Many pronounce Taoism as “tay-oh-ism” but the correct pronunciation should sound like, “DOW-ISM”.

Taoism is the essence of things and not of things. It would be a conundrum for one to define the Tao as the basic premise is that the Tao cannot be explained but that the Tao simply IS.

The following video is a full reading of the Tao.

The reading is one of the best translations of the Tao Te Ching (of China), a book that was first printed in the 2nd Century BC on a silk manuscript. Numerous translations continue. In the video above, you can obtain a full glimpse of the Tao Te Ching as an audio reading in about 1 hour. The video is a translation by Stephen Mitchell read by Shannon Johnson.

The audio reading is the best explanation of the Tao because as one of the first chapters of the Tao states, the Tao cannot “be named” or “told.” (Tzu, 2BC)

The author of the Tao Te Ching is Laozi or better known as Lao Tzu; The name Lao Tzu means “Old Master” so one grand mystery is that the arthur, Lao Tzu may have actually had a different name given that the name is also a title (Mitchell, 1988).

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