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Laozi statue in yuanxuan taoist temple g

LAO ZI

Lao zi, who was an older contemporary of Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.), served as a keeper of archival records at the court of Zhou, of the Zhou Dynasty. He is the reputed Father of Daoism and author of the 'Dao De Jing' (The Classic on the Way and its Power/Virtue) which has been published in many different languages and except for the Bible, it has been translated more times than any other book in the world.


"A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet"

- Lao Zi

The quote above is found in the Dao De Jing and is probably one of the most well-known.

When Lao Zi was ready to leave, he set out to the Western border of China but when he reached the border the guard there asked Lao Zi to write down his wisdom for the benefit of humanity before he left on his journey. The result was the Dao De Jing, a book on the Wisdom of Dao and its Power and Virtue. By following Dao or 'the Way' one can return to their natural state of harmony and balance and thus one's actions are virtuous and empowered.

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