Faith & Community
Peerless
Laozi
c. 579 – 500 BC
Traditionally the author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of Taoism
Peerless is level 1 of 4 in the China Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
The sage to whom tradition attributes the Tao Te Ching, the short and endlessly reinterpreted book at the root of Taoist philosophy and religion.
Almost nothing about Laozi's life can be fixed with certainty; traditional accounts make him an archivist at the Zhou court, and many historians treat him as partly or wholly legendary. The text attributed to him, the Tao Te Ching, teaches harmony with the Tao, the way of nature, and the strength of yielding and simplicity.
It is one of the most translated books in the world, and Taoism, which venerates Laozi, became one of China's great religious traditions alongside Confucianism and Buddhism.
It is one of the most translated books in the world, and Taoism, which venerates Laozi, became one of China's great religious traditions alongside Confucianism and Buddhism.
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