I was born between 600 and 300 B.C. in what is today the Henan province of China after spending 80 years in my mother's womb. I tell you it got a little cramped in there, but I'm pretty sure all of that time alone prepared me for my philosophy career.
As an adult, I worked as a keeper of archival records in the Imperial Library of the Zhou Dynasty court. Saddened by the evil ways of men, I set out on a long journey. When I reached the Great Wall of China, a gatekeeper convinced me to write down my philosophy. The result was Tao-Te Ching (commonly known as the Classic of the Way and Virtue), a collection of 81 sayings.
Today my book is reportedly the second-most translated book in the world, after only the Bible. Along with Confucianism and Buddhism, Taoism is one of the main philosophical influences on modern Chinese thought. How awesome am I?
