Quote collection
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"The ego is entranced by ... names and ideas... However names and concepts only block your perception of this Great Oneness. Therefore it is wise to ignore them. Those who live inside their egos are continually bewildered."
"Worlds and particles, bodies and beings, time and space: All are transient expressions of the Tao."
"Prepare while it's easy."
"A man's excellence is like that of water; It benefits all things without striving; It takes to the low places shunned by men. Water is akin to Tao. . . . In all the earth nothing weaker than water, Yet in attacking the hard, nothing superior, Nothing so certain in wearing down strength: There is no way to resist it. Note then: The weak conquer the strong, The yielding outlast the aggressors."
"All things of the world are born of being; being is born of nonbeing."
"Weapons are the tools of violence;all decent men detest them.Weapons are the tools of fear;a decent man will avoid themexcept in the direst necessityand, if compelled, will use themonly with the utmost restraint.Peace is his highest value.If the peace has been shattered,how can he be content?His enemies are not demons,but human beings like himself.He doesn't wish them personal harm.Nor does he rejoice in victory.How could he rejoice in victoryand delight in the slaughter of men?He enters a battle gravely,with sorrow and with great compassion,as if he were attending a funeral"
"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."
"Perfect kindness acts without thinking of kindness."
"The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal good. The best leader follows the will of the people. All of the embody the virtue of non-competition. Not that they don't love to compete, but they do it in the spirit of play. In this they are like children and in harmony with the Tao."
"Can you comprehend everything in the four directions and still do nothing?"
"What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river,--the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven converge; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility."
"When merit has been achieved, do not take it to yourself; for if you do not take it to yourself, it shall never be taken from you."
"Return animosity with virtue."
"The seed of mystery lies in muddy water. How can I perceive this mystery? Water becomes clear through stillness. How can I become still? By flowing with the stream."
"Without desire there is stillness, and the world settles by itself."
"A winner listens, a loser just waits until it is their turn to talk."
"Act without doing; work without effort. Think of the small as large and the few as many. Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts. The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn't cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no problem for her."
"Stillness is the ruler of haste."
"Letting the mind control the vital breath is called force."
"Knowing honor, but clinging to disgrace, you become the valley of the world."