Tao Te Ching Laozi Quotes

Love Embracing Tao, you become embraced. Supple, breathing gently, you become reborn. Clearing your vision, you become clear. Nurturing your beloved, you become impartial. Opening your heart, you become accepted. Accepting the World, you embrace Tao. Bearing and nurturing, Creating but not owning, Giving without demanding, Controlling without authority, This is love.

Shape clay into a vessel;
 It is the space within that makes it useful. 
Cut doors and windows for a room;
 It is the holes which make it useful. 
Therefore benefit comes from what is there; 
Usefulness from what is not there.

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants. A good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is. Thus the Master is available to all people and doesn't reject anyone. He is ready to use all situations and doesn't waste anything. This is called embodying the light. What is a good man but a bad man's teacher? What is a bad man but a good man's job? If you don't understand this, you will get lost, however intelligent you are. It is the great secret.

The Wise Man is square but not sharp, honest but not not malign, straight but not severe, bright but not dazzling.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.

A bad man is a good man's job

Too much brightness blinds the eyes. Too much sound deafens the ears. Too much flavour ruins the tongue. Chasing desires to excess turns your mind towards madness, and valuing precious things impairs good judgment.

The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps;

Therefore: In dwelling, choose modest quarters, in thinking, value stillness, in dealing with others, be kind, in choosing words, be sincere, in leading, be just, in working, be competent, in acting, choose the correct timing. Follow these words and there will be no error.

So, he who displays himself does not shine;

Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi

Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling;

gave their (right) names to things without seeing them;

Let him keep his mouth open, and (spend his breath) in the promotion of his affairs, and all his life there will be no safety for him.

If I were suddenly to become known, and (put into a position to) conduct (a government) according to the Great Tao, what I should be most afraid of would be a boastful display.

Fishes should not be taken from the deep; instruments for the profit of a state should not be shown to the people.

unpretentious like wood that has not been fashioned into anything;

Although he may have brilliant prospects to look at, he quietly remains (in his proper place), indifferent to them.

the skilful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will be impossible;

the skilful binder uses no strings or knots, while to unloose what he has bound will be impossible.

when he is going to despoil another, he will first have made gifts to him:—

When one knows that he is his mother's child, and proceeds to guard (the qualities of) the mother that belong to him, to the end of his life he will be free from all peril.

there is nothing like moderation.

it brings them to maturity and exercises no control over them;—

it carries them through their processes and does not vaunt its ability in doing so;

It produces them and makes no claim to the possession of them;

Let him keep his mouth closed, and shut up the portals (of his nostrils), and all his life he will be exempt from laborious exertion.

Those who possessed in a lower degree those attributes (sought how) not to lose them, and therefore they did not possess them (in fullest measure).

many historians contend that Laozi actually lived in the 4th century BC, which was the period of Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period, while others contend he was a mythical figure. Laozi was credited with

So there are established sayings: Guidance to enlightenment seems nonsensical. Guidance to progress seems backwards. Guidance to equality seems to classify. Higher efficacy seems at a loss. Great purity seems like shame. Broad effectiveness seems insufficient. Constructive effectiveness seems casual. Basic reality seems changeable. A great expanse has no shores. A large container takes a long time to make. Important news is rarely heard.

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Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi actually lived in the 4th century BC, which was the period of Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Period, while others contend he was a mythical figure. Laozi was credited with writing the seminal Taoist work, the Tao Te Ching, which was originally known as the Laozi. Taishang Laojun was a title for Laozi in the Taoist religion. It refers to One of the Three Pure Ones. Source: Wikipedia

Ten books that helped my mind 1.  Letters to a Young Poet – Rainer Maria Rilke 2. Poems – Emily Dickinson 3. Henry David Thoreau’s journal 4.  When Things Fall Apart – Pema Chödrön 5.  The House at Pooh Corner – A.A. Milne 6.  Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott 7. Meditations – Marcus Aurelius 8. Tao Te Ching – Laozi 9. Serious Concerns – Wendy Cope 10. Dream Work – Mary Oliver

Ten books that helped my mind Letters to a Young Poet—Rainer Maria Rilke Poems—Emily Dickinson Henry David Thoreau’s journal When Things Fall Apart—Pema Chödrön The House at Pooh Corner—A. A. Milne Bird by Bird—Anne Lamott Meditations—Marcus Aurelius Tao Te Ching—Laozi Serious Concerns—Wendy Cope Dream Work—Mary Oliver

Letters to a Young Poet—Rainer Maria Rilke Poems—Emily Dickinson Henry David Thoreau’s journal When Things Fall Apart—Pema Chödrön The House at Pooh Corner—A. A. Milne Bird by Bird—Anne Lamott Meditations—Marcus Aurelius Tao Te Ching—Laozi Serious Concerns—Wendy Cope Dream Work—Mary Oliver

2012 Andy’s Correspondence   Young, Young, Young, you do have a way with words. Your seductive writing is temptation for me to lust after you, not to mention your romantic description of our lovemaking. You’ve charmed me to irresistible covetousness. LOL!               None of my other charges had the magnetism that you did. I’m sure you knew that during our time together. As much as I adored Albert, I was not smitten by him as with you. It would be cynical of me to say I don’t feel the connection you and I shared even to this day. Love never dissipates but grows with each passing day. This emotion lies dormant and buried within our subconscious until the right moment triggers its resurgence. I believe you already know my sentiment. Need I say more?☺               The poppy-field experience was just one of many soul connections we shared in our journey through oneness and unity. As Laozi wrote in the opening lines of the Tao Te Ching, the Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao; as soon as it is named, a dichotomy is created, and it is lost. Oneness means just that: only one. The instant we label or name it, it’s something else — it’s no longer unity…

Letters to a Young Poet—Rainer Maria Rilke Poems—Emily Dickinson Henry David Thoreau’s journal When Things Fall Apart—Pema Chödrön The House at Pooh Corner—A. A. Milne Bird by Bird—Anne Lamott Meditations—Marcus Aurelius Tao Te Ching—Laozi Serious Concerns—Wendy Cope

Sparse speech is natural Thus strong wind does not last all morning Sudden rain does not last all day What makes this so? Heaven and Earth Even Heaven and Earth cannot make it last How can humans?

Those who are on tiptoes cannot stand Those who straddle cannot walk Those who flaunt themselves are not clear Those who presume themselves are not distinguished Those who praise themselves have no merit Those who boast about themselves do not last Those with the Tao call such things leftover food or tumors They despise them Thus, those who possesses the Tao do not engage in them

Victory [in war] is not beautiful. Those who consider it beautiful delight in the massacre of people

We must recognize that God’s statement “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) applies to creation as well. Sometimes the best thing we can do for the healing of creation is nothing at all. “Who can make muddy water clear?” Laozi writes in the Tao Te Ching. “But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself.