Quote collection
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"Why is the tao so valuable? Because it is everywhere, and everyone can use it. This is why those who seek will find, And those who reform will be forgiven; Why the good will be rewarded, And the thief who is cunning will escape."
"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt."
"The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done. If powerful men and women could venter themselves in it, the whole world would be transformed by itself, in its natural rhythms. People would be content with their simple, everyday lives, in harmony, and free of desire. When there is no desire, all things are at peace."
"The Tao never acts with force, yet there is nothing that it can not do."
"The Tao principle is what happens of itself."
"The Tao is great. The universe is great. Earth is great. Man is great. These are the four great powers. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows only itself."
"When men lack a sense of awe, there will be disaster."
"In caring for others and serving heaven, There is nothing like using restraint."
"If a person seems wicked, do not cast him away. Awaken him with your words, elevate him with your deeds, repay his injury with your kindness. Do not cast him away; cast away his wickedness."
"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."
"The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. What is grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion."
"For knowledge, add something every day. For wisdom....subtract."
"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
"A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him."
"When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder."
"Thirty spokes meet in the hub, but the empty space between them is the essence of the wheel. Pots are formed from clay, but the empty space within it is the essence of the pot. Walls with windows and doors form the house, but the empty space within it is the essence of the home."
"Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing."
"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."
"Mastering others is strength. Mastering oneself makes you fearless."
"To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something"