The reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms.

The past has no power to stop youfrom being present now.Only your grievance aboutthe past can do that.What is grievance?The baggage of oldthought and emotion.

Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes it law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.

Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.

He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still

Great indeed is the sublimity of the Creative, to which all beings owe their beginning and which permeates all heaven.

Heaven and earth are ruthless and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs.

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

If you want to govern the people,You must place yourself below them.If you want to lead people,You must learn how to follow them.

Anything great is long in making.

If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled. If yourhappiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be contentwith what you have? rejoice in the way things are....

To lead the people, walk behind them.

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.

He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.

Just remain in the center; watching. And then forget that you are there.

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

He who talks more is sooner exhausted

The journey of a thousand leagues begins from beneath your feet.

How could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men?

In the end,The treasure of life is missed by those who hold on and gained by those who let go.

Thirty spokesShare one hub.Make the nothing therein appropriate, and you will have the use of the cart.

The Way to do is to be.

Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.

The leader shows that style is no substitute for substance, that creating an impression is more potent than acting from one’s center.

Those who make their living by collecting taxes cause the people to starve; when the people starve, the tax collectors, having no one to tax starve also

Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who...

If you understand others you are smart.If you understand yourself you are illuminated.If you overcome others you are powerful.If you overcome yourself you have strength.If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.If you...

Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Startwith what they know. Build with what they have. But with the bestleaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people...

As to the roaming of sages,They move in utter emptiness,Let their minds meander in the great nothingness;They run beyond conventionAnd go through where there is no gateway.They listen to the soundlessAnd look at the formless,They...

The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.

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.

Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.

We join spokes together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move.We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness insidethat holds whatever we want.We hammer wood...

A good traveler leaves no tracks. Good speech lacks fault-finding.

free from desire, you realize the mysterycaught in the desire, you see only the manifestations.

The person of superior integrity does not insist upon his integrity.For this reason, he has integrity.The person of inferior integritynever loses sight of his integrity;For this reason, he lacks integrity.

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

Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat

From wonder into wonder existence opens.

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

We did this ourselves.

When there is silence one finds the anchor of the universe within oneself

The Tao [Way] that can be told of is not the eternal Tao;The name that can be named is not the eternal name.The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;The Named is the mother...

The farther you go, the less you know

People in their handling of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure.

Nature is not human hearted.

The ruler attains wholeness in the correct governance of the people.