Laozi's Tao Te Ching expounds the laws of nature and discusses the relationship between Tao and morality and human beings. Later, even Taoism, founded by Zhang Ling and Zhang Tianshi, respected Laozi as its originator. Even Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period spoke highly of Laozi.
It is recorded in Sima Qian's Historical Records that Lao Zi was once a historian in charge of the collection of books by the Zhou royal family, but later he lived in seclusion and rode out to Hanguguan on the west side of Qingniu, and no one knew his trace again.
Why did Lao Tzu go abroad for customs clearance?
According to historical records, Lao Tzu went west to Hanguguan, and was forced to write a book by Yin, so he left the classic "Tao Te Ching" which has been passed down through the ages. After that, he continued to ride the green cow westward. Some people say that Lao Tzu went out of the western customs and went to India through quicksand.
However, at that time, Lao Tzu saw that the strength of the Zhou Dynasty was getting weaker and weaker. Of course, some people put forward the hypothesis that Laozi went west.
Some people say that Lao Tzu settled near Lintao, Gansu Province in his later years, far away from the war and official career in the Central Plains. Lao Tzu began to practice Taoist inner alchemy here to keep fit and recuperate. After gaining the Tao, he "soared" in Lintao Transcendental Platform.
Another reason is that the ancients all advocated ancient learning. In the Spring and Autumn Period, some people thought that the orthodox and appropriate cultural way should be the Commissioner of Zhou Wenwang and King Wu. Going to seclusion outside the customs is a kind of cultural conversion.
In Laozi's philosophical thought, he tried to establish a theory containing all things in the universe; Laozi believes that everything should follow this theory. From "heaven and earth are not pushed, the sun and the moon are self-evident, the stars are self-ordered, and animals are born." This is natural, why bother? "