In the vast landscape of philosophy and ancient wisdom, few figures shine as brightly as Lao Tzu. Born in ancient China around the 6th century BCE, Lao Tzu is believed to be the author of the revered Tao Te Ching, a text that has inspired countless generations and continues to resonate with seekers of wisdom even today. Renowned for his deep understanding of human nature, spirituality, and the harmony of the universe, Lao Tzu’s teachings offer profound insights into the art of living a balanced and fulfilling life.
Today, we embark on a captivating journey through the illuminating quotes of Lao Tzu, exploring their timeless relevance and practical wisdom. From the power of simplicity to the profound nature of the Tao, Lao Tzu’s words encapsulate the essence of human existence and provide guidance for navigating the complexities of our modern world.
As we delve into Lao Tzu’s profound quotes, we’ll uncover nuggets of wisdom that encourage us to embrace the beauty of simplicity, find harmony within ourselves and the world around us, and cultivate a deeper connection with the natural rhythms of existence. Each quote serves as a lantern, illuminating the path to self-discovery, inner peace, and life in alignment with the principles of the Tao.
So, let us begin this exploration of Lao Tzu’s insights, as we discover the profound wisdom that continues to resonate through the ages and learn how it can enrich our lives in the present moment.
I hope you enjoy these Lao Tzu quotes…
1) “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu
2) “Act without expectation.” – Lao Tzu
3) “He who acts, destroys; he who grasps, loses. Therefore the Sage does not act, and so does not destroy; he does not grasp, and so he does not lose.” – Lao Tzu
4) “An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox.” – Lao Tzu
5) “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” – Lao Tzu
6) “Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretches her fingers to touch the heavens.” – Lao Tzu
7) “At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” – Lao Tzu
8) “To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” – Lao Tzu
9) “If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself, if you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” – Lao Tzu
Be content with what you have…
10) “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu
11) “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Lao Tzu
12) “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu
13) “One who believes in himself has no need to convince others.” – Lao Tzu
14) “The best fighter is never angry.” – Lao Tzu
15) “Bring out the best in yourself, and you will bring out the best in others.” – Lao Tzu
16) “By following this simple path, you become extraordinary, unfathomable, a being of profound cosmic subtlety. You outlive time and space by realizing the subtle truth of the universe.” – Lao Tzu
17) “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” – Lao Tzu
18) “Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream.” – Lao Tzu
19) “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
20) “He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty.” – Lao Tzu
21) “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” – Lao Tzu
22) “Darkness within darkness. The gateway to all understanding.” – Lao Tzu
23) “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
24) “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” – Lao Tzu
25) “Man’s enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.” – Lao Tzu
26) “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Lao Tzu
27) “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” – Lao Tzu
28) “Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.” – Lao Tzu
29) “Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.” – Lao Tzu
Give evil nothing to oppose…
30) “Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.” – Lao Tzu
31) “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
32) “Great acts are made up of small deeds.” – Lao Tzu
33) “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” – Lao Tzu
34) “Health is the greatest possession.” – Lao Tzu
35) “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu
36) “Knowing how to yield is strength.” – Lao Tzu
37) “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu
38) “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.” – Lao Tzu
39) “In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
40) “Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.” – Lao Tzu
41) “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
42) “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” – Lao Tzu
43) “To know that you do not know is the best. To think you know when you do not is a disease. Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.” – Lao Tzu
44) “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
45) “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.” – Lao Tzu
46) “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu
47) “To lead people, walk beside them…” – Lao Tzu
48) “Stop leaving and you will arrive. Stop searching and you will see. Stop running away and you will be found.” – Lao Tzu
49) “Let nature take its course. By letting each thing act in accordance with its own nature, everything that needs to be done gets done.” – Lao Tzu
Let things flow naturally…
50) “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
51) “Do not look only at yourself, and you will see much. Do not justify yourself, and you will be distinguished.” – Lao Tzu
52) “The wise man looks back into the past, and does not grieve over what is far off, nor rejoice over what is near; for he knows that time is without end.” – Lao Tzu
53) “Loss is not as bad as wanting more.” – Lao Tzu
54) “Make the earth a dwelling place. Cultivate the heart and mind. Practice benevolence. Stand by your word. Govern with equity. Serve skillfully. Act in a timely way, without contentiousness, free of blame.” – Lao Tzu
55) “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” – Lao Tzu
56) “Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
57) “To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” – Lao Tzu
58) “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” – Lao Tzu
59) “If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
60) “A great nation is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers. He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts.” – Lao Tzu
61) “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
62) “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu
63) “Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.” – Lao Tzu
64) “Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu
65) “He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.” – Lao Tzu
66) “Because of a great love, one is courageous.” – Lao Tzu
67) “One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.” – Lao Tzu
68) “He who knows others is wise, but he who knows himself is enlightened.” – Lao Tzu
69) “Our enemies are not demons, but human beings like ourselves.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
70) “If the people must be ever fearful of death, then there will always be an executioner.” – Lao Tzu
71) “The wise person leads by remaining in the background.” – Lao Tzu
72) “Those who possessed in highest degree the attributes (of the Tao) did not (seek) to show them, and therefore they possessed them (in fullest measure).” – Lao Tzu
73) “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.” – Lao Tzu
74) “Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.” – Lao Tzu
75) “Ruling a large kingdom is like cooking a small fish…” – Lao Tzu
76) “The seed of mystery lies in muddy water. How can I perceive this mystery? Water becomes clear through stillness. How can I become still? By flowing with the stream.” – Lao Tzu
77) “Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” – Lao Tzu
78) “Stop thinking, and end your problems.” – Lao Tzu
79) “Stretch the bow to the very full, and you will wish you had stopped in time.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
80) “To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.” – Lao Tzu
81) “The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.” – Lao Tzu
82) “There is no disaster greater than not being content; there is no misfortune greater than being covetous.” – Lao Tzu
83) “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” – Lao Tzu
84) “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.'” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
85) “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” – Lao Tzu
86) “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” – Lao Tzu
87) “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!” – Lao Tzu
88) “Do you want to improve the world? I don’t think it can be done. The world is sacred. It can’t be improved. If you tamper with it, you’ll ruin it. If you treat it like an object, you’ll lose it. There is a time for being ahead, a time for being behind; a time for being in motion, a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous, a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe, a time for being in danger. The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle.” – Lao Tzu
89) “Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu Quotes
90) “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” – Lao Tzu
91) “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu
92) “He who defends with love will be secure; Heaven will save him, and protect him with love.” – Lao Tzu
93) “The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere. The great leader is he who the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.'” – Lao Tzu
94) “The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.” – Lao Tzu
95) “The words of truth are always paradoxical.” – Lao Tzu
96) “If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.” – Lao Tzu
97) “Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.” – Lao Tzu
98) “The world belongs to those who let go.” – Lao Tzu
99) “Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?” – Lao Tzu
100) “Your own positive future begins in this moment. All you have is right now. Every goal is possible from here.” – Lao Tzu
101) “Love is a decision. Not an emotion.” – Lao Tzu
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