Lao Tzu ("old child") - philosopher of the 5th century BC. e., founder of Taoism. He lived around the same time as Confucius and, according to legend, even met him. Lao Tzu preached a simple life in harmony with nature. His sayings are collected in the book “Tao Te Ching” (“Book of the Way”). According to the myth, Lao Tzu's mother conceived from a falling star and carried him in her womb for 81 years, after which Lao Tzu was born as a white-haired baby and immediately began to speak. For 160 years he lived as a hermit and preached, and then went on a journey to the west. After that, no one heard anything about him.
According to another version, he was conceived without a father from solar energy accumulated in a five-color pearl swallowed by his mother Xuan-miao-yunyu, stayed in her womb for 81 years and came out of the left hypochondrium. He was born under a plum tree, hence his surname Li (“plum”). After 9 days, he already had a height of 9 chi (about 3 m) and all the external signs of a saint.
Lao Tzu was regarded as the head of all immortals, born along with heaven and earth. He was credited with magical abilities, including changing his appearance (appearing in the city of Chengdu at a sheep market in the guise of a black ram).
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru