Lao Tzu
![]() | Like all ancient figures associated with the establishment of religions, Lao Tzu is part historical figure and part legend. The name, which is spelled Laozi in modern usage and Lao-tse in older usage, means “Old Master”. He is held to be the author of the Tao De Ching and the founder of Taoism. He is regarded as a deity in religious Taoism and seen as a personification of the Tao. Emperors of the Tang Dynasty and holders of the Li surname claim him as founder of their lineage. The legendary Lao Tzu was a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th century BCE. Myths hold that he was conceived when his mother gaze at a falling star, that she carried him for 62 years in her womb, that he was born a full grown man with gray beard, and that he lived 990 years in his 13th incarnation as Lao Tzu. The historical Lao Tzu traditionally combines three stories. In the first, he was Keeper of the Archives at the Royal court of Zhou, a contemporary of Confucius, and a writer of a book in two parts. In the second, he was also a contemporary of Confucius and a writer of a book in 15 parts. In the third he was a Grand Historian and court astrologer to Duke Xian of Qin in the 4th century BCE. Historians, however, believe he lived in the Warring States period in the 4th or 5th century BCE. Whatever the facts, Lao Tzu has personified the essence of the Tao for centuries and attracted many millions of followers. |
The Tao Te Ching, or, The Tao and its Characteristics
The Tao Te Ching is an ancient Chinese classic text written by the sage Lao Tzu in the sixth century..
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