Lao Tseu citations

Page 2

“Donnez à un homme un poisson, et il aura à manger pour une journée; apprenez à un homme à pêcher, et il aura à manger toute sa vie.”

“Content de peu n'a rien à craindre.”

“Un voyage de mille lieux a commencé par un pas.”

“Un grand pays ne désire que rassembler les hommes et les nourrir.<div”

“Plus se multiplient les lois et les ordonnances, plus foisonnent les voleurs et les bandits.”

“À l'impossible, seuls les imbéciles sont tenus!”

“Parler rarement est conforme à la nature.”

“Être bon à l'égard des bons et bon aussi envers ceux qui ne le sont pas, c'est posséder la bonté même.”

“A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, "We did this ourselves."”

“There is a thing inherent and natural,
Which existed before heaven and earth.
Motionless and fathomless,
It stands alone and never changes;
It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted.
It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe.
I do not know its name. If I am forced to give it a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.”

“Block the passages, shut the doors,
And till the end your strength shall not fail.
Open up the passages, increase your doings,
And till your last day no help shall come to you.”

“When men lack a sense of awe, there will be disaster.”

“The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.”

“What I hear, I forget. What I say, I remember. What I do, I understand.”

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

“The universe is deathless; Is deathless because, having no finite self, it stays infinite. A sound man by not advancing himself stays the further ahead of himself, By not confining himself to himself sustains himself outside himself: By never being an end in himself he endlessly becomes himself.”

“A violent wind does not outlast the morning; a squall of rain does not outlast the day. Such is the course of Nature. And if Nature herself cannot sustain her efforts long, how much less can man!”

“A way can be a guide but not a fixed path
names can be given but not permanent labels
Nonbeing is called the beginning of heaven and earth
being is called the mother of all things
Always passionless thereby observe the subtle
ever intent thereby observe the apparent
These two come from the same source but differ in name
both are considered mysteries
The mystery of mysteries is the gateway of marvels”

“Therefore the Sage embraces the One,
And becomes the model of the world.
He does not reveal himself,
And is therefore luminous.
He does not justify himself,
And is therefore far-famed.
He does not boast himself,
And therefore people give him credit.
He does not pride himself,
And is therefore the ruler among men.
It is because he does not contend
That no one in the world can contend against him.”

“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.”

“To attain knowledge, add things every day.
To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”

“Governing a large country is like frying a small fish.”

“The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.”

“Thirty spokes unite at the single hub;
It is the empty space which makes the wheel useful.
Mold clay to form a bowl;
It is the empty space which makes the bowl useful.
Cut out windows and doors;
It is the empty space which makes the room useful.”

“When the center does not hold, the circle falls apart.”

“Watch your thoughts; They become words. Watch your words; They become actions. Watch your actions; They become habits. Watch your habits; They become character. Watch your character; It becomes your destiny.”

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

“Qiān lǐ zhī xíng shǐ yú zú xià.”

“Nature does not hurry yet it accomplishes everything.”

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

“He who talks more is sooner exhausted.”

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”

“One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.”

“The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days.”

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”