Lao Tzu Quotes

What's the difference between yes and no?

Behave simply and hold on to purity.

I observe myself and I come to know others.

Who can wait in stillness while the mud settles?

Praise of power leads to weakness; Love of things leads to loss; The wise one leads by filling people's hearts; He destroys illusion and disturbs those who believe they are wise; He does nothing yet everything happens.

Love is the greatest link that we have with those who have temporarily left us.

Heavy is the root of light.

Be humble and you will remain entire. The sages do not display themselves, therefore they shine. They do not approve themselves, therefore they are noted. They do not praise themselves, therefore they have merit. They do not glory in themselves, therefore they excel.

Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you.

Dualistic thinking is a sickness.

Holding on to the weak is called strength.

Sometimes gain comes from losing, and sometimes loss comes from gaining.

It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.

To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.

To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.

When you are one with loss, the loss is experienced willingly.

Too much success is not an advantage.Do not tinkle like jadeOr clatter like stone chimes.

By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love and kindness he may rule the world forever.

Seal the openings, shut the doors, and until your last day you will not be exhausted. Widen the openings, interfere, and until your last day you will not be safe.

Truth sounds paradoxical!

Hold on to the great image, and the whole world follows, follows unharmed, content and completely at peace.

Peacefulness is an inner sense of calm - it comes from becoming still - in order to reflect and meditate on our inner wisdom and receive answers. A peaceful heart is one that is free from worry and rouble. It's becoming quiet so we can look at things quietly so we can more clearly understand them and thus come up with creative solutions. It is learning to live in the present. Freedom from desire leads to inner peace.

Those who are content suffer no disgrace.

Simplicity, patience, compassion.These three are your greatest treasures.Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are.Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.

Those who stay where they are will endure.

Do not make them (people) weary at their work. If you do not make them weary, they will not be weary of you.

The sage avoids extremity, excess, and extravagance.

The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects.

To lead, one must follow.

Those who know when to halt are unharmed.

Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose

Being is born of not being.

Use justice to rule a country. Use surprise to wage war. Use non-action to govern the world.

Quiet your mind and stop judging and resisting and manipulating the natural way.

The greatest teacher has nothing to say. He simply gives himself in service, and never worries.

Become totally emptyQuiet the restlessness of the mindOnly then will you witness everything unfolding from emptiness

The truest sayings are paradoxical.

A multitude of words is tiresome, unlike remaining centered.

He who is attached to things will suffer much.

The gentlest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing in the world. That which has no substance enters where there is no space. This shows the value of non-action. Teaching without words, performing without actions: that is the Master's way.

Keep your mouth shut, and close up the doors of sight and sound, and as long as you live you will have no vexation. But open your mouth, or become inquisitive, and you will be in trouble all your life long.

The best leaders are those their people hardly know exist.The next best is a leader who is loved and praised.Next comes the one who is feared.The worst one is the leader that is despised ...The best leaders value their words, and use them sparingly.When they have accomplished their task,the people say, "Amazing!We did it, all by ourselves!

To have enough of enough is always enough.

Those who stand on their toes are not steady.

Face the simple fact before it comes involved. Solve the small problem before it becomes big.

Return animosity with virtue.

That so few understand me is why I am treasured.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.

In the world there are four greats, and the king is one of them.

What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out

Because of a great love, one is courageous.

A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.

Loving, hating, having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the growth of one's true being.

The river and the sea can be kings of a hundred valleys, because they lie below them.

Without desire there is stillness, and the world settles by itself.

Those who die without being forgotten get longevity.

It is as though he listened and such listening as his enfolds us in silence in which at last we begin to hear what we are meant to be.

How do I become still?By flowing with the stream.

When you accept yourself, the Universe accepts you.