Laozi

Lao Tzu, the Old Master, is said to have been a keeper of the archives at the Zhou court in the sixth century BC. According to legend, tired of the decline of the kingdom, he rode west on a water buffalo, and the guardian of the frontier pass asked him to write down his wisdom before he left. The result was the Tao Te Ching, in about five thousand characters.

Whether he was one man or a legend, the Tao Te Ching, with its teachings on simplicity, gentleness and non-action, became the founding text of Taoism and one of the most translated books in the world. Tradition says that Confucius once met him; read The Analects to compare their visions.