A Legendary Philosopher Lǎo Zǐ (circa 580-470 BC)
Lao Zi’s surname was Li and his given name was Er. Lao Zi is an honorific title. It is widely acknowledged that Lao Zi is one of the most revered philosophers in Chinese history. There are numerous legends about his birth, career, teaching and philosophical ideas.
According to one popular legend, Lao Zi was conceived when his mother saw a star falling into her lap and he stayed in the womb for 80 years. When he was born, he was already a grown man with a gray beard and long earlobes, a symbol of good fortune and longevity.
He once kept the royal court archives for Zhou Dynasty (circa 11th century-256 BC). But he later resigned and went westward to propagate his ideas and philosophy.
One day while riding an ox he approached the Hangu Pass and was stopped by Yinxi, a sentinel who manned the pass. As a faithful follower of Lao Zi’s philosophy, the officer immediately recognized the great master.But, in order to ask Lao Zi to teach him something of his philosophy, the officer demanded the old man produce an official permit to leave the country.Lao Zi had no document, so he agreed to write a 5,000-word essay about his philosophy in exchange for passage to the West. That essay turned out to be the famous Daodejing (also “Tao Te Ching”), or the “Book of Virtue.”
Today scholars worldwide are still debating whether the book was actually written by Lao Zi or compiled by his students and disciples.
However, they all agree that the book reflects Lao Zi’s thinking.In the book, Lao Zi used the concept of Dao (Tao) to explain all changes in the universe. Dao, which has also been translated as “Way” or “Great Integrity,” is deemed the mysterious source or ideal of all existences.
Lao Tzu’s “Tao Te Ching” is a classic of Chinese philosophy. The best way to deeply understand this work is to come to China and attend a full-time Chinese course. As the best country to learn Chinese, China not only offers high-quality language courses but also allows you to experience traditional cultural activities such as Chinese Festivals firsthand.
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