Deng Ming Dao Quotes

The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.

Those who don't know how to suffer are the worst off. There are times when the only correct thing we can do is to bear out troubles until a better day.

All teachings are mere references. The true experience is living your own life. Then, even the holiest of words are only words.

Who you are is always right.

If you have a good idea, use it so that you will not only accomplish something, but so that you can make room for new ones to flow into you.

Grappling with fate is like meeting an expert wrestler: to escape, you have to accept the fall when you are thrown. The only thing that counts is whether you get back up.

We may be floating on Tao, but there is nothing wrong with steering. If Tao is like a river, it is certainly good to know where the rocks are.

Whether we remain the ash or become the phoenix is up to us.

Expression is never helped by suppression.

Those truly linked don't need correspondence. When they meet again after many years apart, Their friendship is as true as ever.

You may be capable of great things, But life consists of small things.

Markings in dry clay disappear Only when the clay is soft again. Scars upon the self disappear Only when one becomes soft within.

It is too facile to say that the way to follow Tao is to simply go along with the flow of life. Sometimes, like the carp, we must know when to go it alone.

Reject labels. Reject identities. Reject conformity. Reject convention. Reject definitions. Reject names.

Keep life simple… turn toward the divine. It satisfies, it brings knowledge, and it brings joy.

Every day passes whether you participate or not.

Draw energy from the earth Admit power from the heavens Fertilize the seed within Let it sprout into a flower of pure light

Life is a constant series of opportunities. If we don’t reach out for things, if we don’t take advantage of what comes our way, then we cannot be in harmony with the essential nature of life.

The idea that each of us can be directly spiritual is radical. Most religions are based not on teaching adherents to be directly spiritual, but in persuading them to trust in the intercession of ministers or priests. The problem with this approach is that we cannot gain access to spirituality except through the medium of a fallible human being. If we want to see Tao, we need only open our eyes and trust what we see.

Each day your life grows a day shorter. Make every move count.

Every ordinary moment, every little detail should be a celebration of your personal understanding. Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.

Only through lighting a living fire within ourselves can we dance quickly and spontaneously enough to meet the rhythm of life.

Turn your face to the sun, as flowers know how to do.

That is why spiritual progress is slow: not because no one will tell us the secrets, but because we ourselves must overcome sentiment and fear before we can grasp it.

Whatever comes to you, you must engage it somehow. You receive it, you may alter the circumstance and let it go, you may interject something of your own into it, or you may knowingly let it pass. Whatever you do, there is no need to be apathetic toward life. Instead, full participation in all things is the surest way to happiness, vitality, success, and a deep knowledge of Tao.

If you practiced for the day, then you have won. If you were lazy for the day, then you have lost.

In nature there is no alienation. Everything belongs.

Unlocking our potential requires education, experience, and determination. One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures.

A good master leads you to the true master within. Only that master, who is your own higher self, can adequately answer all questions.

The primary point of this existence is to live, and all living things move and grow. Therefore meditation should be integrated with the flow of life. It should not dominate above all else.

Go through life without showing off, attracting attention to yourself, or making flamboyant gestures. These will only attract the hostility of others. The wise accomplish all that they want without arousing the envy or scorn of others.

Death is not an ending. It is a transformation. Death is the threshold of this life. Beyond it is something else, some mystery.

If we know how to adapt, we end up being superior.

It is up to each of us to sing as we feel moved by the overall song of life.

Let us so absorb integrity—experiencing both its triumphs and defeats—that we do the right thing intuitively.

Things cannot forever go downward. There are limits to everything—even the cold, and the darkness, and the wind, and the dying.

There is no utopia. There never will be. There is only the valiant attempt of each person to live spiritually in a world where spirituality is almost impossible.

History is essential to our understanding of the present. Unless we are conscious of the way in which we came to this point in time as a people, then we shall never fully be able to plan the present and the future. We need to know what roots are still alive. We need to know how things came to be so that we can project from here. We also need to know the failures of the past so that we can avoid repeating them.

What is it like to feel Tao? It is an effortless flowing, a sweeping momentum. It is like bird song soaring and gliding over a vast landscape. You can feel this in your life: Events will take on a perfect momentum, a glorious cadence. You can feel it in your body: The energy will rise up in you in a thrilling crescendo, setting your very nerves aglow. You can feel it in your spirit: You will enter a state of such perfect grace that you will resound over the landscape of reality like ephemeral bird song. When Tao comes to you in this way, ride it for all that you are worth. Don't interfere. Don't stop - that brings failure, alienation, and regret. Don't try to direct it. Let it flow and follow it. When the Tao is with you, put aside all other concerns. As long as the song lasts, follow. Just follow.

