Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

Not to desire material things is to know the freedom of spirituality; and to desire them is to suffer the limitations of matter.

When beauty is only a masquerade, it is actually ugliness. Just as goodness, if it is not sincere, is not really goodness.

The wise are not conspicuous in their actions or given to much talking. When troubles arise, they are not irritated. They produce, but do not hoard; They act, but expect no praise; They build, but do not dwell therein. And because they do not dwell therein, They never depart.

When a ruler is silent on the subject of virtue, the people are discouraged from practicing it. Meanwhile, a ruler who revels in riches encourages thievery.

Wise rulers do not accumulate treasures, but seek to quiet the hearts of their people.

The earth and the stars do not take sides— they are impartial. They regard all individuals as insignificant, as though they were playthings made of straw. The wise are also impartial; to them all people are equal and alike.

Gossips, by contrast, spew out words till they are empty, because they are not impartial.

The wise humble themselves— and because of their humility, they are worthy of praise.

They are not focused on outcomes or achievements; therefore they always succeed.

True goodness is like water; it nurtures everything and harms nothing.

Matter is necessary to give form, but the value of reality lies in its immateriality.

Everything that lives has a physical body, but the value of a life is measured by the soul.

The wise attend to the inner truth of things and are not fooled by outward appearances. They ignore matter and seek the spirit.

Flattery is fattening to the spirit; disgrace is emaciating.

To clarify muddy waters, you must hold them still and let things settle.

Plants blossom for a season, then return to the root. In returning to the root, we find tranquility; this leads to our destiny, which is eternity.

To know eternity is enlightenment; to ignore eternity is to invite calamity.

Unworthy rulers are despised. Common rulers are feared by their subjects. Good rulers win the affection

The great Tao is ignored, yet we speak of goodness and righteousness. Relatives are unfriendly, yet we talk of familial love and respect. The state and the family are in confusion and chaos, yet we praise ourselves for loyalty and faithfulness. This is great hypocrisy.

Abandon ostentatious benevolence and conspicuous righteousness; then the people will return to the core virtues of love and respect.

Here are the four fundamentals of true spirituality: recognize simplicity, cherish purity, reduce your possessions, diminish your desires.

Common people are vibrant with common sense; scholars seem dull and confused.

They who live by violence, violence will soon destroy.

Try to elevate yourself above others, and you will soon fall.

Those who display themselves do not shine; those who inflate themselves do not grow; those who assert themselves do not gain merit.

Humanity is the child of earth; Earth is the child of the universe; The universe is the child of the Tao.

The wise, trusting in goodness, see the potential in others, treating no one as an outcast.

The wise take the lost under their wings, and so the lost become newfound treasures of the wise.

Those who try to seize power and remake society will fail.

Society is a divine thing that cannot be remade. One who attempts to remake it will only deface it.

When rulers resort to force, things flourish for a time, but then decay. They are going against the Tao, and anything opposed to the Tao will soon die.

Weapons are not the tools of the wise; only as a last resort do the wise use them.

Those who dare risk death have courage; but those who death cannot destroy are immortal.

It is paradoxical but true— the tender outlasts the rigid; the gentle defeats the strong. Persuasion is better than compulsion.

The truly great embody the spirit, not just the external appearance. They bear fruit—not just blossoms. They do not put on a show of virtue— they practice it.

If heaven were not space, it would fall; if earth were not solid, it would melt; if spirit were not unified, it would vanish; if valleys were not unified, they would dry up.

Nobles should find their roots among the commoners, for the high is always founded upon the low.

Those most illumined by the Tao are often the dimmest.

The Tao produces unity; unity produces duality; duality produces trinity; trinity produces all things.

All things contain both the negative principle (yin) and the positive principle (yang). The third principle, energetic vitality (chi), makes them harmonious.

There are some things which it is a gain to lose, an...

There is no sin greater than desire. There is no misfortune greater than discontent. There is no calamity greater than greed. To know the Tao is to know contentment.

The wise ruler treats the good with goodness; and treats the not-so-good with goodness, too— for goodness is its own reward.

The Tao gives life freely, making no claim of ownership. Virtue forms them but does not force them, raises them but does not rule them. This is why virtue is profound.

The great Way is very plain, so the proud prefer the bypaths.

When the palace is splendid, the fields are likely to be weedy and the granaries empty.

When the labor of the many supports the happiness of the few, such “happiness” only conceals misery.

When the people live freely and fearlessly, virtue will abound.

Some submit to a conqueror, others conquer by submitting.

Beautiful words may sell goods, but it takes kind actions to save people.