A translation of the title of the Tao te Ching could be 'The Book of the Way and its Virtue'.  It is widely accepted that it was written by Lao Tsu in China, around 600BCE.  Although this is still debated (ironically perhaps), by some scholars suggesting that it is the product of different authors at different times.

There are many similarities between Buddhism and Taoism.  This aside, the Tao te Ching is one of the most important scriptures in Chinese philosophy and has been translated more than any other text, except the christian Bible.  The term given to the study of the Tao te Ching is Taoism or Daoism.

You can read the entire Tao te Ching by clicking on the links on the left of this page.  I am currently in the process of finding suitable teachings to link to from this page which may be useful in helping us to understand the text deeper.   If you would like to direct me to such a site, you can email me the link, with a small explanation by emailing me.