Lao Tzu
9 entries
Biography
Lao Tzu, or Laozi, meaning Old Master, is the ancient Chinese philosopher traditionally regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of Taoism. According to the oldest account, by the historian Sima Qian, he kept the archives at the Zhou court in the sixth century BC, and Confucius is said to have visited him. Seeing the decline of the dynasty, he left for the west, and at the frontier pass the guard asked him to write down his wisdom before he went. He then wrote a short book of about five thousand characters and rode away, never to be seen again.
Modern scholars doubt whether he ever lived, and many think the book is the work of several hands. The Tao Te Ching speaks of the Tao, the way that cannot be named, and of wu wei, acting without forcing. It is one of the most translated books in the world.
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