Lao Tzu Quotes
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I let go of all desire for the common good, and the good becomes as common as the grass.
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Why is the sea king of a hundred streams? Because it lies below them... If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility. If he would lead them, he must follow behind. In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed.
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The softest in the world surpasses the hardest in the world.
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Those who show off do not shine.
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A sage is skilled at helping people without excluding anyone.
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Conquering the world and changing it, I do not think it can succeed.
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Freedom from desire leads to inner peace.
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Deal with difficult tasks while they are easy. Act on large issues while they are small.
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The sage regards things as difficult, and thereby avoids difficulty.
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A government can be compared to our lungs. Our lungs are best when we don't realize they are helping us breathe. It is when we are constantly aware of our lungs that we know they have come down with an illness.
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There is no illusion great than fear.
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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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Because he (the Sage) opposes no one, no one in the world can oppose him.
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The Tao is like a well; used but never used up.
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Thorn bushes grow where armies have camped.
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What is well rooted cannot be pulled up. What is firmly grasped will not slip loose. It will be honoured from generation to generation.
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We desire to understand the world by giving names to the things we see, but these things are only the effects of something subtle.
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A tree as wide as a man's embrace grows from a tiny shoot.
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There is no greater offence than harbouring desires. There is no greater disaster than discontent. There is no greater misfortune than wanting more.
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If you overesteem great men, people become powerless. If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal. The Master leads by emptying people's minds and filling their cores, by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve. He helps people lose everything they know, everything they desire, and creates confusion in those who think that they know. Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.
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Those who praise victory relish manslaughter. Those who relish manslaughter cannot reach their goals in the world.
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Gain or loss, what is worse?
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Fame of self: Which matters more? Self or wealth: Which is more precious? Gain or loss: Which is more painful?
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To bear the country's disgrace is to rule the shrines of soil and grain. To bear the country's misfortunes is to be the king of the world.