Lao Tzu - Reference Center

More Sponsored Links For:

Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Lao Tzu

Lao Tzulou dzə, fl. 6th cent. B.C., Chinese philosopher, reputedly the founder of Taoism. It is uncertain that Lao Tzu [Ch.,=old person or old philosopher] is historical. His biography in Ssu-ma Ch'ien's Records of the Historian (1st cent. B.C.) says he was a contemporary of Confucius and served as curator of the dynastic archives until retiring to the mythical K'un-lun mountains. He allegedly transmitted his teachings to a border guard who subsequently compiled the Lao Tzu, also titled the Tao-te ching [Classic of the Way and Virtue]. Scholars date the work in the 4th–2d cent. B.C., with some strata perhaps as old as the 6th cent. B.C. Its parables and verse, written in incantatory language, advocate passive and intuitive behavior in natural harmony with the Tao, a cosmic unity underlying all phenomena. It emphasizes the value of wu-wei, nonstriving or non-[purposeful ]action, by which one returns to a primitive state closer to the Tao, a stage of creative possibility symbolized by the child or an uncarved block. It also promotes a laissez-faire approach to government.

See translations by J. J. L. Duyvendak (1954), W. Chan (1963), D. C. Lau (1963), S. Mitchell (1988), and V. Mair (1990).

Wikipedia search results for: Laozi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laozi (redirected from Lao Tzu) was a philosopher of ancient China and is a central figure in Taoism. Laozi literally means "Old Master" and is generally considered an honorific. Laozi is revered simply as a wise man in philosophical forms of Taoism, but revered as a god in religious forms of Taoism, much like The Buddha is regarded differently by the religious and philosophical schools of Buddhism. Taishang Laojun is a title for Laozi in the Taoist religion, which refers to him as "One of the Three Pure Ones". According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC. Historians variously contend that Laozi is a synthesis of multiple historical figures, that...more »

Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Lao Tzu

Results 1 - 7 of 7

Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor, Mandarin Huangdi, legendary Chinese ruler and culture hero; tradition holds that he reigned from 2697 B.C. to 2597 B.C. He is one of the mythical prehistoric emperors who suppo...
Taoism
Taoism, refers both to a Chinese system of thought and to one of the four major religions of China (with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Chinese popular religion). The philosophical system stems l...
Chuang-tzu
Chuang-tzu or Chuang-tze, c.369–c.286 B.C., Chinese Taoist writer. Little is known about his life. He was a native of the state of Meng, on the border of present-day Shandong and Henan provinc...
Chou
Chou, dynasty of China, which ruled from c.1027 B.C. to 256 B.C. The pastoral Chou people migrated from the Wei valley NW of the Huang He c.1027 B.C. and overthrew the Shang dynasty. The Chou ...
Chinese Dynasties (table)
Chinese DynastiesDynastyCharacteristics and HistoryHsia c.1994–c.1523 B.C.Semilegendary Emperor Yu built irrigation channels, reclaimed land. Bronze weapons, chariots, domestic animals used. W...
Chinese literature
Chinese literature, the literature of ancient and modern China. It is not known when the current system of writing Chinese first developed. The oldest written records date from about 1400 B.C....
China
China, Mandarin Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo [central glorious people's united country; i.e., people's republic], officially People's Republic of China, country (2000 pop. 1,295,000,000), 3,691,5...

Video Results

Lao Tzu and Peace

Channel: YouTube
Manifested Consequences - by Lao Tzu -- Part 2/3

Channel: YouTube
Category: News
Views: 38 | 10:00
Lao Tzu - HELL on EARTH is HERE - Prepare yourself - 1of3

Channel: YouTube
Category: News
Views: 10 | 08:40

Sponsored Links

More Sponsored Links For:

Related Encyclopedia Matches

Video Results

Reference Center To Go