Lao Tzu Page
  • Biography

Lao Tzu: A Short Biographical Note

Lao Tzu is a mysterious character if we consider the persisting uncertainties concerning his real existence, the period of his life, the virtues which the mystical Taoists endowed him with.

Not even Ssu'ma Ch'ien, who was writing his Hstorical notes around 1000 BC, hadn't any precise information about the biography of the famous philosopher. He noted laconically:

    Lao Tzu was a man from the Qu Ren village, Li district, Ku Prefecture from Chu Land. His family surname was Li, his first name was Er, his nickname was Dan.

Confucius met Lao Tzu
As Max Kaltenmark shows with good reason, even the names the philosopher wore are not certain. The two of them, Er and Tan, which mean "ears" and, respectively, "long ears", are related to longevity and wisdom, the wise old men being represented with long years. More, in the ancient writings, these names are not found, but the name Lao Tzu which means the old or venerable wise man.

According to some traditions, Lao Tzu would have lived for about 160 - 200 years, the nickname he was given being caused by this.

  • Career

Lao Tzu's career, as it results from Ssu'ma Ch'ien's records, could be restricted at three significant moments:

- He seemed to be an archivist at the Royal Court of Chou dynasty;
- He was supposed to be visited by Confucius;
- Disgusted at the Court's life he would have left to west and he would have dictated on the way his book - Tao Te Ching - and then he would have disappeared without a trace.

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