Allegedly written at the insistence of a gatekeeper, it insists that learning is not by knowledge but by insight and praises the value of wu-wei, or "not-doing".
The maxims of this political tract include "Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish." It advocates keeping the people ignorant and therefore contains a somewhat shocking doctrine, especially for Westerners who are looking for mystical wisdom. Allegedly written at the insistence of a gatekeeper, it insists that learning is not by knowledge but by insight and praises the value of wu-wei, or "not-doing". FTP name this ancient Chinese book of 81 mystical poems attributed to Lao-tse.
The maxims of this political tract include "Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish."
Tao te Ching