Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or "The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue," has probably had a greater influence on Asian thought than any other single book. It is also one of the true classics of the world of spiritual literature.

Traditionally attributed to the near-legendary "Old Master," Lao Tzu, the Tao Teh Ching teaches that the qualities of the enlightened sage or ideal ruler are identical with those of the perfected individual. Today, Lao Tzu's words are as useful in mastering the arts of leadership in business and politics as they are in developing a sense of balance and harmony in everyday life. To follow the Tao or Way of all things and realize their true nature is to embdy humility, spontaneity, and generosity.

John C. H. Wu has done a remarkable job of rendering this subtle text into English while retaining the freshness and depth of the original. A jurist and scholar, Dr. Wu was a recognized authority on Taoism and the translator of several Taoist and Zen texts and of Chinese poetry.

黃裳，字元吉，江西豐城人，生卒年不詳，元代或清代道士。

根據《樂育堂語錄》的序文，黃元吉先生是元代人，平時遁形隱跡，直到清朝道光、鹹豐年間，纔聚徒講學。然以此言之，黃元吉在世之壽幾近韆歲，並不閤理。《樂育堂語錄》序文所提到的元代黃元吉與清代黃元吉應非同一人。《新譯樂育堂語錄》的作者戈國龍所持的態度是“從學術的立場上說，則凡無有確切證據的事，都要存疑，也許兩人同名純屬巧閤吧！”

黃元吉於清鹹豐年間（1851年－1862年）在四川富順設“樂育堂”講課傳授道學十餘年。於清光緒年間講解《道德經》，後經整理成《道德經講義》，於光緒十年（1884年）刊刻發行。

關於黃元吉的辭世，比較詳細的敘述在李樂俅的《訪道語錄》：“黃元吉祖師清光緒十年丙戌，在四川自流井講道，最後解館，弟子恭送館外，黃當下飛升，徒眾見之，皆痛哭流涕，始後悔往日蹉跎，未嘗從師勇猛學道也。”另外，根據黃元吉的門人流傳，黃元吉是在眾弟子簇擁中，將肉身化為清風而去。

黃元吉一生傳奇異聞甚多，可以說是近代中國傳統內丹集大成者。自黃元吉之後，“天府樂育堂”一派在各地開枝散葉。黃元吉在四川講課的內容，被門人編纂成書，對於現代道傢內丹的修煉仍舊發揮著深遠的影響力。

根據門人所述，黃元吉是屬於道傢隱仙派。其法脈傳承為：廣成子→黃帝→岐伯天師→老子→尹喜→麻衣道者→陳摶→火龍真人→黃元吉。

黃裳生平於樂育堂傳授之講述，由門下弟子筆錄並編纂成《道德經講義》、《樂育堂語錄》、《道門語要》三書留傳於世。據傳尚有《玄宗口訣》、《醒心經注》、《求心經注》等書，然已經失佚。