About Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu (also Laozi, Lao Tzu; Lao-tzu; Lao-tsu; Lao-tze) was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. Lao Tzu is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism, intimately connected with the Daodejing and "primordial" (or "original") Daoism. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoisim. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the Warring Sates period of the 5th or 4th century BC.
Lao Tzu is traditionally regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching, which is one of the most significant treatises in Chinese cosmogony, which is any theory concerning the coming into existence (or origin) of either the cosmos (or universe), or the so-called reality of sentient beings. Developing a complete theoretical model has implications in both the philosophy of science and epistemology.
As with most other ancient Chinese philosophers, Lao Tzu often explains his ideas by way of paradox, analogy, appropriation of ancient sayings, repetition, symmetry, rhyme, and rhythm. The Tao Te Ching describes the Dao (or Tao) as the source and ideal of all existence: it is unseen, but not transcendent, immensely powerful yet supremely humble, being the root of all things.
People have desires and free will (and thus are able to alter their own nature). Many act "unnaturally", upsetting the natural balance of the Dao. Language and conventional wisdom are critically assessed. Taoism views them as inherently biased and artificial, widely using paradoxes to sharpen the point.
Some of Lao Tzu famous sayings from Tao Te Ching include:
"When goodness is lost, it is replaced by morality."
"The usefulness of a pot comes from its emptiness."
"The best people are like water, which benefits all things and does not compete with them. It stays in lowly places that others reject. This is why it is so similar to the Way."
"When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad."
“Try to change it and you will ruin it. Try to hold it and you will lose it.”
"The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves and robbers there will be."
