Taoism, the set of philosophical teachings and religious practices rooted in the understanding of the Chinese character Tao, or "The Way," was founded by the Chinese philosopher Laozi in the 6th Century BCE, whose work, the <I>Tao Te Ching</I> (<I>The Book of the Way and its Virtue</I>) laid the philosophical foundation for the religion's beliefs. This volume starts, as it should, with a detailed chronology of Taoism and its relationship both to China and other teachings.