Quotes by Lao Tzu

No one can insult me, because I do not want respect.No one can defeat me, because I have given up the idea of winning.How can you defeat me? You can only defeat someone who wants to win.

To speak little is natural. Therefore a gale does not blow a whole morning nor does a downpour last a whole day.

Because one believes in oneself, one doesnt try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesnt need others approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.

Allow the heart to empty itself of all turmoil! Retrieve the utter tranquility of the mind from which you issued.Although all forms are dynamic,and we all grow and transform,each of us is compelled to return to our root. Our root is quietude.

Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.

Choose food, clothing, and shelter that accords with nature.Rely on your own body for transportation. Allow your work and your recreation to be one and the same. Do exercise that develops your whole being and not just your body. Listen to music that bridges the three spheres of your being. Choose leaders for their virtue rather than their wealth or power. Serve others and cultivate yourself simultaneously. Understand that true growth comes from meeting and solving problems of life in a way that is harmonizing to yourself and to others. If you can follow these simple old ways, you will be continually renewed.

Knowing others is Wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment

If the people never fear death,what is the purpose of threatening to kill them?If the people ever fear death,and I were to capture and kill those who are devious,who would dare to be so?If the people must be ever fearful of death,then there will always be an executioner.Now,To kill in place of the executionerIs likeHewing wood in place of the master carpenter;Few indeed will escape cutting their own hands!

Following the Universal Way means practicing selflessness and extending virtue to the world unconditionally. In this way one not only eliminates the heavy contamination accumulated throughout many lifetimes but may also bring about the possibility of restoring ones original divine nature and become an integral being of the multi-universe.

Love is a decision - not an emotion!

The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small.

Be content with what you have;rejoice in the way things are.When you realize there is nothing lacking,the whole world belongs to you.

Material and infinite are inseparableAppreciating their interconnectednessis the gateway to understanding

Manifest plainness,Embrace simplicity,Reduce selfishness,Have few desires.

The Master, by residing in the Tao,sets an example for all beings.Because he doesnt display himself,people can see his light.Because he has nothing to prove,people can trust his words.Because he doesnt know who he is,people recognize themselves in him.Because he has no goal in mind,everything he does succeeds.

If you wish to be out front, then act as if you were behind.

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Тhe gentle overcomes the rigid.The slow overcomes the fast.The weak overcomes the strong.…Everyone knows that the yielding overcomes the stiff,and the soft overcomes the hard.Yet no one applies this knowledge.

The best of all leaders is the one who helps people so that eventually they don’t need him.

When you are content to be simply yourself and dont compare or compete, everyone will respect you.