Traditionally attributed to Lao Tzu an older contemporary of Confucius (551-479 BC) it is now thought that the work was compiled in about the fourth century BC. An anthology of wise sayings it offers a model by which the individual can live rather than explaining the human place in the universe. The moral code it encourages is based on modesty & self-restraint & the rewards reaped for such a life are harmony & flow of life.