Taoism Quotes - Page 28

• Those who live simply are often pure, while those who live luxuriously may be slavish and servile. It seems that the will is clarified by plainness, while conduct is ruined by indulgence.

  Zicheng Hong

  May, Live Simply, Ruined

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• Knowledge of the eternal is all-embracing. To be all-embracing leads to righteousness, which is majestic.

  Laozi

  Majestic, Righteousness, Eternal

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• Two monks sit facing, playing chess on the mountain, The bamboo shadow on the board is dark and clear. Not a person sees the bamboo's shadow, One sometimes hears the pieces being moved.

  Bai Juyi

  Autumn, Dark, Winter

  Bai Juyi, “On The Lake (1)”

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• What is well planted will not be uprooted.

  Laozi

  Wells

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• The autumn hill gathers the remaining light, A flying bird chases after its companion. The green color is bright And brings me into the moment, like a sunset mist that has no fixed place.

  Wang Wei

  Summer, Sunset, Autumn

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• A little child paddles a little boat, Drifting about, and picking white lotuses. He does not know how to hide his tracks, And duckweed's opened up along his path.

  Bai Juyi

  Summer, Children, Spring

  Bai Juyi, “On The Lake (2)”

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• A strip of water's spread in the setting sun, Half the river's emerald, half is red. I love the third night of the ninth month, The dew is like a pearl; the moon like a bow.

  Bai Juyi

  Summer, Autumn, Moon

  Bai Juyi, “Song Of Sunset On The River”

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• A springlike autumn's balmy breeze reaches afar. The sun shines on the house of a recluse South of the river; They encourage the December apricots To burst into bloom: A simplehearted person Faces the simplehearted flowers.

  Sun Bu'er

  Flower, Autumn, Winter

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• The Way is ever without action, yet nothing is left undone.

  Laozi

  Way, Action, Undone

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• Wary, as if surrounded by strangers.

  Laozi

  Stranger, Ifs

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• Cautious, like crossing a river in the winter.

  Laozi

  Winter, Rivers, Cautious

  Laozi (2007). “Daodejing: The New, Highly Readable Translation of the Life-Changing Ancient Scripture Formerly Known as the Tao Te Ching”, p.55, Open Court

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• The sage is sharp but does not cut, pointed but does not pierce, forthright but does not offend, bright but does not dazzle.

  Laozi

  Cutting, Doe, Sage

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• Those who are right do not argue. Those who argue are not right.

  Laozi

  Knowledge, Arguing, Wise Man Once Said

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• The Tao is told is not the Tao.

  Laozi

  Tao

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• True zazen is surrendering every moment. But surrendering to what? It really does not matter what we call it: God or the Tao or the Dharma or the Buddha or our true nature. . . . It is the act of letting go, of surrendering, that matters. The very act of letting go opens us up completely.

  Dennis Merzel

  Letting Go, Nature, Doe

  Dennis Genpo Merzel (1991). “The Eye Never Sleeps”, p.49, Shambhala Publications

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• Every step is on the path.

  Laozi

  Path, Steps, Every Step

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• When there is no more separation between 'this' and 'that,' it is called the still-point of the Tao. At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the infinite in all things.

  Zhuangzi

  Circles, Spirituality, Philosopher

  Zhuangzi (1974). “Chuang tsu: Inner chapters”, Vintage Books USA

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• The Tao principle is what happens of itself.

  Laozi

  Principles, Tao, Happens

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

  Laozi

  Doe, Sage, Failing

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• Because he (the Sage) opposes no one, no one in the world can oppose him.

  Laozi

  Sage, World

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• The highest virtue does nothing. Yet, nothing needs to be done. The lowest virtue does everything. Yet, much remains to be done.

  Laozi

  Doe, Needs, Done

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• Without stepping out the door, you can know the world.

  Laozi

  Doors, World, Knows

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• He who holds on to the Way seeks no excess. Since he lacks excess, he can grow old in no need to be renewed.

  Laozi

  Needs, Excess, Way

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• The sage wears coarse clothes, concealing jade.

  Laozi

  Clothes, Sage, Jade

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• The value of teaching without words and accomplishing without action is understood by few in the world.

  Laozi

  Teaching, World, Action

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