Introduction to the Chinese Taoist sage Laozi
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Laozi, surname Li, given name Er, courtesy name Dan, lived during the late Spring and Autumn period. He is the founder and principal figure of the Daoist philosophical tradition, revered as the founding ancestor of Daoism and titled "Supreme Old Lord" (Tai Shang Lao Jun). During the Tang Dynasty, Laozi was retroactively recognized as the ancestor of the Li surname.
His seminal work is the "Dao De Jing." In the 1980s, according to UNESCO statistics, the most widely translated foreign-language publication after the Bible is the "Dao De Jing."
Originally a follower of Chang Cang (Shang Rong), Laozi later entered the royal court of Zhou and served as the Keeper of the Imperial Archives, residing there for an extended period and gaining widespread renown for his wisdom and knowledge.
During the Spring and Autumn period, individuals esteemed for their erudition were addressed with the honorific "zi" to denote respect, hence Lao Dan came to be known as "Laozi."
While serving as the Keeper of the Archives, Laozi received Confucius and his disciples, answering questions posed by Confucius regarding "rituals" and imparting teachings on the virtues of "water."
Subsequently, when asked about Laozi's character, Confucius replied: "Birds, I know they can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know they can run. Capturing running creatures can be ensnared, swimming creatures can be caught with hooks, flying creatures can be shot down with arrows. As for dragons, I do not know how to capture them? Riding the wind and clouds, they ascend to the Ninth Heaven! Is Lao Dan not like a dragon? His learning is profound and unfathomable, his aspirations lofty and inscrutable; like a snake, he flexes and extends with the times, like a dragon, he changes with the seasons. Lao Dan is truly my master!"
Later, facing dismissal from his post, Laozi resigned from office and retreated into seclusion. Riding a green bull, he intended to leave through the Han Gu Pass. The guard of the Han Gu Pass, Yin Xi, who had a penchant for astronomy and a love for ancient texts since childhood, stood alone on the tower one night, gazing at the starry sky. Suddenly, he saw purple clouds gathering in the east, stretching for thirty thousand miles, resembling a flying dragon, rolling from east to west. He believed that a sage was coming from the east. Upon Laozi's arrival, Yin Xi hastily prostrated himself.
At Yin Xi's request, Laozi, reflecting on the rise and fall of dynasties, the fortune and misfortune of the people, composed two texts, totaling five thousand words. The first part, commencing with "The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name," is known as the "Dao Jing." The second part, starting with "The highest virtue is not virtuous, therefore it truly has virtue; The lowest virtue holds on to virtue, therefore it has no virtue," is known as the "De Jing," together forming the "Dao De Jing." The "Dao Jing" expounds on the fundamental principles of the cosmos, encompassing the changes of heaven and earth and the mysteries of yin and yang; the "De Jing" addresses the methods of dealing with the world, containing strategies for human affairs and the path to longevity.
Subsequently, the "Dao De Jing" was acclaimed as the "king of ten thousand scriptures," receiving praise from both ancient and modern luminaries such as Ouyang Xiu, Lu Xun, Immanuel Kant, Leo Tolstoy, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Niels Bohr.
Laozi is one of the three great sages of the East in the eyes of Westerners. The New York Times once ranked Laozi as the foremost among the ten greatest writers of all time. In the courtyard of the British Library in London, there are statues of the world's ten great thinkers, among which Laozi is included. The philosophy of Laozi has transcended national borders and become a common spiritual heritage of all humanity.
His seminal work is the "Dao De Jing." In the 1980s, according to UNESCO statistics, the most widely translated foreign-language publication after the Bible is the "Dao De Jing."
Originally a follower of Chang Cang (Shang Rong), Laozi later entered the royal court of Zhou and served as the Keeper of the Imperial Archives, residing there for an extended period and gaining widespread renown for his wisdom and knowledge.
During the Spring and Autumn period, individuals esteemed for their erudition were addressed with the honorific "zi" to denote respect, hence Lao Dan came to be known as "Laozi."
While serving as the Keeper of the Archives, Laozi received Confucius and his disciples, answering questions posed by Confucius regarding "rituals" and imparting teachings on the virtues of "water."
Subsequently, when asked about Laozi's character, Confucius replied: "Birds, I know they can fly; fish, I know they can swim; beasts, I know they can run. Capturing running creatures can be ensnared, swimming creatures can be caught with hooks, flying creatures can be shot down with arrows. As for dragons, I do not know how to capture them? Riding the wind and clouds, they ascend to the Ninth Heaven! Is Lao Dan not like a dragon? His learning is profound and unfathomable, his aspirations lofty and inscrutable; like a snake, he flexes and extends with the times, like a dragon, he changes with the seasons. Lao Dan is truly my master!"
Later, facing dismissal from his post, Laozi resigned from office and retreated into seclusion. Riding a green bull, he intended to leave through the Han Gu Pass. The guard of the Han Gu Pass, Yin Xi, who had a penchant for astronomy and a love for ancient texts since childhood, stood alone on the tower one night, gazing at the starry sky. Suddenly, he saw purple clouds gathering in the east, stretching for thirty thousand miles, resembling a flying dragon, rolling from east to west. He believed that a sage was coming from the east. Upon Laozi's arrival, Yin Xi hastily prostrated himself.
At Yin Xi's request, Laozi, reflecting on the rise and fall of dynasties, the fortune and misfortune of the people, composed two texts, totaling five thousand words. The first part, commencing with "The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name," is known as the "Dao Jing." The second part, starting with "The highest virtue is not virtuous, therefore it truly has virtue; The lowest virtue holds on to virtue, therefore it has no virtue," is known as the "De Jing," together forming the "Dao De Jing." The "Dao Jing" expounds on the fundamental principles of the cosmos, encompassing the changes of heaven and earth and the mysteries of yin and yang; the "De Jing" addresses the methods of dealing with the world, containing strategies for human affairs and the path to longevity.
Subsequently, the "Dao De Jing" was acclaimed as the "king of ten thousand scriptures," receiving praise from both ancient and modern luminaries such as Ouyang Xiu, Lu Xun, Immanuel Kant, Leo Tolstoy, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Niels Bohr.
Laozi is one of the three great sages of the East in the eyes of Westerners. The New York Times once ranked Laozi as the foremost among the ten greatest writers of all time. In the courtyard of the British Library in London, there are statues of the world's ten great thinkers, among which Laozi is included. The philosophy of Laozi has transcended national borders and become a common spiritual heritage of all humanity.
