Mythical and Social Dimensions of Taoism

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Mythical and Social Dimensions of Taoism Lao Tzu’s life and his writing of the Tao Te Ching, as well as his meetings with Confucius, is one of the best known myths in the Tao religion. It is said that he was conceived by a shooting star and when he was born, he was 82 years old. He had a long, white beard and was considered immediately the wisest person around. His name means literally “Old Master”. He was appointed Keeper of the Imperial Archives by the King of Zhou. He read the scrolls in the archives and got smarter and wiser, and people came from all over to hear his wisdom. Confucius came and met him. Lao Tzu’s reply to his questions was, “The bones of the people you are talking about have long since turned to dust. Only their words linger on. If a man's time comes, he will be successful; if not, he will not be successful. A successful merchant hides his wealth and a noble person of character will feign foolishness. Therefore, you should give up your proud airs, your desires, vanity and extravagant claims. They are useless to you.” Later, Lao Tzu left the city for good because of conditions in the city. He was traveling West on a buffalo when he came to a pass which was guarded. The keeper asked that Lao Tzu write down some of his thoughts and wisdom so that it could be preserved once he was gone instead of lost forever. Lao Tzu climbed down from his buffalo and immediately wrote the Tao Te Ching. He then left and was never heard of again. The story of Lao Tzu's life reflects the Taoist respect for elders, since they are believed to be the wisest and the closest to Tao. This also supports the belief in deeper logical thinking and connection with Tao. Lao Tzu's life was filled with learning and teaching, which supports the sage and the student. He also had an immense knowledge of the universe and Taoists today believe that they are intimately
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