Lao-Tzu Quotes & Sayings

The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own. — Lao-Tzu

Therefore a wise prince, marching the whole day, does not go far from his baggage waggons. — Lao-Tzu

Obscure as muddied water. But, with stillness, muddy waters clear. Can you also act while remaining still? — Lao-Tzu

Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind). — Lao-Tzu

If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers. — Lao-Tzu

Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved. — Lao-Tzu

Everything under heaven is a sacred vessel and cannot be controlled. Trying to control leads to ruin. Trying to grasp, we lose. Allow your life to unfold naturally. Know that it too is a vessel of perfection. Just as you breathe in and breathe out, there is a time for being ahead and a time for being behind; a time for being in motion and a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous and a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe and a time for being in danger. — Lao-Tzu

Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires. — Lao-Tzu

Silence is a source of great strenght. — Lao-Tzu

Do not shine like jade, instead be humble like a rock. — Lao-Tzu

Free from desire, you realize the mystery
caught in the desire, you see only the manifestations. — Lao-Tzu

The Tao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
Who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its even way is like a rugged track.
Its highest virtue from the vale doth rise;
Its greatest beauty seems to offend the eyes;
And he has most whose lot the least supplies.
Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low;
Its solid truth seems change to undergo;
Its largest square doth yet no corner show
A vessel great, it is the slowest made;
Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade. — Lao-Tzu

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. — Lao-Tzu

If you understand others you are smart.
If you understand yourself you are illuminated.
If you overcome others you are powerful.
If you overcome yourself you have strength.
If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.
If you can act with vigor, you have a will.
If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting.
If you die without loss, you are eternal. — Lao-Tzu

When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating. — Lao-Tzu

Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. — Lao-Tzu

The people make light of dying because of the greatness of their labours in seeking for the means of living. — Lao-Tzu

To hold, you must first open your hand. Let go — Lao-Tzu

In the end,
The treasure of life is missed by those who hold on
and gained by those who let go. — Lao-Tzu

As you live, so you die — Lao-Tzu

The Master is her own physician.
She has healed herself of all knowing.
Thus she is truly whole. — Lao-Tzu

A sage traveling all day
is never far from the supplies in his cart,
and however spectacular the views
he remains calm and composed. — Lao-Tzu

Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by. — Lao-Tzu

Stand before it and there is no beginning. Follow it and there is no end. Stay with the ancient Tao, Move with the present. — Lao-Tzu

An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox. — Lao-Tzu

Knowing how to yield is strength — Lao-Tzu

Nature does not play favourites, it regards its creations without sentimentality. Therefore the wise person also acts in this way. — Lao-Tzu

Those who know don't tell.
Those who tell don't know.
from 56 — Lao-Tzu

Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of him. — Lao-Tzu

An ocean of ink in a single drop,
Trembling at the tip of my brush.
Poised above stark white paper,
A universe waits for existence. — Lao-Tzu

Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it. — Lao-Tzu

The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be. — Lao-Tzu

If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.
The Master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know. — Lao-Tzu

To live without forcing to overcome without conquering — Lao-Tzu

To those who are good (to me), I am good;
and to those who are not good (to me), I am also good;
and thus (all) get to be good.
To those who are sincere (with me), I am sincere;
and to those who are not sincere (with me), I am also sincere;
and thus (all) get to be sincere. — Lao-Tzu

And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface
They are essentially the same — Lao-Tzu

Always without desire we must be found, — Lao-Tzu

An over sharpened sword cannot last long. — Lao-Tzu

She does not show herself, and therefore is apparent. She does not affirm herself, and therefore is acknowledged. She does not boast and therefore has merit. She does not strive and therefore is successful. It is exactly because she does not contend, that nobody can contend with her. — Lao-Tzu

Become totally empty
Quiet the restlessness of the mind
Only then will you witness everything unfolding from emptiness — Lao-Tzu

If we could renounce our benevolence and discard our righteousness, the people would again become filial and kindly. — Lao-Tzu

The best fighter is never angry. — Lao-Tzu

Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it. — Lao-Tzu

Simplicity without a name
Is free from all external aim.
With no desire, at rest and still,
All things go right as of their will. — Lao-Tzu

Why do the people starve? It is because those at the top eat too much, and taxes are too high. This is why the people starve. Why are the people difficult to lead? It is because those in authority are meddlesome in their affairs. This is why the people are difficult to lead. — Lao-Tzu

Heaven which by it is bright and pure; — Lao-Tzu

This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness; and that stillness may be called a reporting that they have fulfilled their appointed end. — Lao-Tzu

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. — Lao-Tzu

Be simply yourself and don't compare or compete — Lao-Tzu

To lead people, you must follow behind. — Lao-Tzu

The grandest forms of active force
From Tao come, their only source.
Who can of Tao the nature tell?
Our sight it flies, our touch as well.
Eluding sight, eluding touch,
The forms of things all in it crouch;
Eluding touch, eluding sight,
There are their semblances, all right.
Profound it is, dark and obscure;
Things' essences all there endure.
Those essences the truth enfold
Of what, when seen, shall then be told.
Now it is so; 'twas so of old.
Its name--what passes not away;
So, in their beautiful array,
Things form and never know decay. — Lao-Tzu

