LAO TZU QUOTES

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habit.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

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

If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.

"Health is the greatest possession.
Contentment is the greatest treasure.
Confidence is the greatest friend.
Non-being is the greatest joy."

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

'Be stillStillness reveals the secrets of eternity'

'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'

One cannot reflect in streaming water.
Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.

"Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love."

"Act without expectation."

'At the center of your beingyou have the answer;
you know who you areand you know what you want.'

If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself.
If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself.
Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”

"Do you think you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear.
Integral awareness is fluid and adaptable, present in all places and at all times. That is true meditation.
Who can attain clarity and simplicity by avoiding the world?
The Tao is clear and simple, and it doesn't avoid the world."

'Be stillStillness reveals the secrets of eternity'

He who is contented is rich.

"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

"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."

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day;
show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

'Great acts are made up of small deeds.'

Every human being's essential nature is perfect and faultless,
but after years of immersion in the world we easily forget our roots and take on a counterfeit nature.

"An integral being knows without going,
sees without looking,
and accomplishes without doing."

'To attain knowledge, add things everyday.
To attain wisdom, remove things every day.'

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

"To lead people, walk behind them."

"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."

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

“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.”

 'Loss is not as bad as wanting more.'

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

"If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve."

Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.

'Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.'

“Stop thinking, and end your problems.'

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

'If you search everywhere, yet cannot find what you are seeking,
it is because what you seek is already in your possession.'

"Silence is a source of great strength."

Water is the softest thing,yet it can penetrate mountains and earth.
This shows clearly the priniciple of softness over coming hradness

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

"When spring comes the grass grows by itself."

Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.

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

'Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.'

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."

'Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment'

"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."