The first translation of the classic Chinese philosophical text to include the newly discovered Guodian scrolls. In 1993 archaelogists in Goudian, China, found 16 texts written on bamboo strips, including three versions of the primary Daoist text, the Dao De Jing. Dating to 300 BC, they are more than 125 years older than the previously oldest known version and differ in important ways.Daoism, as this philosophy came to be known, set forth a series of maxims that outlined a new perspective on reality and invited readers to embark on a regimen of self-cultivation. This luminous new translation brings the timeless wisdom of the Dao De Jing into our contemporary world. The authors? commentary on the history, philosophy, and interpretation are essential to the context of this essential classic.