Lao Zhu

Hello! My name is Laozi, but you can also call me Lao Zhu, which means ‘Old Master.’ I lived a very, very long time ago, back in the 6th century BCE in a beautiful land called China. It was a time of kings and kingdoms, during a period called the Zhou Dynasty. I wasn't a king or a warrior. I was a quiet person who loved to read and think about the world around me.

I had a very important job. I was the keeper of the royal library, which means I took care of all the king's books and scrolls. Imagine rooms filled with rolled-up papers that held all the wisdom of the past! I spent my days reading about the stars, the seasons, and the history of our people. The more I read and watched the world, the more I wondered about how everything worked together so perfectly. I loved learning from the stories and knowledge all around me.

I noticed how a river flows around rocks without fighting them, and how a strong tree bends in the wind so it doesn’t break. I realized there is a natural path, or a flow, to everything in the universe. I called this the ‘Tao,’ which means ‘the Way.’ I believed that if people learned to be more like nature—gentle, patient, and simple—they would be much happier. I thought that fighting and worrying only makes life harder, but following the Tao makes life peaceful.

As I grew older, I saw that the world around me was becoming very busy and noisy. People were forgetting how to live in a simple, peaceful way. They were always rushing and seemed to forget about being kind and gentle. So, I decided it was time for me to leave the city. I climbed onto the back of my trusty friend, a water buffalo, and began a long, quiet journey toward the mountains in the west.

When I reached the last gate of the kingdom, a friendly guard saw me. He knew I had learned many things in my life and said, ‘Old Master, before you go, please write down your wisdom so we can share it.’ I thought that was a good idea, so I agreed. I wrote a small book with all my thoughts about the Tao. This book became known as the Tao Te Ching.

After I finished the book, I continued on my journey and disappeared into the quiet mountains. No one knows how old I was, but my ideas lived on. For thousands of years, people have read my little book, the Tao Te Ching, to help them find peace and live in a simpler, kinder way. My thoughts became a way of life called Taoism, and they still help people all over the world today.