Laozi Quotes - Page 22

• The generals have a saying: "Rather than make the first move it is better to wait and see. Rather than advance an inch it is better to retreat a yard." This is called going forward without advancing, pushing back without using weapons. There is no greater misfortune than underestimating your enemy. Underestimating your enemy means thinking that he is evil. Thus you destroy your three treasures and become an enemy yourself. When two great forces oppose each other, the victory will go to the one that knows how to yield.

  Laozi

  Moving, Mean, Thinking

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• The heavy is the root of the light. The tranquil is the ruler of the hasty.

  Laozi

  Light, Roots, Darkness

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• The Tao doesn't take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil. The Master doesn't take sides; she welcomes both saints and sinners. The Tao is like a bellows: it is empty yet infinitely capable. The more you use it, the more it produces; the more you talk of it, the less you understand. Hold on to the center.

  Laozi

  Evil, Giving, Saint

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• By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love and kindness he may rule the world forever.

  Laozi

  Love, Kindness, Men

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• When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder.

  Laozi

  Inspirational, Deep Life, Honor

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• To realize that our knowledge is ignorance, This is a noble insight. To regard our ignorance as knowledge, This is mental sickness. Only when we are sick of the sickness Shall we cease to be sick. The Sage is not sick, being sick of sickness; This is the secret of health.

  Laozi

  Ignorance, Knowledge, Sick

  Laozi, Jingxiong Wu (1997). “Dao teh jing”

  9 Copy quote

• 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.

  Laozi

  Inspiring, Spiritual, Strong

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• Greed is costly. Assembled fortunes are lost.

  Laozi

  Greed, Taoism, Lost

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• Some have lavish garments, carry sharp swords, and feast on food and drink. They possess more than they can spend. This is called the vanity of robbers. It is certainly not the Way.

  Laozi

  Vanity, Taoism, Way

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• The superior student listens to the Way and follows it closely. The average student listens to the Way and follows some and some not. The lesser student listens to the Way and laughs out loud. If there were no laughter it would not be the Way.

  Laozi

  Laughter, Knowledge, Average

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• The sage does not act and therefore does not fail, does not seize and therefore does not lose.

  Laozi

  Taoism, Doe, Sage

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• Gain or loss, what is worse?

  Laozi

  Loss, Taoism, Gains

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• When two opposing sides meet in battle, the one without an enemy will be victorious.

  Laozi

  Two, Enemy, Battle

  Laozi (2005). “Tao te ching: a new translation & commentary”

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• Do not strive for the shine of jade, but clatter like stone.

  Laozi

  Shining, Taoism, Stones

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• Every being in the universe is an expression of the Tao. It springs into existence, unconscious, perfect, free, takes on a physical body, lets circumstances complete it. That is why every being spontaneously honors the Tao. The Tao gives birth to all beings, nourishes them, maintains them, cares for them, comforts them, protects them, takes them back to itself, creating without possessing, acting without expecting, guiding without interfering. That is why love of the Tao is in the very nature of things.

  Laozi

  Love, Spring, Expression

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• I confess that there is nothing to teach: no religion, no science, no writings which will lead your mind back to Spirit. Today I speak this way, tomorrow that, but always the Path is beyond words and beyond mind.

  Laozi

  Life Lesson, Writing, Deep Life

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• The great Way is all-pervading. It reaches to the left and to the right. All things depend on it with their existence. Still it demands no obedience.

  Laozi

  Taoism, Demand, Way

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• Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.

  Laozi

  Serenity, Path, Steps

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• Be truly whole, and all things will return to you.

  Laozi

  Return, Awareness, All Things

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• The best fighter is never angry.

  Laozi

  Inspirational, Motivational, Yoga

  19 Copy quote

• Men are born soft and supple; dead, they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.

  Laozi

  Inspirational, Life, Death

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• Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short contrast each other. High and low rest upon each other. Voice and sound harmonize each other. Front and back follow one another.

  Laozi

  Difficult And Easy, Voice, Long

  Laozi, Gia-fu Feng, Jane English (1972). “Tao te ching”, Random House Inc

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• Lightly given promises must meet with little trust.

  Laozi

  Promise, Taoism, Littles

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• Lessen selfishness and restrain desires.

  Laozi

  Taoism, Desire, Selfishness

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• I do not interfere, and people become rich by themselves.

  Laozi

  People, Taoism, Rich

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