The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name. Non-existence is called the antecedent… - Laozi

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The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name. Non-existence is called the antecedent of heaven and earth; Existence is the mother of all things. From eternal non-existence, therefore, we serenely observe the mysterious beginning of the Universe; From eternal existence we clearly see the apparent distinctions. These two are the same in source and become different when manifested. This sameness is called profundity. Infinite profundity is the gate whence comes the beginning of all parts of the Universe.

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About Laozi

老子 Lǎozi (c. 6th – 5th century BC) was a Chinese monist philosopher; also called Lao Zi, Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, or Lao Tze. The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, or Dao De Jing) represents the sole document generally attributed to Laozi.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Pen Names: Dan Li • Er Li • Tan Li
Alternative Names: Ancient Boy • Ancient Master • Old Boy • Old Lord • Old Master • Sage Ancestor • Venerable Master • Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Lao Chun • Lao Chun Tzu • Lao Chun-tzu • Lao Dan • Lao Jun • Lao Jun Zi • Lao Junzi • Lao Kiune • Lao Tan • Lao Tse • Lao Tsee • Lao Tseu • Lao Tsu • Lao Tze • Lao Tzse • Lao Tzu • Lao Tzŭ • Lao zi • Lao ʒze • Lao-chene-tsee • Lao-chun • Lao-chun-tzu • Lao-kiune • Lao-tan • Lao-tse • Lao-tsee • Lao-tsu • Lao-tze • Lao-tzse • Lao-tzu • Lao-tzŭ • Lao-ʒze • Laochun • Laocius • Laodan • Laojun • Laojunzi • Laotan • Laotse • Laotsee • Laotsu • Laotze • Laotzse • Laotzu • Laotzŭ • Li Boyang • Li Dan • Li Er • Li Erh • Li Po-yang • Li Tan • Lâo ʒze • Lâo-ʒze • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Kao Shang Ta Tao Chin Chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien Huang Ta Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang Ti • Sheng Tsu Ta Tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan Yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan Yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan Yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao Shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan Yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'ueh Hsuan-yuan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-ch'üeh Hsüan-yüan T'ien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chueh Hsuan-yuan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Kao-shang Ta-tao Chin-chüeh Hsüan-yüan Tien-huang Ta-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan Yüan Huang-ti • Sheng-tsu Ta-tao Hsüan-yüan Huang-ti • Shengzu • Shengzu Dadao Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Shengzu Dadao Xuanyuan Huangdi • Shengzu Gao Shang Dadao Jinque Xuan Yuan Tianhuang Dadi • Shengzu Gaoshang Dadao Jinque Xuanyuan Tianhuang Dadi • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • T'ai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • T'ai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang Ti • Tai Shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan Yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsuan-yuan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen Yüan Huang-ti • Tai-shang Hsüen-yüan Huang-ti • Taishang Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Taishang Xuanyuan Huangdi • Xuan Yuan Huangdi • Xuanyuan Huangdi
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Additional quotes by Laozi

As to the roaming of sages,
They move in utter emptiness,
Let their minds meander in the great nothingness;
They run beyond convention
And go through where there is no gateway.
They listen to the soundless
And look at the formless,
They are not constrained by society
And not bound to its customs.
- Lao-tzu
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