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.

To win true merit—to earn a good reputation— you must be prudent.

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

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

They who act with violence become violent. They who act with virtue become virtuous. They who act in the spirit of the Tao become Tao-like.

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.

Reminds me of the video I watched about 100 yrs of solitude. The person talking said something a bout Castro being a revolutionist trying to change the regime but when he got to power he changed to benefit himself.

True virtue makes no show of virtue, and therefore it is really virtuous. False virtue never loses sight of itself, and therefore it is no longer virtue.

46 CONTENTMENT When a nation follows the Tao, its horses are harnessed to ploughs. When a nation ignores the Tao, its horses are girded for war. 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.

Many things that appear easy are full of difficulties. This is why the wise consider everything difficult— so, in the end, they have no difficulties.

The Tao has three treasures which the wise guard and cherish: The first is compassion, the second is economy, the third is humility.

If you are compassionate, you can be truly courageous; if you are economical, you can be truly generous; if you are humble, you can be truly helpful.

True words are often unpleasant; pleasant words are often untrue.