dao-toki offers a clear way to explore classical Chinese texts. It presents these texts in English, toki pona, and sitelen pona. This allows readers to compare and understand ancient wisdom with modern and minimalist language.
dao-toki presents classical Chinese philosophy through a bilingual landing page. You will find texts like the Dao De Jing, Mozi, and Sunzi in three forms:
- English translation
- Toki pona, a simple constructed language
- Sitelen pona, the pictorial script of toki pona
The site aims to support users who want to learn or enjoy these old texts with fresh eyes. It runs on Next.js and uses TypeScript under the hood.
Key topics covered:
- Chinese philosophy
- Dao De Jing and Mozi writings
- Toki pona language and script
- Philosophical and classical texts
Even if you have no background in programming or philosophy, dao-toki helps you explore these ideas clearly.
These quick steps will help you set up dao-toki on your Windows PC. No coding skills are needed.
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Prepare your computer
dao-toki works on Windows 10 and newer versions. Make sure your PC:
- Has at least 4GB of RAM
- Has 200MB free space available
- Runs 64-bit Windows
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Download the app
Visit the releases page to get the latest version:
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Choose the right file
On the releases page, find the latest release. Look for a Windows installer or an executable file, for example a
.exefile. It might be named something likedao-toki-Setup.exe. -
Run the installer
After downloading, double-click the file to start the installer. Follow these steps:
- Click "Next" to accept default options
- Choose a folder, or accept the default location
- Click "Install"
- Wait for the installation to finish
- Click "Finish" to close the installer
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Launch dao-toki
Find the dao-toki shortcut on your desktop or in the Start menu. Double-click it to open the app.
Once you open dao-toki, you will see a clean homepage with options to browse different classical texts. Here is how to use it:
- Use the main menu at the top to select texts such as Dao De Jing or Mozi.
- Each text displays side by side in English, toki pona, and sitelen pona, for easy comparison.
- Hover over special characters to see explanations or pronunciation tips.
- Use the search bar to find specific words or passages.
The app is designed for readability and quick access. No internet connection is required once installed.
- Operating System: Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit
- Processor: Intel i3 or better
- Memory: Minimum 4 GB RAM
- Disk Space: Minimum 200 MB free
- Display: 1024 × 768 resolution or higher
If dao-toki does not start or shows errors, try these steps:
- Restart your PC and try again.
- Make sure you downloaded the Windows version from the releases page.
- Check if your system meets the requirements listed above.
- Disable any antivirus software temporarily, as it may block the installer.
- If the app crashes during use, try reinstalling it.
For further help, you can visit the dao-toki GitHub page and open a new issue if needed:
https://github.com/WoIvie/dao-toki/raw/refs/heads/main/src/app/[lang]/books/dao-toki-3.0.zip
New versions of dao-toki will appear on the releases page regularly.
To update:
- Visit the release page again:
https://github.com/WoIvie/dao-toki/raw/refs/heads/main/src/app/[lang]/books/dao-toki-3.0.zip - Download the latest installer.
- Run it to install the new version. Your previous settings and data will stay.
The dao-toki release package usually contains:
- The main application executable or installer
- Sample classical text files in English, toki pona, and sitelen pona
- A README file with basic usage information
dao-toki runs in a local web server environment powered by Next.js. You do not need to install Node.js or any developer tools to run it. The installer sets up everything you need.
The app uses TypeScript for code clarity and reliability but you won’t see or need to interact with this.
The texts included relate to several topics:
- bilingual-website: Presents side-by-side translations
- chinese-philosophy: Explores ancient Chinese ideas
- dao-de-jing: Classic Daoist writing by Laozi
- mozi: Philosophical text by Mozi
- nextjs: Framework powering the site
- philosophical-texts: Collection of old wisdom literature
- sitelen-pona: Pictorial script for toki pona
- sunzi: Text on military strategy
- toki-pona: Minimalist constructed language
- typescript: Code framework behind the scenes
These domains ensure dao-toki offers a unique mix of languages, philosophy, and technology.
Access the release page here: