Lao Tzu Quotes
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Why is the tao so valuable? Because it is everywhere, and everyone can use it. This is why those who seek will find, And those who reform will be forgiven; Why the good will be rewarded, And the thief who is cunning will escape.
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I have the mind of a fool, understanding nothing.
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To the good I would be good; to the not-good I would also be good, in order to make them good.
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Do not conquer the world with force, for force only causes resistance. Thorns spring up when an army passes. Years of misery follow a great victory. Do only what needs to be done without using violence.
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Intelligent people know others. Enlightened people know themselves.
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The Tao principle is what happens of itself.
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Seal the openings, shut the doors, dull the sharpness, untie the knots, dim the light, become one with the dust. This is called the profound union.
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The world is a sacred vessel. It should not be meddled with. It should not be owned. If you try to meddle with it you will ruin it. If you try to own it you will lose it.
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Activity conquers coldness. Stillness conquers heat.
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Stillness is easy to maintain.
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In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple.
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If you search everywhere, yet cannot find what you are seeking, it is because what you seek is already in your possession.
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The Way is hidden and nameless. Still only the Way nourishes and completes.
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The best people are like water, which benefits all things and does not compete with them. It stays in lowly places that others reject. This is why it is so similar to the Way.
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Nurture the spontaneous peaceful life.
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If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given. This is called the subtler perception of the way things are. The soft overcomes the hard. The slow overcomes the fast. Let your workings remain a mystery. Just show people the results.
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Knowing that we don't know it's humility; thinking that we know what we don't know, is sickness.
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Returning to the source is stillness. It is returning to one's fate. Returning to one's fate is eternal.
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Having reached a high level of realization (or having accomplished anything in life), don't get excited or puffed up with pride but remain calm, humble, and in "perfect equanimity" if you want to continue in this deep state of consciousness.
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Strong winds do not last all morning, hard rains do not last all day.
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Use the Light that dwells within you to regain your natural clarity of sight.
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The truest sayings are paradoxical.
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Some have lavish garments, carry sharp swords, and feast on food and drink. They possess more than they can spend. This is called the vanity of robbers. It is certainly not the Way.
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Returning is the movement of the Way.