"Tao de ching," attributed to Lao Tzu, is one of the most famous and still the most mysterious texts of the VI-V centuries. BC e., belonging to one of the most closed schools of the Chinese tradition, which gave rise to Taoism. If this is a secret text, then why was it recorded? If this text is not secret, publicly available, then why was it so highly valued by the entire Chinese mystical tradition?