Lao Tzu Quotes
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No disaster is worse than being discontented.
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Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a model for all under Heaven. He is free from self-display, therefore he shines forth; from self-assertion, therefore he is distinguished; from self-glorification, therefore he has merit; from self-exaltation, therefore he rises superior to all. Inasmuch as he does not strive, there is no one in the world who can strive with him.
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(The Tao) is always present and always available. . . . If you are willing to be lived by it, you will see it everywhere, even in the most ordinary things.
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Do not fear the aging of the body for it is the body's way of seeking the root.
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Thorn bushes grow where armies have camped.
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The brittle is easy to shatter.
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The True Person benefits yet expects no reward, does the work and moves on. There is no desire to be considered better than others.
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Treat the large as the small and the few as the many.
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Hold on to the great image, and the whole world follows, follows unharmed, content and completely at peace.
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Practice non-action. Work without doing.
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When one gives whatever one can without restraint, the barriers of individuality break down. It no longer becomes possible to tell whether it is the student offering himself to the teacher, or the teacher offering herself to the student. One sees only two immaculate beings, reflecting one another like a pair of brilliant mirrors.
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By steadily disciplining the animal nature, until it becomes one pointed, it is possible to establish conscious awareness of The Eternal.
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Being satisfied with little, you can gain much. Seeking much you will go astray. The wise heeds this precept. If it could be so with all people!
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Good words shall gain you honor in the marketplace, but good deeds shall gain you friends among men.
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Freedom from desire leads to inner peace.
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Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.
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When everyone in the world sees beauty, then ugly exists.
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That which offers no resistance can enter where there is no space.
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Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habit.
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The sage regards things as difficult, and thereby avoids difficulty.
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If people live in constant fear of death, and if breaking the law is punished by death, then who would dare?
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The seed of mystery lies in muddy water. How can I perceive this mystery? Water becomes clear through stillness. How can I become still? By flowing with the stream.
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Learn to lead in a nourishing manner. Learn to lead without being possessive. Learn to be helpful without taking the credit. Learn to lead without coercion.
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Attending fully and becoming supple, Can you be as a newborn babe?