Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

A good athlete can enter a state of body-awareness in which the right stroke or the right movement happens by itself, effortlessly, without any interference of the conscious will.

Nothing is done because the doer has wholeheartedly vanished into the deed;

Hence Lao-tzu’s emphasis on softness. Softness means the opposite of rigidity, and is synonymous with suppleness, adaptability, endurance.

In surrendering to the Tao, in giving up all concepts, judgments, and desires, her mind has grown naturally compassionate.

that the more truly solitary we are, the more compassionate we can be; the more we let go of what we love, the more present our love becomes; the clearer our insight into what is beyond good and evil, the more we can embody the good.

Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.

She is detached from all things; that is why she is one with them. Because she has let go of herself, she is perfectly fulfilled.

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.

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.

Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will?

Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations,

leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.

We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.

We work with being, but non-being is what we use.

Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don’t see the self as self, what do we have to fear?

See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self; then you can care for all things.

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

Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?

When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists.

Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing.

If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.

When the ancient Masters said, “If you want to be given everything, give everything up,”

He who tries to shine dims his own light.

If you want to accord with the Tao, just do your job, then let go.

If you let restlessness move you, you lose touch with who you are.

A good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is.

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

Because he believes in himself, he doesn’t try to convince others.

Because he is content with himself, he doesn’t need others’ approval. Because he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him.

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

She who is centered in the Tao can go where she wishes, without danger. She perceives the universal harmony, even amid great pain, because she has found peace in her heart.

If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish.

The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; thus he never has enough.

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness. When goodness is lost, there is morality. When morality is lost, there is ritual. Ritual is the husk of true faith, the beginning of chaos.

the greatest love seems indifferent, the greatest wisdom seems childish.

Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.

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

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.

The Master allows things to happen. She shapes events as they come. She steps out of the way and lets the Tao speak for itself.

When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way. It can’t be gained by interfering.

He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to: no illusions in his mind, no resistances in his body.

He holds nothing back from life; therefore he is ready for death, as a man is ready for sleep after a good day’s work.

If you close your mind in judgments and traffic with desires, your heart will be troubled. If you keep your mind from judging and aren’t led by the senses, your heart will find peace.

The Master’s power is like this. He lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire. He never expects results; thus he is never disappointed.

If you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao. Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself.

Therefore the Master says: I let go of the law, and people become honest. I let go of economics, and people become prosperous.

Try to make people happy, and you lay the groundwork for misery. Try to make people moral, and you lay the groundwork for vice.