Not much is known about the legendary LAO TZU, to whom authorship of the TAO TEH CHING is popularly attributed. Some scholars believe the author was an elder contemporary of Confucius.

Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born into a noble family in the Chinese state of Lu. His father died when he was very young and the family fell into poverty. Confucius resigned from a political career and then travelled for many years, searching for a province willing to adopt his ideas. Unsuccessful, he returned to Lu where he spent the rest of his life teaching. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the world.