Lao Tzu Quotes
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There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontent. And there is no greater disaster than greed.
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. . . These are notions of the mind, which is like a knife, always chipping away at the Tao, trying to render it graspable and manageable. But that which is beyond form is ungraspable, and that which is beyond knowing is unmanageable. There is, however, this consolation: She who lets go of the knife will find the Tao at her fingertips.
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The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Tolerant like the sky, all-pervading like sunlight, firm like a mountain, supple like a tree in the wind, he has no destination in view and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way.
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The Tao never acts with force, yet there is nothing that it can not do.
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Be truly whole, and all things will return to you.
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The ancients said: Hulk to be whole.
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What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.
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Seeing the small is called clarity.
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When life begins we are tender and weak When life ends we are stiff and rigid All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life and dry in brittle in death So the soft and supple are the companion of life While the stiff and unyielding are the companions of death An army that cannot yield will be defeated A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind Thus by Nature's own decree the hard and strong are defeated while the soft and gentle are triumphant.
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The reality of the building does not consist in the roof and walls, but in the space within to be lived in.
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The master does his job and then stops. He understands that the universe is forever out of control, and that trying to dominate events goes against the current of the Tao.
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Those who know are wise. Those who know themselves are enlightened.
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Carrying body and soul and embracing the one, Can you avoid separation?
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There is a thing inherent and natural which existed before heaven and earth. Motionless and fathomless, It stands alone and never changes; It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted. It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe. I do not know its name. If I am forced to give It a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.
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To manage your mind, know that there is nothing, and then relinquish all attachment to nothingness.
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The most eloquent seems to stutter.
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Heavy is the root of light.
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Holding on to the weak is called strength.
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The river and the sea can be kings of a hundred valleys, because they lie below them.
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Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you.
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All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them. The Master is above the people, and no one feels oppressed. She goes ahead of the people, and no one feels manipulated. The whole world is grateful to her. Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.
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The sage honors his part of the settlement, but does not exact his due from others.
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Because he (the Sage) demands no honor, he will never be dishonored.
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The scholar gains every day; the man of Tao loses every day.