired of the cruel world and want to give up.”
Author and stand-up comedian Won So-yoon also said, “No one teaches me, but I learn on my own.
He sent a recommendation saying, “I recommend this book to anyone who wants to achieve quiet enlightenment.”
Ken Liu's compelling storytelling: A record of how one man moved from darkness to light.
“I am absorbed in Lao Tzu.
“My soul found peace because I read the Tao Te Ching.” - Tolstoy
“The Tao Te Ching is a poem that illuminates the soul of the ordinary person.” - Ursula K. Le Guin
The classic 『Tao Te Ching』, beloved for over 2,500 years, is a philosophy that advocates living a life true to oneself rather than striving for fulfillment, and finding quiet freedom rather than noisy success.
This is the only book left by Laozi during the Warring States period, a time of chaos and greed.
It is also a book that has provided comfort and inspiration to numerous writers over a long period of time, including Tolstoy, Hermann Hesse, and Ursula Le Guin.
World-renowned novelist Ken Liu also encountered the Tao Te Ching when he was going through the darkest period of his life.
He was the first writer to win all three of the world's top science fiction literary awards, including "Paper Zoo" and "The Tale of Silver Wolf," and was successfully walking his way through life, but suddenly he was put at a dead end.
He was so familiar with the Tao Te Ching that he said, “I grew up breathing Lao-tzu in the air,” that he opened the classics again with a sense of urgency, and through conversations with the book, he gained the strength to move forward again.
The Tao Te Ching, a book that seeks the path, is a work of true experience and insight from one author. It is the most moving edition of the Tao Te Ching, and a record of hope in which a human being finds the strength to live again in the wisdom of the classics.
Ken Liu translated the Tao Te Ching in simple and clear language, following Lao Tzu's teaching of "do not embellish."
There are no difficult Chinese characters or lengthy commentaries in 『The Tao Te Ching: A Book for Finding the Way』.
Ken Liu helps readers savor Laozi's thoughts more comfortably by adding fables and interesting commentary from Zhuangzi.
This book, which speaks to today's readers in the simplest and most serene sentences, shows the path to quiet freedom that is not overcome by fear.
A 2,500-year-old philosophy that resonates with us today, here and now.
The Key to a Good Life as Offered by Lao Tzu
An old comfort that soothes a weary heart
In a society where showing off happiness, the need for recognition, competition and conflict are part of our daily lives, we often feel exhausted and drained.
We try to keep up with the rapidly changing world, but we are faced with the futility and exhaustion of wondering, 'Why am I living like this?'
The era in which Lao Tzu lived was also a time of great technological and social change.
Everyone was searching for a new order in the darkness, and the struggle for hegemony and competition reached its peak.
Even in such an era, Lao Tzu stood against the trend of worshipping strength and advocated wisdom that was low and calm like the sea.
He emphasized that softness overcomes strength, and that the happiest people are those who know how to be content.
The 'good life' that Lao Tzu speaks of is not about having more or knowing more.
The key to a good life lies not in the 'knowledge' that allows you to be superior to others, but in the 'wisdom' that allows you to become the master of your own life through simplicity and humility.
The success that Lao Tzu speaks of is not endless desire, but freedom from bondage.
It refers to a life that is sufficiently abundant without having much, a life that is solid without showing off.
Lao Tzu's philosophy is a more effective antidote for modern people consumed by materialism and meritocracy.
If you feel exhausted from chasing empty goals, what you need now is to find a natural direction in life.
The leisure to surrender to the wind for a moment rather than recklessly confronting the storm, the gentle strength to achieve without fighting.
The wisdom of the Tao Te Ching transcends competition and empowers me to live in the most comfortable and free way possible.
Proverbs of wisdom written in over five thousand characters
From attitude toward life to wisdom in relationships
Lao Tzu's words illuminating every crossroads of life
The only book left behind by Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching, contains insights on how to live condensed into just 5,000 characters.
It is full of sentences that are worth pondering at every crossroads in life, such as attitudes toward work, loss and death, wisdom in relationships, and political philosophy.
Familiar phrases that make you think, 'This sentence came from the Tao Te Ching,' resonate deeply and pleasantly.
“To solve difficult problems, you must start with easy ones.
“All great achievements are accomplished through very small things.” (Chapter 63)
“It is healthy to know that you don’t know.
“If you think you know when you don’t, you are sick.” (Chapter 71)
“People often falter when they are almost at their goal.
“If you look at the end as if it were the beginning, you will not fall.” (Chapter 64)
“When there is discord in the family, family love begins to come up in the conversation,
“When a country is on the verge of collapse, patriots overflow.” (Chapter 19)
“What is the best way?
“The path of heaven is one of impartiality and is always accompanied by kindness.” (Chapter 79)
In this age where we seem to be losing ourselves as we pursue the path of a "good life" set by society, Lao Tzu's words awaken our turbid minds to clarity and tranquility.
As you read the words of Lao Tzu, who gives direction without teaching, you will experience a moment when the time you were wandering like a maze turns into a wide, open path.
The Tao Te Ching awaits us like a wide road open to everyone.
In this chaotic age, why read the Tao Te Ching again?
A special Korean edition preface from Ken Liu
Novelist Kim Yeon-su and Won So-yoon strongly recommend
It's a good season to look back on the year, and "The Tao Te Ching: A Book to Find the Way" has been on the bestseller list since its release, receiving a warm response from readers.
Ken Liu sent a preface specifically for Korean readers ahead of the publication of this book.
Regarding the meaning of reading the Tao Te Ching today, the author tells this story.
“The Tao Te Ching is a guidebook that shows the way to freedom and meaning.
In an age where answers are cheap and instantaneous, caution and humility become more precious. In an age where AI completes our sentences and gives us the illusion of omniscience, the Tao Te Ching teaches us how to leave our sentences incomplete.
Until desire falls away and freedom finally finds room to breathe.
While writing 『The Tao Te Ching: A Guide to Finding the Way』, I did my best to establish milestones that helped me.
I hope this book will help you find your way and serve as a guide for a brief respite.”
Author Kim Yeon-su, who read this book first and praised it, said, “This book is not a simple translation, but a conversation between the fantastic storyteller Ken Liu and Lao Tzu,” and recommended this book, saying, “It would be good to open it when you are tired of the cruel world and want to give up.”
Author and stand-up comedian Won So-yoon also said, “No one teaches me, but I learn on my own.
He sent a recommendation saying, “I recommend this book to anyone who wants to achieve quiet enlightenment.”
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: November 24, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 204 pages | 268g | 135*210*13mm
- ISBN13: 9791155818800
- ISBN10: 1155818806
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