Lao Tzu
(c. sixth century B.C.)

Lao Tzu purportedly lived as a contemporary of Confucius, although the details surrounding his life are mixed in legend. His name means "Ancient One" or "Old Master," and he is the author of the book Tao Te Ching, which translates to English as The Way and Its Power. Because the Tao Te Ching is one of the two fundamental texts of Taoist philosophy, scholars consider Lao Tzu to be the founder of Taoism.

According to legend, Lao Tzu resided in his mother's womb for sixty-two years before coming out as an old man with white hair. He acted as the guardian of dynastic archives until he became disillusioned with the political state of China and withdrew to the mountains. Identified for his wisdom, Lao Tzu had to impart his teachings to the gatekeeper before he was able to pass, which he did in the form of the 5,000 word Tao Te Ching. In various tales, Lao Tzu's age at the time of his departure from China has ranged from 160 to 200 years old.

In his work, Lao Tzu joins parables and verse in order to teach readers, regardless of their social position, how to understand the way of the universe. His second objective demonstrates how to preserve a person's existence in a less than stable world by applying the knowledge gained by observing natural harmony.

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