Lao Tzu Quotes

“Much knowledge will corrupt the heart,/When partly understood,/And so the people grow too smart,/But neither wise nor good.”

“If you want to know me, look inside your heart.”

“All things arise in unison. Thereby we see their return.”

“From caring comes courage.”

“A good mooring needs no knot, still no one can untie it.”

“Filling life exceedingly is called ominous.”

“Good leaders reach solutions, and then stop. They do not dare to rely on force.”

“The master understands that the universe is forever out of control”

“Abandon cleverness, discard profit, and thieves and robbers will disappear.”

“There is no greater offence than harbouring desires. There is no greater disaster than discontent. There is no greater misfortune than wanting more.”

“The sage has no concern for himself, but makes the concerns of others his own.”

“If Heaven and Earth are unable to persist, how could man?”

“The wise man looks back into the past, and does not grieve over what is far off, nor rejoice over what is near; for he knows that time is without end.”

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

“All men desire to free themselves solely from death; they do not know how to free themselves from life.”

“The one who does not honor the teacher and the one who does not honor the task, although ever so knowledgeable, they are confused.”

“The superior student listens to the Way and follows it closely. The average student listens to the Way and follows some and some not. The lesser student listens to the Way and laughs out loud. If there were no laughter it would not be the Way.”

“He who tip-toes cannot stand; he who strides cannot walk.”

“The separate parts make no carriage.”

“The supreme rulers are hardly known by their subjects. The lesser are loved and praised. The even lesser are feared. The least are despised.”

“Silence is a source of great strenght.”

“When people do not dread authorities, then a greater dread descends.”

“Be content with an ordinary life.”

“He who knows he has enough is rich.”