“Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.”

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.