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good. — Lao-Tzu

One who understands others has knowledge; one who understands himself has wisdom. Mastering others requires force; mastering the self needs strength. — Lao-Tzu

Those who do not lose their base endure. Those who die but do not perish have longevity. — Lao-Tzu

The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others. — Lao-Tzu

The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground
While the tender and weak dance on the breeze above. — Lao-Tzu

Upon disaster depends good fortune;
within good fortune hides disaster.
Where will it end?
For nothing is certain;
what is correct goes astray;
what is right goes wrong.
Our confusion goes on and on. — Lao-Tzu

He who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him. — Lao-Tzu

The five colors make man's eyes blind, the five notes make his ears deaf, the five tastes injure his palate. — Lao-Tzu

Gently eliminating all obstacles to his own understanding, he constantly maintains his unconditional sincerity. His humility, perseverance, and adaptability evoke the response of the universe and fill him with divine light. — Lao-Tzu

When one gives undivided attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy, he can become as a (tender) babe. — Lao-Tzu

Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear? — Lao-Tzu

Wild winds never last all morning
and fierce rains never last all day. — Lao-Tzu

Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe. — Lao-Tzu

The road you can talk about is not the road you can walk on — Lao-Tzu

My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them,you'll fail.
My teachings are older than the world.
How can you grasp their meaning?
If you want to know me,
Look inside your heart. — Lao-Tzu

When its work is accomplished, it does not claim the name of having done it. — Lao-Tzu

One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others. — Lao-Tzu

56. Manifest plainness and embrace the genuine; lessen self-interest and make few your desires. — Lao-Tzu

Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above. — Lao-Tzu

The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps — Lao-Tzu

Earth rendered thereby firm and sure; — Lao-Tzu

De wijze heeft geen onwrikbare beginselen. Hij past zich aan anderen aan.
(Free translation into English: The wise man has no firm principles. He adapts to others.) — Lao-Tzu

Choose food, clothing, and shelter that accords with nature.Rely on your own body for transportation. Allow your work and your recreation to be one and the same. Do exercise that develops your whole being and not just your body. Listen to music that bridges the three spheres of your being. Choose leaders for their virtue rather than their wealth or power. Serve others and cultivate yourself simultaneously. Understand that true growth comes from meeting and solving problems of life in a way that is harmonizing to yourself and to others. If you can follow these simple old ways, you will be continually renewed. — Lao-Tzu

The Sage sees the world
as an expansion of his own self
So what need has he to accumulate things? — Lao-Tzu

31 against war
Weapons are unhappy tools,
not chosen by thoughtful people,
to be used only when there is no choice,
and with a calm, still mind,
without enjoyment.
To enjoy using weapons
is to enjoy killing people,
and to enjoy killing people
is to lose your share in the common good ... — Lao-Tzu

When reconciling great hatred there will some remain. How can it be made good? Therefore the wise man accepts the debit side of the account and does not have to enforce payment from others. — Lao-Tzu

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. — Lao-Tzu

By letting go it all gets done. — Lao-Tzu

Perfection is the willingness to be imperfect. — Lao-Tzu

The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. He prefers what is within to what is without. — Lao-Tzu

To lead people walk behind them. — Lao-Tzu

Weapons are never the implements of good fortune, and they are to be detested. Therefore, the wise leader avoids them. Normally the wise leader values patience, but when at war he values action. Since he is opposed to the use of weapons, he uses them only when it is unavoidable, and even then with great restraint. To praise victory in war is to rejoice in the slaughter of men. The slaughter of men causes grief and sorrow to the people, therefore he who rejoices in this will not be successful. Fortune follows the restrained, misfortune follows the ambitious. Therefore victory in war should not be celebrated, but instead should be met with mourning. — Lao-Tzu

When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish. — Lao-Tzu

The strong wind cannot last the whole morning, the torrential rain cannot last all day. It is nature that causes these things, but even nature cannot cause them to go on forever. If nature cannot do this, then certainly man cannot do so. — Lao-Tzu

In the next age they loved them and praised them. — Lao-Tzu

How can one know the eternal origin?
By letting go of ideas
and allowing it to reveal itself — Lao-Tzu

What makes me liable to great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had not the body, what great calamity could come to me? — Lao-Tzu

Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever. — Lao-Tzu

Without stirring abroad, One can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window One can see the way of heaven. The further one goes The less one knows. — Lao-Tzu

One who practices virtue and selflessness should not hold any particular idea in his mind about how to fulfill his virtue, for virtue is the very nature of one's being. — Lao-Tzu

Great acts are made up of small deeds. — Lao-Tzu

The Tao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fulness. — Lao-Tzu

People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure. — Lao-Tzu

There is nothing like moderation. — Lao-Tzu

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 — Lao-Tzu

From self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. — Lao-Tzu

When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without a flaw. — Lao-Tzu

The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself. — Lao-Tzu

To avoid disappointment, know what is sufficient. To avoid trouble, know when to stop. If you are able to do this, you will last a long time. — Lao-Tzu