Young people need compassion and guidance, not obscure mysticism. Here are some guidelines for young people: Remember that you are always your own person. Do not surrender your mind, heart, or body to any person. Never compromise your dignity for any reason. Maintain your health with sound diet, hygiene, exercise, and clean living. Don’t engage in drugs or drinking. Money is never more important than your body and mind, but you must work and support yourself. Never depend on others for your livelihood.

Those who attain the middle Dominate the whole.

Life is but one dream flowing into another.

Above all, be compassionate. This is a stand against all evil and it opens your spirit.

Spirituality is creativity. Only with creativity can you remold your personality into a spiritual vehicle.

She withdrew into herself, First writing just for one, Then touching thousands. She incarnated ghosts, hurt, and joy Into paper-and-ink stories of wonder

The freedom to choose and to change belongs to us.

Never stop trying to cultivate the sacred inside you.

To simply be ourselves is the greatest challenge but the simplest spiritual technique. A

What good is self-cultivation and wisdom if you just keep it for yourself? Knowledge is meant to be used, and if you can use it on behalf of others, you should.

Death is not an ending. It is a transformation.

you cannot remain on your meditation cushion forever. You must go out and explore life as well.

It is secondary whether we choose belief or defiance. What is precious is that we are always able to choose.

The mind that turns ever outward Will have no end to craving. Only the mind turned inward Will find a still-point of peace.

A moving door hinge never corrodes. Flowing water never grows stagnant.

Adversity is the tempering of one’s mettle. Without it, we cannot know any true meaning in our accomplishments.

There is injustice in this world, yes. But there is no need to add to it.

Help others for all the times that you have been ignored. Be kind to others, for all the times that you have been scorned.

When admiring a painting, Don’t examine the paint. When meeting an artist, Don’t look at the brush.

A true master is indifferent to the ways of society.

The path is difficult to ensure worthiness. The lazy look elsewhere, The persevering find riches.

do not be put off by the illusory nature of life. Use it. Everything in this life can be an advantage to the wise.

We must not fall into the trap of waiting so long for the big things that we let numerous small chances slip right by us.

We cannot allow ourselves to be hobbled by the woes and alienation of our race or nation. It is our responsibility to overcome these, even if we can only succeed in our hearts.

Tradition is first. Mercy is greater than tradition. Wisdom is greater than mercy.

A strong perspective is the root of wisdom.

You could tell the secret of life ten times over, and it would still be safe. After all, the secret is only known when people make it real in their own lives, not when they simply hear it.

If we believe in the divine as cosmic family, we relegate ourselves to perpetual adolescence. If we regard the divine as supreme government, we are forever victims of unfathomable officialdom.

Our subjectivity is a mirrored, spiked casket. When will we see that all we have done is surround ourselves with our own illusions? Only when we realize our true nature does the casket disappear.

No. No. No. This ruins a child. Firmness, consistency, and patience are vital. However when it comes to a child’s curiosity, individuality, or initiative there should never be any discouragement.

What facets of your personality are encumbrances? What personal aspects prevent you from being independent? These are the areas that will define your self-cultivation, for you must strive to stand alone.

One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures. Be like the explorers of old. What they acquired for themselves will always surpass those who merely read about their exploits.

Why is it so hard to find liberation? Because our own minds are the source of our difficulties. Eliminate desire, accept personal shortcomings, and work toward a patient elimination of the mind's own hunger for outward satisfaction.

If you hold a real weapon in your hand, you will feel its character strongly. It begs to be used. It is fearsome. Its only purpose is death, and its power is not just in the material from which it is made but also from the intention of its makers.

To be a Taoist, one need not engage in fanatical denial of any part of life, nor does one need to leave family and career in order to gain a foothold on the path. One need only balance the various parts of one’s personality and provide them with a strong focus.

If you go personally to war, you cross the line yourself. You sacrifice ideals for survival and the fury of killing. That alters you forever. That is why no one rushes to be a veteran. Think before you want to change so unalterably. The stakes are not merely one’s life, but one’s very humanity.

The same is true of the misfortune, failures, and disappointments of life. If we understand the importance of manure, we understand that nothing is truly wasted. Everything can be useful if correctly applied. Therefore, even the bad things in life may become fertilizer that will help us grow and become strong.

Such is the case with unseasonable rain. It is supposed to be hot summer, yet it is a day like midwinter. What is there to do but to accept it? Following cycles does not mean that you can then expect things to occur with precision and regularity. The actual ways that circumstances develop will always remain beyond complete regimentation. Nature doesn’t act according to human theories. Rather, our sciences are imperfect at analyzing nature.

There is an underbelly of terror to all life. It is suffering, it is hurt. Deep within all of us are intense fears that have left few of us whole. Life’s terrors haunt us, attack us, leave ugly cuts. To buffer ourselves, we dwell on beauty, we collect things, we fall in love, we desperately try to make something lasting in our lives. We take beauty as the only worthwhile thing in this existence, but it cannot veil cursing, violence, randomness, and injustice.

Most of our days consist of small things; it is from these small things that the larger events of life are composed. We must not fall into the trap of waiting so long for the big things that we let numerous small chances slip right by us. People who do this are always waiting for life to be perfect. If they would lower their sights, they would see all the beautiful opportunities swirling at their feet. If they would humble themselves enough to bend down, they could scoop untold treasures up into their hands.

Happiness Fu. Happiness. The left side means a revelation from heaven and is used in all words with abstract meanings. The right side shows the word for “beans” on the top and “fields” on the bottom; when the beans are harvested, people are happy. All abundance is provided by Tao. If we appreciate that, we will see that we are surrounded by happiness. Like everything else in Tao, happiness comes from within. What minimal support we need from the outside—a bit of food, some shelter—can actually be very simple and plain and is readily available. Nevertheless, people are unhappy because they do not know moderation. “All I need to be happy is to be rich,” many say. But the newspapers are filled with stories of wealthy people who live in deep despair. In fact, the simple phrase, “All I need to be happy is to be rich”—complete with your choice of substitutes for the word rich—is an immediate indication of the source of our unhappiness: there is no end to what we want. Know when enough is enough. Some die from hunger, but many die from overeating. So to be happy, we have to control our desires. The ancients taught two ways to do this. Sometimes they used discipline to curb desire. Sometimes they satisfied their desires. This is the genius of Tao: moderation. We do not need to cleave to the extremism of the ascetic. We do not need to lose ourselves in the indulgence of the hedonist. We follow Tao, the middle path.

Let us not hold ourselves above our fellow human beings, no matter how great the disparity. To withhold your scorn is already beautiful. To see how we are all of one family is compassion.

We create the world and ourselves;

followers of Tao meld the way of the warrior and the sage. They want the courage and preparedness of the fighter, the luminous perception of the wise.

Make your stand today. On this spot. On this day.

Weapons are tools of ill omen Wielded by the ignorant.

Forbearance Arctic breath coils the mountain, Rattling the forests’ bones. Raindrops cling to branches: Jewelled adornment flung to earth. Trees in winter lose their leaves. Some trees may even fall during storms, but most stand patiently and bear their fortune. They endure rain, snow, wind, and cold. They bear the adornment of glycerin raindrops, glimmering icicles, or crowns of snow without care. They are not concerned when such lustrous splendor is dashed to the ground. They stand, and they wait, the power of their growth apparently dormant. But inside, a burgeoning is building imperceptibly. Theirs is the forbearance of being true to their inner natures. It is with this power that they withstand both the vicissitudes and adornment of life, for neither bad fortune nor good fortune will alter what they are. We should be the same way. We may have great fortune or bad, but we should patiently bear both. No matter what, we must always be true to our inner selves.

It is only the depth of character that determines the profundity with which we face life. We can either add to our character each day or we can fritter away our energies in distractions. Those who learn how to accumulate character each day achieve a depth that cannot be successfully opposed.

We must plunge into the mystery itself. Only then will we know peace.

Clarity comes when you unify all the faculties of the mind into a magnificent light of perception. That light is the concentrated force of the mind. It is by that brightness that truth is revealed.

In the process of listening for mysterious voices and expressing the wonder that comes is a magic akin to the perfection of Tao.

One side of a ridge is cold and foggy, The other is hot and dry. Just by choosing where you stand, You alter your destiny.

Let us not hold ourselves above our fellow human beings. To see how we are all of one family is compassion.

Be creative. Thus we contribute and thus we elevate our souls.

It is best to realize the transitory nature of things and work with it. Understanding the world’s ephemeral nature can be the biggest advantage of all.

it is only depth of character that determines the profundity with which we face life. We can either add to our character each day, or we can fritter away our energies in distractions.

Before parents blame their children, they should first look to how their daughters and sons were raised.

Your life is a creation that dies when you die. Release

Receive without complaint, Work with fate.

Duty is inevitable, but we need not saddle ourselves with extra responsibilities. Keep life simple. Give up as much as possible.

Watching a performance of warriors, I was told, “This fighter’s tradition is six hundred years old.” And I saw a performance so mired in ritual— As if nothing valid had happened in six hundred years. We must honor the classical without being irrelevant.