Lao Tzu (translated the old sage or master) is traditionally known as the father of Taoism. He would have lived during China's Warring States
period and worked as an archivist at the emperor court. There he would have met Confucius himself with whom he talked about rites.Rites were the subject-matter of Confucius and
Confucianists. Taoism - from "tao", meaning the Way of Uniting one with the Tao - didn't bother with such themes pointing to society, morals and ethics. Therefore the
dialogue of these two masters shows a clear demarcation between their specific doctrines.
Lao Tzu would have preached the retirement from the world and keeping a low
profile, while Confucius would have insisted on the practicing of the humanhood as the main virtue of a civilized person and on personal education.
Later on, disguised by the court decline of morals, Lao Tzu would have left his job and departed to West. Upon passing through the Gate he was asked by the Guardian
of the Pass to write a book and thus come into being the Tao Te Ching (translated as the Classic of Tao and Te).
Tao and Te
are basic concepts in Taoism. Related one to each other they seem to point to the Way of The Tao - in other words, to the specific of the Taoist Heaven
acting as a kind of Supreme Power and ruling over everything in the universe.
