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Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu
[369? - 286? B.C.E.]
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"The easy way to do is to be."
"An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox."
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
"Three things I prize and hold fast: Humility, Compassion, and Economy."
— Lao-Tzu
Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu [VIth Century B.C.E.] wrote the book 'Tao Te Ching' which is the basis of philosophical Taoism;
he is known by many names, including Lao Tzu, Lao-Tze, Laozi, Poh-Yang, and Lao-Dan.
Li Er was born in 604 BC in Henan, Ancient China; he became known as Lao-Tzu (under various spellings); the name means 'old boy' or 'old master'. Lao-Tzu is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism/Daoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions.
Lao-Tzu was the chief archivist for the imperial court of the Chou Dynasty [1046-256 BCE]. (Many Sinologists believe that Lao-Tzu is the historian that Confucius consulted about ceremonies.) According to legend, as an old man, Lao-Tzu left Chou for the seclusion of the mythical K'un-lun mountains, never to be seen again. Before leaving, however, he allegedly communicated his ideas to a border guard, Yinxi, who subsequently compiled the Tao Te Ching (The Classic of The Way and Its Virtue). The Tao Te Ching outlines all the basic philosophical and mystical beliefs of Taoism, which, for several brief periods throughout history, was the official religion of China, and is by far the most-translated Chinese literary work.
Central to the beliefs of Taoism is the understanding of the Tao, the universe's underlying pattern, which can neither be described in words nor properly fathomed in thought. "Tao is nonbeing, which is the mother of being, which in turn produces all things." In the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu wrote of the importance of seeking to comply with the 'Tao': "The virtue of the Tao governs its natural way. Thus, he who is at one with it, is one with everything which lives, having freedom from the fear of death."
Lao-Tzu died in China in 531 BC at age 73.
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Wikipedia
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
browse books by/about Lao-Tzu at Amazon
Major Works
book entry at Wikipedia
 | "The Tao Te Ching Collected: Classical Translations of Laozi’s Daodejing" [2018] contains: "The Speculations On Metaphysics, Polity, and Morality of the 'Old Philosopher' Lau-tsze" [1868] translated by John Chalmers [1825-99]; "Gems of Chinese Literature: Lao Tzu - Sayings" [1884] translated by Herbert Allen Giles [1845-1935]; "Tâo Teh King: The Tao and Its Character-istics" [1891] translated by James Legge [1815-97]; "The Book of the Simple Way of Laotze, The Contemporary of Confucius, China, B.C. 604: A New Translation From The Text of The Tao-Teh-King" [1904] by Walter Gorn Old [1864-1929]; "The Tao Teh King: A Short Study In Comparative Religion" [1905] translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst [1860-1927]; "The Sayings of Lao Tzu" [1905] translated by Lionel Giles [1875-1958]; "The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Lao-tze's Tao Teh King) in Chinese and English" [1913] translated by D.T. Suzuki [1870-1966] & Paul Carus [1852-1919]; "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei" [1919] translated by Dwight Goddard [1861-1939], also including "Wu Wei: An Interpretation" by Henri Borel [1869-1933] translated by M.E. Reynolds [1864-1924]; "Tao Te King" [1922] translated by Dr. Isabella Mears [1853-1936]; and "Tao Tê Ching" [1937] translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao Kindle Edition from Castanea Classics [7/2018] for $2.99 Castanea Classics 9x6 pb [8/2018] out of print/used |
"Tao: The Way by Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and Lieh Tzu - Special Edition" [9/2010] translated by Lionel Giles & Herbert A. Giles
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Way-Special-Lao-Tzu-dp-1934255777/dp/1934255777/
"Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu" [11/2019] Traducido por Alejandro Bárcenas
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Ching-Lao-Tzu-2012-03-22/dp/B01FIY13BM/
Quotations of Lao-Tzu
“To lead the people, walk behind them.”
“Because of deep love, one is courageous.”
“Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.” (in the "Tao Te Ching")
“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”
“A good traveller has no fixed plans.”
“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”
“If you correct the mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.”
“When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be.”
“If you wish to be out front, then act as if you were behind.”
“A leader is best when people barely know [that] he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, “When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”
“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace,
they will say: we did it ourselves.”
you are living in the present.”
