Laozi, also Romanized as Lao Tzu, was a Chinese philosopher and writer. Laozi is traditionally known as the author of the Tao Te Ching, one of the foundational texts of Taoism , the founder of philosophical Taoism (Daoism), and a deity in Taoism. Lao Tzu's poems are philosophical statements rather than traditional verses. His teachings are presented in a way that invites contemplation and understanding.
Laozi wrote the following about the universal force:
Tao Te Ching – Verse 25
There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
It flows through all things,
inside and outside, and returns
to the origin of all things.
The Tao is great.
The universe is great.
Earth is great.
Man is great.
These are the four great powers.
Man follows the earth.
Earth follows the universe.
The universe follows the Tao.
The Tao follows only itself.
By Bu Ming Pureinsight.org
“Over the past two thousand five hundred years since China’s Spring and Autumn Period, nothing has influenced Chinese culture more profoundly than the schools of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The founders of these three schools — Confucius, Laozi, and Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha) respectively — have long been respected and worshiped by succeeding generations.
Interestingly, these three sages were born within twenty years of each other. Laozi was born on 15 February 571 B.C., in Qu Ren Li, Ku County, Chu Country (now Luyi County, Henan Province). Five years later, on 8 April 566 B.C., Shakyamuni was born in today’s Nepal. Another 15 years later, Confucius was born in Qufu, Shandong Province, on 27 August 551 B.C.
Three sages came to the world in the same era. Was it just historical coincidence, or an arrangement by the gods?”
The influence of the Laozi extends across Asia and the Western world. In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and among the Chinese in Southeast Asia., Daoism is a living tradition. Daoist beliefs and practices have contributed also to the formation of Korean and Japanese culture.
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