If you want to govern the people, You must place yourself below them. If you want to lead people, You must learn how to follow them.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.
Love Embracing Tao, you become embraced. Supple, breathing gently, you become reborn. Clearing your vision, you become clear. Nurturing your beloved, you become impartial. Opening your heart, you become accepted. Accepting the World, you embrace Tao....
Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.
Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil.
If you understand others you are smart. If you understand yourself you are illuminated. If you overcome others you are powerful. If you overcome yourself you have strength. If you know how to be satisfied you are rich. If you can act with vigor, you ...
The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.
Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Other call it lofty but impractical. But to those who have looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense. And to those who put it into practice, this loftiness has roots that go deep.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever des...
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes it law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.
When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'
To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.
The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.
