Learn the Dao — Tao Te Ching

Read, search and cite all 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching, with per-rendering attribution.

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    Read, search and cite all 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching, with per-rendering attribution.

    Server tool list (4)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    list_chaptersList all 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching with their titles, plus the attribution blocks for each available rendering. Start here to orient.
    get_chapterGet one chapter (1-81) in both public renderings: the public-domain James Legge (1891) translation and Dao De Kooi, an original rendering by David Kooi. Each carries its own attribution and a ready-to-use citation string. The Kooi rendering is NOT public domain.
    search_chaptersSearch the full corpus for a word or phrase and get the matching lines with their chapter numbers. Use this when the user half-remembers a line and you need to find where it is.
    consultGiven what a person is actually facing — in their own words — find the chapter of the Tao Te Ching that speaks to it, and the one line to hold. Use this when someone describes a situation (a betrayal, burnout, forcing an outcome, never feeling satisfied) rather than asking about the text. Unlike search_chapters, this matches the SITUATION, not the words: "a coworker took credit for my work" reaches chapter 63, which shares no word with it.