Along with the famous Tao-te-ching of Lao-tzu and the book of Chuang-tzu this is one of the fundamental texts of Taoism or Daoism. Unlike many of his contemporary western scholars in china Leon Wieger used the traditional chinese commentaries and he also concluded that although Tao or Dao generally means "the Way" in Chinese, in these works it mostly means "the Principle". This was confirmed by Lionel Giles, a British scholar. Although this is a basic work of Daoism, it is from this book also that we know of Master Yang, and epicurean philosopher who is said to have ended his life as a Daoist.
Along with the famous Tao-te-ching of Lao-tzu and the book of Chuang-tzu this is one of the fundamental texts of Taoism or Daoism. Unlike many of his contemporary western scholars in china Leon Wieger used the traditional chinese commentaries and he also concluded that although Tao or Dao generally means "the Way" in Chinese, in these works it mostly means "the Principle". This was confirmed by Lionel Giles, a British scholar. Although this is a basic work of Daoism, it is from this book also that we know of Master Yang, and epicurean philosopher who is said to have ended his life as a Daoist.