Lao Tzu Quotes
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.
The best fighter is never angry.
Silence is a source of great strength.
The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.
Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
Act without expectation.
To lead people, walk beside them.
He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.
Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.
The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not compete with them.
Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.
The more you know, the less you understand.
To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.
The way to do is to be.
He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.
Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.
When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.
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.
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.
When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins.
To see things in the seed, that is genius.
What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.
A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.
He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.
Act without doing; work without effort.
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.
There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.
The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.
The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.
A great nation is like a great man: when he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers.
The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.
When the archer misses the mark, he turns and seeks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bull’s eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim, improve yourself.
Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.
Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.
Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.
In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.
A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
When you give yourself to others, you receive more than you’ve given.
Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.
To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.
The master does nothing, yet he leaves nothing undone. The ordinary man is always doing things, yet many more are left to be done.
He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.