Laozi: Encyclopedia - Laozi

Laozi

Lao Zi (Chinese 老子, also spelled Lao Tzu) is a major figure in Chinese philosophy whose historical existence is debated. Chinese tradition states that he lived in the 6th century BCE. Many modern scholars state that he may have lived in approximately the 4th century BCE, during the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Periods. Lao Zi is credited with writing the seminal Taoist work, the Dao De Jing (道德經), and became a popular deity in the Taoist religion's pantheon.

Laozi - His life

Little is known about Lao Zi's life. His historical existence is strongly debated, as is his authorship of the Dao De Jing. Lao Zi has become an important culture hero to subsequent generations of Chinese people. Tradition says he was born in Ku Prefecture (苦縣 Kǔ Xiàn) of the state of Chǔ (楚), which today is Lùyì County (鹿邑) of Henan province, in the later years of Spring and Autumn Period. Some legends say he was born with white hair, having spent eight or eighty years in his mother's womb, which is given as an explanation for his title, which can be both read as "the old master" and "the old child".

According to the tradition, and a biography included in Sima Qian's work, Lao Zi was an older contemporary of Confucius and worked as an archivist in the Imperial Library of the Zhou Dynasty court. Confucius intentionally or accidentally met him in Zhou, near the location of modern Luoyang, where Confucius was going to browse the library scrolls. According to these stories, Confucius, over the following months, discussed ritual and propriety, cornerstones of Confucianism, with Lao Zi. The latter strongly opposed what he felt to be hollow practices. Taoist legend claims that these discussions proved more educational for Confucius than the contents of the libraries.

Later, Lao Zi quit his work, perhaps because the authority of Zhou's court was disappearing. Some accounts claim he travelled west on his water buffalo through the state of Qin and from there disappeared into the vast desert. These accounts have a guard at the western-most gate convincing Lao Zi to write down his wisdom before heading out into the desert. Until this time, Lao Zi had shared his philosophy in spoken words only, as was also the case with Jesus, the Buddha and Confucius (whose Analects were most likely compiled by disciples). Lao Zi's response to the soldier's request was the Dao De Jing.

Some of the modern controversies concerning Lao Zi's life include:

• The discussion with Confucius might have been fabricated by Taoists to make their school of philosophy sound superior to Confucianism.

• The actual author(s) of the Tao Te Ching might have created a fictitious character so the origin of the text would look more mysterious, thus making it easier to popularize.

• Arguments have been put forth that Lao Zi was a pseudonym of Dan, Prefect of the Grand Scribes (Tài Shǐ Dàn, 太史儋); or of an old man from Lai, a prefecture in the state of Qí (齊); or of some other historical person.

• It is also believed that the Tao Te Ching was written also as a guideline for emperors as how they should rule the empire in a more natural way "Ruling by not ruling". This can be found in the numerous referings in the Tao Te Ching which state: "Not exalting men of worth prevents the people from competing" and "Not putting high value on rare goods prevents people from being bandits" and "Human hunger is the result of overtaxation. For this reason, There is hunger"

Laozi - His work

Lao Zi's work, titled Dao De Jing, is one of the most significant treatise in China's philosophy, a magnum opus covering many area of philosophy from individual spirituality, extentialism, inter-personal dynamics to techniques for governing polities.

If we refer to this book, we can draw in a few lines what and how Lao Zi was thinking. He emphasized a specific "Dao", which often translates as "the Way," and widened its meaning to an unnameable inherent order or property of the universe: "The way Nature is." He highlighted the concept of wei-wu-wei, or "action through inaction." This does not mean that one should sit around and do nothing, but that one should avoid explicit intentions, strong will, and proactive action; one can reach real efficiency by following the way things spontaneously increase or decrease. Actions taken in accordance with Dao (Nature) are easier and more productive than actively attempting to counter it. Lao Zi believed that violence should be avoided when possible, and that military victory was an occasion to mourn the necessity of using force against another living thing, rather than an occasion for triumphant celebrations. Lao Zi also indicated that codified laws and rules result in society becoming more difficult to manage.

As with most other ancient Chinese thinkers, his way of explaining his ideas often uses paradox, analogy, appropriation of ancient sayings, repetition, symmetry, rhyme, and rhythm. The writings attributed to him are poetical, dense and often obscure. They served as a starting point for cosmological or introspective meditations. Many of the aesthetic theories of Chinese art are widely grounded in his ideas and those of his most famous follower : Zhuang Zi.

Although Lao Zi does not have as deep an influence as Confucius does in China, he is still widely respected by the Chinese and his thoughts are studied in many places all around the world.

Laozi - Influences

Lao Zi's most famous follower, Zhuang Zi, wrote a book that had a great deal of influence on Chinese Literati, through the ideas of individualism, freedom, carefreeness, and, even if the author never speaks about it, art, which may well be the cornerstone of Chinese aesthetic.

Laozi - Names

The name Lao Zi is an honorific title. Lao (老) means "venerable" or "old." Tsu or Zi (子) translates literally as "boy," but it was also a term for a rank of nobleman equivalent to viscount, as well as a term of respect attached to the names of revered masters. Thus, "Lao Zi" can be translated roughly as "the old master."

Lao Zi's personal name may have been Li Er (李耳, Lǐ Ěr or Li Ehr), his courtesy name may have been Boyang (伯陽), and his posthumous name was Dān, (聃) which means "Mysterious."

Lao Zi is also known as:

• Elder Dan (老聃)
• Senior Lord (老君)
  • Senior Lord Li (李老君)
  • Senior Lord Taishang (太上老君 Tàishàng Lǎojūn)
• Taoist Lord Lao Zi (老子道君)

In the Li Tang Dynasty, in order to create a connection to Lao Zi as the ancestor of the imperial family, he was given a posthumous name of Emperor Xuanyuan (玄元皇帝), meaning "Profoundly Elementary;" and a temple name of Shengzu (聖祖), meaning "Saintly/Sagely Progenitor."

Laozi - Popular culture

Two books called The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff use the characters and style of Winnie the Pooh to explain Taoism.

In the video game True Crime, developed by Activision, the character ancient Wu says: "Lao Tzu says, if you do not know the plans of your competitors, you cannot make informed alliances".

In Chris Crutcher's Whale Talk, the protagonist's full name is "The Tao Jones".

On the TV show Xena: Warrior Princess, the two-part episode "The Debt" hinged on the conceit that the Dao De Jing was actually written by Lao Zi's wife, Lao Ma, played by Jacqueline Kim.

Laozi - Bibliography

• Wing-tsit Chan, "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu". Chapter 6, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963. ISBN 0-691-01964-9
• Henricks, Robert (translator). Lao-Tzu, Te-Tao Ching: A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989. ISBN 0-345-37099-6
• Waley, Arthur (translator). The Way and Its Power: A Study of the Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought. New York: Grove Press, 1958. ISBN 0-394-17207-8
• Welch, Holmes. Taoism: the Parting of the Way. Boston: Beacon Press, 1965. ISBN 0-8070-5973-0

Categories: Chinese thinkers | Taoism | Taoists | Chinese philosophers | Mysterious people

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Laozi", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki