Laozi

Note: also known as the Tao Te Ching.
Reading time: 22 May, 2011 – 07 April, 2012

Laozi (around 6th century BCE) is a great philosopher of ancient China, especially famous for his great work, the Tao Te Ching. According to popular traditional biographies, he worked as the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court of the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). This reportedly allowed him broad access to the works of the Yellow Emperor (around 2700 - 2600 BCE) and other classics of the time. Then, realizing the decline of Zhou, he headed west, eventually departing from society at Louguan (west of modern Xi'an). Illustrations commonly show him riding on an ox because, after having delivered the Dao De Jing to Yin Xi at Louguan, he is said to have disappeared westward traveling on such an ox. He was regarded as the god of religious form of Taoism.

The Tao Te Ching, often called simply Laozi after its reputed author, describes the Dao (or Tao) and the De (or Te), as its name suggests. Dao is the source and ideal of all existence: it is unseen, but not transcendent, immensely powerful yet supremely humble, being the root of all things. De is the utility or appearance of the Dao. De basically means “virtue” in the sense of “personal character”, “inner strength” (virtuosity), or “integrity”.

Tao Te Ching (Chinese)

<columns 100% 25% 25% 25%→

• Laozi 79-81
• Laozi 76-78
• Laozi 73-75
• Laozi 70-73
• Laozi 67-69

<newcolumn>

• Laozi 63-66
• Laozi 61-64
• Laozi 57-60
• Laozi 55-58
• Laozi 52-55

<newcolumn>

• Laozi 50-52
• Laozi 49-52
• Laozi 45-52
• Laozi 39-45
• Laozi 36-40

<newcolumn>

• Laozi 30-36
• Laozi 26-30(1)
• Laozi 26-30(2)
• Laozi 26-30(3)
• Laozi 23-28

</columns>

<columns 100% 50%→

• Laozi Summary 79-81
• Laozi Summary 76-78
• Laozi Summary 73-75
• Laozi Summary 70-72 一如, et. al.
• Laozi Summary 52-55 晓科
• Laozi Summary 49-51 晓科

<newcolumn>

• Laozi Summary 46-48 一如
• Laozi Summary 13-17 晓科
• Laozi Summary 02-05 晓科

</columns>

• 道德经源流-版本 一如

1. 陈鼓应(Guying Chen),《老子注译及评介》(Lao Zi Zhu Yi Ji Ping Jie)
2. 道德经 全文
3. Lao Tzu's Tao-Teh-Ching, a Parallel Translation Comparison, compiled by B. Boison
4. The Texts of Taoism/ translated by James Legge.
5. Tao te ching / Lao Tzu / translated with an introduction by D.C. Lau.
6. Te-tao ching / a new translation based on the recently discovered Ma-wang-tui texts / translated, with an introduction and commentary, by Robert G. Henricks. Lao-Tzu.