Quotes from Tao Te Ching

“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, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“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, quote from Tao Te Ching

“The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“A leader is best
When people barely know he exists
Of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will say, “We did this ourselves.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!

Other people are excited,
as though they were at a parade.
I alone don't care,
I alone am expressionless,
like an infant before it can smile.

Other people have what they need;
I alone possess nothing.
I alone drift about,
like someone without a home.
I am like an idiot, my mind is so empty.

Other people are bright;
I alone am dark.
Other people are sharp;
I alone am dull.
Other people have purpose;
I alone don't know.
I drift like a wave on the ocean,
I blow as aimless as the wind.

I am different from ordinary people.
I drink from the Great Mother's breasts.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“The wise man is one who, knows, what he does not know.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“To understand the limitation of things, desire them.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Give evil nothing to oppose
and it will disappear by itself.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“all streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. humility gives it its power. if you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. if you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“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, quote from Tao Te Ching

“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.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“The further one goes, the less one knows.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty" - Lao-tsu”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Countless words
count less
than the silent balance
between yin and yang”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear?”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait! Be still and allow the mud to settle.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

“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, quote from Tao Te Ching

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.”
― Lao Tzu, quote from Tao Te Ching

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BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.