Taoism > Basic Concepts

What is Te?

The word "te" is without any doubt one of the most mysterious. It appears in the title of Lao-tzu's book: Tao-te ching. Legge translates this title as: The Classic about Tao and its Characteristics.

A lot of things were said about te. Thus, it would mean virtue or power in relation with Tao, that is, Tao's capacity of creation and bearing all things in Universe.

In Shambhala dictionary of Taoism te represents Tao's energy or the qualities or nature received by every living being or thing from Tao. Many other explanations, more or less confused, were given to this term.

According to Legge's translation of te, it points to the qualities or characteristics of Tao itself.

• Read also:
  => What is Taoism
  => What is Tao
  => About Yin-Yang
  => Emptiness
  => Nondoing
   
• A short essay on this term appears in our course Lao-tzu and Tao-te ching Revealed - click here to learn more.

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