Lao Tzu
Who is Lao Tzu?
Lao Tzu, as far as any of us know, was a Chinese philosopher and writer in the 6th century BC. He is often credited with writing the Tao Te Ching and founding Taoism, though some historians like to refute this. If you’re wandering the great wilds of the world wide web in search of him, you’ll probably encounter his name in a variety of forms. These include Laozi, Lao-Tze, Li Er, Lao Jun, Tai Shang Lao-Jun, and more.
What do you like about him?
Much like Winston Churchill, this is another person I admire more for their inspirational and perceptive quotes than for what achievements they accomplished in life. Some of my favorites are:
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
“An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.”
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
“Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful. Cut doors and windows for a room; It is the holes which make it useful. Therefore benefit comes from what is there; Usefulness from what is not there.”
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”
We don’t have any photographs of Lao Tzu but there are quite a few statues and paintings of him! Many depict him riding an ox as a symbol of his being a fully realized master.
Image obtained from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Laozi
Whenever I start comparing my life too much to other peoples’ lives, these quotes are good reminders that my timeline happens at its own pace and there’s really no point in comparing to others most of the time. They’re also good reminders that not every moment of every day needs to be filled with productivity. Just as the empty space of a bowl or the hole of a door is what makes it useful, saving some time in the day for doing nothing is useful, too.
If you’d like to learn more, try one of these sites:
World History Enyclopedia - Lao-Tzu
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Laozi
Tell me who inspires you in the comments below!
