Lao tsu biography

Lao tzu pronunciation

The Zhuangzi late 4 th century B. Two other passages provide support for the linkage of Laozi and Lao Dan in Ch. There are seventeen passages in which Laozi plays a role in the Zhuangzi. Three are in the Inner Chapters, eight occur in chapters in the Yellow Emperor sections of the text chs. In the Yellow Emperor sections in which Laozi is the main figure, four passages contain direct attacks on Confucius and the Confucian virtues of ren , yi , and li in the form of dialogues.

The sentiments expressed by Laozi in these passages are reminiscent of remarks from the Daodejing and probably date from the period in which that collection was reaching some near final form. Some of these themes include the advocacy of wu-wei , rejection of discursive reasoning and mind meddling, condemnation of making discriminations, and valorization of forgetting and fasting of the mind.

Over time, Laozi became a principal figure in institutionalized forms of Daoism and he was often associated with the many transformations and incarnations of the dao itself. How could I possibly make any estimation of Lao Dan! Of the seventeen passages mentioning Laozi, Confucius figures as a dialogical partner or subject in nine. If the ultimate source of this tradition is the Zhuangzi, we should not forget that the context of this record is as a component in the theme that Laozi taught Confucius, who was confused and having no success with his own teachings.

Finally, in Ch. The ways in which expressions of Laozi in the seventeen passages in which he occurs in the Zhuangzi sound like sentiments in the Daodejing hereafter, DDJ represent collectively one basis for the traditional association of Laozi as author of the text. Such conduct and attitudes are encouraged strongly in DDJ 2, 7, 22, 24, 51 and When Laozi tells Wuzhi to return to Confucius and set him free from the disease of problematizing life and tying himself in knots by helping him to empty himself of making discriminations Zhuangzi ch.

Likewise, Laozi criticizes Confucius for trying to spread the classics 12 in number in ch. While Confucius is teaching his disciples to put forth effort and cultivate benevolence ren and appropriate conduct yi , Laozi tells him that he should be teaching effortless action wu-wei in Zhuangzi chs.