Lao Tzu Quotes

Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing

Those who are attached to things will suffer much

Emptiness is the source of all things

Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe

When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king

If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled

When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'

The wise man is one who knows what he does not know

The more that is forbidden, the more the people are impoverished

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady. He who strides cannot maintain the pace

Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?

The Master acts without doing, and teaches without saying

When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises. When it knows good as good, evil arises

The further one goes, the less one knows

He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know

Gently and without being forceful, you can shape the world

Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy

Act without expectation

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long

He who does not trust enough will not be trusted

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Simplicity, patience, compassion are your greatest treasures

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

Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment

What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to

He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings

The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete. It stays in the lowly places that others disdain

Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear

Use the light, return to clarity. This is called practicing constancy

It is better to leave a vessel unfilled than to attempt to carry it when it is full

Silence is a source of great strength

Without going outside, you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven

Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.

Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to

The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself

The more you know, the less you understand

What is a good man but a bad man's teacher? What is a bad man but a good man's job?

Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish—too much handling will spoil it.

He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty.

He who boasts achieves nothing; he who brags will not endure

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.

All things in the world come from being. And being comes from non-being

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you

If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.

Those who follow the Way are one with the Way; those who are virtuous experience virtue; those who lose the Way are lost

The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own

One cannot reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.

To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders

A leader is best when people barely know he exists

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished

Trying to understand is like straining to see through muddy water. Be still and allow the mud to settle

The value of action lies in its silence

Stop thinking, and end your problems.

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be

When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly

Colors blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavors numb the taste. Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart

Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself

Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn’t try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures

To lead people, walk behind them.

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want

What is softest in the world overcomes what is hardest in the world

When there is no desire, all things are at peace

Yield and overcome; bend and be straight

When the work is done, it is forgotten. That is why it lasts forever

By diminishing the self and restraining its desires, one understands what is sufficient

Great acts are made up of small deeds

A tree that is unbending is easily broken

The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough

The Way is empty, yet use will not drain it

The more laws and restrictions there are, the poorer people become.

Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not the wise person’s tools

The greatest virtue is to follow the Tao and the Tao alone

The heavy is the root of the light. The still is the master of unrest

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

Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name

Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles

Great perfection seems incomplete, yet its use is never impaired