Laozi

Laozi (Chinese老子, Pinyin Lǎozǐ, W.-G. Lao Tzu, Old Masters ') is a legendary Chinese philosopher, said to have lived in the 6th century BC. Depending on the transcription of the name also Lao Tse, Lao- Tse, Laudse or Lao Tzu is written. The spelling of the older inscriptions is given below after the Pinyin form in parentheses.

Lǎozǐ regarded as the founder of Daoism ( Taoism ). The Dao De Jing ( Tao Te Ching, Tao Te Ching ), the most influential Daoist Scripture, attributed to him and, therefore, often referred to simply as " Laozi ". The work has been but probably originated in the 4th century BC or brought into its present form.

Despite the otherwise impressive tradition of meticulous chronicles and lists of rulers and officials and other dignitaries of ancient China is Lǎozǐ almost nothing is known. The earliest sources that mention him, anecdotes and legends, including several stories about him in Zhuāngzǐ 's ( Chuang Tzu, Chuang -tzu ) are " true Book of Nanhua ". The first historical or biographical source is found in the Shǐjì ( Shi chi) of Sīmǎ Qian ( Ssu -ma Ch'ien ), the " records of the chroniclers " of the 1st century BC, but Sīmǎ Qian writes himself that his source situation was very uncertain, and he had found conflicting evidence on Lǎozǐ; therefore he was not sure whether Lǎozǐ 've actually ever lived.

Biography

According to tradition Lǎozǐ was in the prefecture Kǔ (苦 县/苦 县, Kǔ Xiàn ) of the State Chǔ, today's circle Luyi (鹿邑) in present-day Henan born. His clan name was lǐ (李), his first name he (耳, ear ' ), his company name (字, zì ) was BOYANG (伯阳/伯阳); another name for it is Lǎo Dan (老 聃, Old Lang ear '; dān: ear without boundary ). Lǎozǐ served as archivist in the library of the Zhou. When he foresaw chaos and the fall of the empire, he left the country. Approx. 70 km west of Xi'an, located in Louguantai at Shan Gu Pass a temple in which, also called Yin Xi Yin Wenshi, a scholar of the Zhou period of the Spring and Autumn Annals, a tower for observation of stars and Weather had built. Here Laozi was according to legend, prompted by this very Yin Xi sharing knowledge. The collection of his teachings, which he then wrote was known as the Tao Te Ching. The Shǐjì reported that Lǎozǐ after its transcript disappeared in the West. Yin Wenshi who wore the Daoist name Guanling, was advisor to the Crown Prince. He, after his meeting with Laozi all secular offices down and followed the rules of life of early Daoism. Today the remaining platform and the surrounding temples for Daoists are an important place of worship.

On the basis of philological studies and exegesis of the surviving versions accepts the modern science that Lǎozi has probably never existed, but that the work of this name was given at a time as long as traditional oral traditions were written down and provided with a writer. The legends that have grown up around Lǎozǐ, probably originated from the need of the time, a tradition historically tangible and make belonging to a school. According to legend Lǎozǐ was over 160 years old, other sources even speak of 200 years. This old age he reached by perfection in Dào ( Tao ). However, even the Taoist literature is contradictory on this point. According to his own teachings Lǎozǐ sought seclusion and anonymity. This is contrary to the fame of his person. Zhuāngzǐ criticized: "In order to bind so tightly to him, he must have spoken words that he could not speak ... but that is a departure from the heavenly nature. "

Lǎozǐ as a deity

From the 2nd century during the Han Dynasty, the shape of Lǎozǐ to the high god of Daoism developed, and he was accepted as one of the Three Pure in the pantheon of Taoism. He embodied the saints, as described in the Zhuangzi and the Huainanzi, and his face mingled with the deities Taiyi and Huang Di He is regarded as the embodiment of Dao and its shape was kosmisiert. Thus, it was thought he while in the constellation of the bushel ( Big Bear) and climb up and down as a mediator between the heavenly and the earthly world. Its seat is the center of the sky and of the compass; in the iconography he is surrounded by the four heraldic animals which symbolize them. Laozi is changing with the cycles of time and takes many forms. It is equal to the Dao in a position to expand into infinity and become infinitely small.

In some Taoist schools has even been Laozi was the Dao itself how it according to these schools its existence to the universe ahead, and he enters into him on as a designer of the cosmic order. In countless incarnations he is the wise advisor to the Emperor and instructs the Daoist adept, so that it appears as a recurring teacher and preacher of the different schools of Daoism.

Reception in the West

In the Western world Laozi is usually understood as a philosopher who exerted a formative influence on the Daodejing Daoism with his work. In his introduction to Lao Tzu writes Richard Wilhelm ( Richard Wilhelm, " Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching The Book of the Way of Life.. " Bastion Luebbe, Bergisch Gladbach, 2nd Edition: January 2003):

"What you are now accustomed to call Taoism, goes back in fact to all sources other than the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu of. Still ... it would be wrong to single out Laozi from the context of Chinese intellectual life, because it is linked with a thousand threads with it. "

Quotes

There is no shortage of quotes that Lǎozǐ be attributed. Often, however, shows that nothing is like the Tao Te Ching, sometimes is not even to recognize a kindred spirit.

The Tao Te Ching, the only work that Lǎozǐ is attributed, comprises about 5,000 ancient Chinese characters. There are numerous translations, all of which differ considerably, since it is not easy to recognize in the ambiguity of many of these characters the original idea and formulate appropriate. Some of the translations are difficult to reconcile with the spite of this ambiguity recognizable ideas of the Tao Te Ching, as they use about a highly esoteric terminology that can not meet the generally very clear observations Lǎozǐs, or otherwise flows more from the views of the translator itself as of Lǎozǐ.

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