Lao Tsu was a philosopher in ancient China and the author of the Tao Te Ching. He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy. According to Chinese traditions, Lao Tsu lived in the 6th century B.C. Some say that Lao Tsu is a synthesis of multiple historical figures, or that he is a mythical figure, or that he actually lived in the 5th-4th century B.C., concurrent with the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period. He was honored as an ancestor of the Tang imperial family, and was granted the title Taishang xuanyuan huangdi, meaning “Supreme Mysterious and Primordial Emperor”. Xuanyuan and Huangdi are also, the personal and proper names of the Yellow Emperor.
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.