Stageplays, Movies, Other Media
a search on the name Lao-Tzu at Internet Movie Database shows no produced movies or TV shows (2020)
Works About Lao-Tzu & Taoism/Daoism
"Sandong Zhunang (Pearly Bag of The Three Caverns)" [VIIth Century] compiled by Wang Yan
Daoist encyclopedia of 30 chapters/volumes; the book is lost
"Lao Tzu and Taoism" [Stanford Univ Press, 1969] by Max Kaltenmark, Translated by Roger Greaves ISBN 978-0-8047-0689-6
"Tao: The Watercourse Way" [Pantheon Books, 1975] by Allan W. Watts & Al Chung-liang Huan ISBN 978-0-394-73311-1
"Taoism and Chinese religion" [Univ Massachusetts Press, 1981] by Henri Maspero ISBN 978-0-87023-308-1
"Taoism: Growth of a Religion" [Stanford Univ Press, 1997] by Isabelle Robinet ISBN 978-0-8047-2839-3
"Lao-Tzu and The Tao-Te-Ching" [State Univ New York Press, 1998] edited by Livia Kohn & Michael Lafargue ISBN 978-0-7914-3599-1
"Simple Taoism: a guide to living in balance" [Tuttle Publishing, 1999] by Annellen M. & C. Alexander Simpkins ISBN 978-0-8048-3173-4
"An Introduction To The Philosophy and Religion of Taoism: Pathways To Immortality" [Sussex Academic Press, 2005] by Jeaneane Fowler ISBN 978-1-84519-085-9
"Lao-Tzu's Taoteching" [Copper Canyon Press, 2009] by Bill Porter ISBN 978-1-55659-290-4
 | "The Wisdom of China: Lao Tzu - A Philosopher For The Ages" [2014] by Xu Yuanxiang & Yin Yongjian A biography and a collection of selected teachings of Laozi/Lao Tzu, the founder and spiritual core of Taoism, which is sourced in his "Tao Te Ching" - a masterpiece praised as being made from only around five thousand characters, yet a count of an Englsh text is 25,000 or more. Kindle Edition from China Intercontinental Press [5/2015] for $6.99 China Intercontinental Press pb [7/2014] for $21.99 |
 | "Finding The Way: A Novel of Lao Tzu" [2018] by Wayne Ng Kindle Edition from Earnshaw Books [4/2018] for $2.99 {sic} Earnshaw Books 8¼x5¾ pb [7/2018] for $18.99 |
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"Lao-Tzu: or, The Way of The Dragon" [2018] by Miriam Henke, Illustrated by Jérôme Meyer-Bisch Diaphanes/Plato & Co. 8¾x6 hardcover [8/2018] for $12.15 |
Image Gallery
There is indeed a giant pearl called the 'Pearl of Allah' or the 'Pearl of Lao-Tzu' resting in a bank vault in the United States; it weighs 14 pounds and one ounce. The legend that Lao-Tzu began the pearl back in the Sixth Century BCE by hiding an amulet inside a giant clam is quite bogus. The pearl was brought to the U.S.A. from the Philippines in 1939 and has been the center of a string of scams for over 80 years • June 2018 article in The Atlantic Magazine by Michael LaPointe
Disciples & Others
Li Er was born in 604 BC in Henan, Ancient China; he became known as Lao-Tzu (under various spellings) and died in 531 BC at age 73.
legend says that Lao-Tzu was married
legend says that Lao-Tzu had a son named Zong who became a celebrated soldier
disciple Chuang Tzu / Chuang Chou / Zhuangzi [IVth Century B.C.E.]
supposedly born c. 369 B.C.E.; he is credited with writing - in part or in whole - the work known by his name, the "Zhuangzi",
which is one of the foundational texts of Taoism; he ranked himself among the followers of Lao-Tze; he died circa 286 B.C.E.
author entry at Wikipedia •
book entry at Wikipedia
browse books by/about Chuang Tzu at Amazon
 | "The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu" [1891] Translated by James Legge CreateSpace 9x6 pb [11/2016] for $8.95 Ancient Wisdom Publns 9x6 hardcover [3/2017] for $14.95 |
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"The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu" [1968] Translated by Burton Watson
Kindle Edition from Columbia Univ Press [12/2013] for $37.99 {sic} Columbia Univ Press 9x6 hardcover [12/2013] for $61.36 Columbia Univ Press 8¼x5½ hardcover [4/68] for $95.00 |
 | "Zhuangzi: Basic Writings" [2003] Translated by Burton Watson Kindle Edition from Columbia Univ Press [2003 edition] for $16.87 Columbia Univ Press 7¾x5 pb [4/2003] for $26.95 |
disciple Yinxi, the border guard [IVth Century B.C.E.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinxi
wrote a book called "Guan Yi"
his book "The Perfect Classic of The Beginning of The Scripture of The Supreme Way (Wushang Miaodao Wenshi Zhenjing)" was lost in the Han period
L i n k s
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Wikipedia
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Laozi / Lao-Tzu entry at Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
browse books by/about Lao-Tzu at Amazon
Working Minds Essay #22: "The Tao of Dumbo" [April 2002]
here on the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
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