“If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants.”

Lao Tzu is a 6th-century BCE Chinese philosopher and writer. He is best known as the traditional author of the *Tao Te Ching*, a foundational text of Taoist thought that explores simplicity, natural harmony, and the virtue of *wu wei* (non-action). His teachings emphasize living in alignment with the Tao, or the natural way of the universe.