Lao Tse quotes from the Tao Te Ching

Emperor Hui Tsung Practising with the Buddhist Sect Tao-See, from a History of the Emperors of China Giclee Print
Chinese School

He who knows much about others may be learned, but he who understands himself is more intelligent. He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.

People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.

Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.

One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.

The best soldier does not attack. The superior fighter succeeds without violence. The greatest conqueror wins without struggle. The most successful manager leads without dictating. This is intelligent non aggressiveness. This is called the mastery of men.

Chang Tao-Ling
Chinese Philosopher Founder
of Taoism

Tao Te Ching Poster

Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear.

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.

We turn clay to make a vessel, but it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.

Wonder into wonder existence opens.

A tree that can fill the span of a man's arms grows from a downy tip; A terrace nine stories high rises from level earth; A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet.

Wisdom Art Print
Henson, Richard

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

Great acts are made up of small deeds.

A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.

He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.

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

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

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.

Avoid putting yourself before others, and you can become a leader among men.

Goodness in words creates trust, goodness in thinking creates depth, goodness in giving creates love.

Prepare for the difficult while it is still easy. Deal with the big while it is still small. Difficult undertakings have always started with what's easy. Great undertakings always started with what is small. Therefore the sage never strives for the great, And thereby the great is achieved.

The more laws that are written, the more criminals are produced.

In this world, there is nothing softer or thinner than water. But to compel the hard and unyielding, it has no equal. That the weak overcomes the strong, that the hard gives way to the gentle -- this everyone knows. Yet no one acts accordingly.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them-that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.

When armies are mobilized and issues are joined, the man who is sorry over the fact will win.

He who overcomes others is strong, but he who overcomes himself is mighty.