Information about the authorship of this work is debated, but Lao Tzu (also known as Laozi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Laocius, and other variations) (birth and death dates unknown but said to have lived during 6c. B.C.E.) is generally credited as the author of Tao Teh King. A Chinese mystic philosopher, native of Chu, a southern state during the Zhou dynasty, he is also considered to be the founder of Taoism. (pronounced "Daoism") He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones".
Also known as the Tao-te-Ching, this is considered one of the most profoundly spiritual works ever written. For over 2,000 years its universal appeal of attaining peace and harmony through meditation has influenced many of the world's greatest thinkers, artists, authors, scientists, and philosophers.