Lao Tzu Quotes
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Act without striving. Work without interfering. Find the flavour in what is flavourless.
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If you practice inaction, nothing will be left undone: For the way to acquire lordship over society is by invariably not interfering.
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Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge.
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When the government is quite unobtrusive, people are indeed pure. When the government is quite prying, people are indeed conniving.
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If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants.
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Things flourish, then each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness: Stillness is called return to life, return to life is called the constant; knowing the constant is called enlightenment.
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Be the chief but never the lord.
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The higher the sun ariseth, the less shadow doth he cast; even so the greater is the goodness, the less doth it covet praise; yet cannot avoid its rewards in honours.
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He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.
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He who walks on tip-toe does not walk on solid ground.
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Thirty spokes meet in the hub. Where a wheel isn't is where it's useful. Hollowed out, clay makes a pot. Where the pots not is where it's useful. Cut doors and windows to make a room. Where the room isn't, there's room for you. So the profit in what is, is in the use of what isn't.
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He who knows much about others may be learned, but he who understands himself is more intelligent. He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.
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From wonder into wonder existence opens.
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The Way begets one; one begets two; two begets three; three begets the myriad creatures.
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See others as yourself. See families as your family. See towns as your town. See countries as your country. See worlds as your world.
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People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure.
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He who regards the world as he does the fortune of his own body can govern the world. He who loves the world as he does his own body can be entrusted with the world.
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Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can. I wish you Happy New Year and diary full of best stories ever written in your life.
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The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself, The more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The Way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.
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Why are the people starving?- Because their grain is being eaten up by the taxes That's why they're starving Why are people rebellious?- Because those above them meddle in their lives That's why they're rebellious Why do people regard death so lightly?- Because they are so involved with their own living That's why they regard death so lightly In the end, The treasure of life is missed by those who hold on and gained by those who let go.
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I observe myself and I come to know others.
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To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.
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He who, conscious of being strong, is content to be weak, he shall be the paragon of mankind. Being the paragon of mankind, Virtue will never desert him. He returns to the state of a little child.
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If a great country yields to a small country, it will conquer the small country. If a small country yields to a great country, it will be conquered by the great country.