Lao Tzu Quotes
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Do not make them (people) weary at their work. If you do not make them weary, they will not be weary of you.
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Peace and quiet govern the world.
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Must one dread what others dread?
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Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the people, must by his words put himself below them; wishing to be before the people, he must put himself behind them. In this way, though he has his place above them, the people do not feel his weight; though he has his place before them, they do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all mankind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.
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What Heaven detests, who knows why? Even the sage considers it difficult.
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Open yourself to the truth, then trust in your natural responses, and everything will fall into place.
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The rigid and big belong below. The soft and weak belong above.
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When the hares have all been caught, the hunting dogs are cooked.
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The new life created by the final integration is self-aware yet without ego, capable of inhabiting a body yet not attached to it, and guided by wisdom rather than emotion. Whole and virtuous, it can never die.
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Giving to others selflesly and anonymously, radiating light throughout the world and illuminating your own darkness, your virtue becomes a sanctuary for yourself and all beings.
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When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally.
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The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. What is grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion.
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The heavy is the root of the light. The tranquil is the ruler of the hasty.
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If your virtue is especially radiant, it can be possible to open a pathway to the subtle realm and receive these celestial teachings directly from the immortals.
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The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
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When people are unsettled, loyal ministers arise.
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The forceful and violent will not die from natural causes.
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The sage does not attempt anything very big, and thus achieves greatness.
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The more weapons of violence, the more misery to mankind. The triumph of violence ends in a festival of mourning.
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Excellent warriors are not violent.