The Tao-yuan Ching or sutra of Tao's origin is a canonical text lost for two millennia. It was unearthed in 1973 in Tomb No.3 of the Mawangdui Han Dynasty burial site near Changsha in Hunan Province. After being read and annotated，the work is once more accessible to the world. The primary purpose of this canonical work is to explore the fundamental force driving the universe，which is referred to in ancient Chinese works as the Tao. Viewed in terms of a multiple-layered life structure，the Tao is Information，the necessary blueprint for all things. The sage kings in ancient china completely and accurately mastered information to rule their realms. This canonical text has many points of mutual elucidation with discussions in the Buddhist canon regarding the origin，composition and operation of the universe. It also indicates that Chinese during the Warring States period knew of the existence of Information，but lacked any clear explanation of how to go about assertively and effectively understanding，mastering，and utilizing it; they also did not know much about the Mind part of recognizing and utilizing Information. This gap was filled with the subsequent transmission of Buddhism，which allowed Buddhist teaching to dovetail smoothly with pre-Ch'in Chinese Taoist thought and created a brilliant and splendid new culture during the T'ang and Sung Dynasty eras of the 7th through 11th centuries that ultimately spurred the amalgamation of the Confucian，Buddhist and Taoist in later ages.
