With origins dating back to 600 BC, Taoism is one of the
earliest religions of the far east, predating both Buddhism
and Confusiascism. It has survived for centuries,
withstanding opposition from anti-Taoist dynasties by
storing texts in hollowed out walls. Despite its hardships,
Taoism has persevered and is still an important part of
Eastern though and religion.
The most well known of all Taoist sages is the fabled
Lao-Tzu. He is credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, the
first book to capture Taoist beliefs and thoughts. This is
often debated, however, on the grounds that Lao-Tzu may have
been the pen name of several sages working together to
create the Tao Te Ching (2). Little is known about the origins
of the Tao, Taoists believe that while passing through the
hills of China, a bridge keeper asked Lao-Tzu to write a
book containing his thoughts and beliefs. To satisfy this
request, Lao-Tzu wrote what he called "The Book of 5000
Characters".(3) This later......
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