He encounters clouds that solidify under his feet, a cave guarded by a golden monkey, and the venerable Confucius himself, and ultimately finds the wisdom of the dragon already residing deep in his own heart. Some things are big and heavy, other things are small and light. Articulating the way of poise, serenity, and complete assurance, it teaches us how to work with the invisible forces of nature, the psyche, and the soul for a. Laozi (or Lao-tzu, in the Wade-Giles system of transliteration favored by earlier generations of Western scholars) figures centrally in both. Living in this world, we see that nature manifests itself in a certain order. But he soon becomes frustrated with the silliness of human order, impatient kings, and greedy people, and rides off on the back of a water buffalo in search of the Way. Lao Tzu observed that nature has its own way of doing things. In body and mind an old sage from birth, Lao-Tzu devotes his life to deciphering the endless book of the world. In Lao-Tzu, or the Way of The Dragon, we follow the ancient Chinese philosopher who founded Taoism, from the comet that announced his birth up to his inspired composition, more than fifty years later, of the Tao Te Ching, the Book of the Way. Each book in the series features an engaging-and often funny-story that presents basic tenets of philosophical thought alongside vibrant color illustrations. introduces children-and curious grown-ups-to the lives and work of famous philosophers, from Socrates to Descartes, Einstein, Marx, Freud, and Wittgenstein.

It should come as no surprise, then, that children make excellent philosophers! Naturally inquisitive, pint-size scholars need little prompting before being willing to consider life’s big questions, however strange or impractical. This week, Sunday Reflections brings you the timeless wisdom of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.

At its most basic, philosophy is about learning how to think about the world around us.

Lao tzu the way of life