The Liezi (列子), also known as the Chongxu Zhide Zhenjing (冲虚至德真经 — True Classic of Perfect Emptiness and Virtue), is attributed to Lie Yukou (列御寇), a Taoist sage said to have lived in the state of Zheng during the Warring States period (c. 400 BCE). Alongside the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi, it forms one of the three great pillars of classical Taoist literature.

The text is celebrated for its vivid parables, philosophical dialogues, and mythological narratives. It explores the relativity of perception, the power of fate over human will, the nature of dreams and illusion, and the art of living in effortless harmony with the Dao. Each of the eight chapters presents the original Chinese text alongside Lionel Giles's classic English translation, offering readers a window into one of antiquity's most imaginative and profound philosophical works.

The eight chapters of the Liezi range from cosmological speculation to intimate parables of everyday life. Together they present a complete Taoist vision: the world as transformation, the self as illusion, and the Dao as the only constant.