“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the Named is the mother of all things.”

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.