This final episode examines the legends surrounding the writing of the Tao Te Ching, and the fate of Lao Tze himself. Nearly everything concerning these subjects, however, was written centuries after their appearance, and by that time had acquired mythical status.
What we do know for sure is how central Taoist thought is to Chinese outlook and culture, and the immense influence it has had on all aspects of Chinese history down the ages, and indeed continues to have in the modern world.
If there is one thing I missed from these documentaries it is an examination of the influence of Taoism on Buddhist thought in China, and how we now have ‘Buddhism with Chinese Characteristics’ to coin a phrase, largely thanks to that influence. Maybe we will find another documentary sometime looking at this very subject.
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