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Tao Te Ching by Laozi

Tao Te Ching by Laozi

by Parker · 81 things on Twos

A good athlete can enter a state of body-awareness, in which the right stroke or the right movement happens by itself, effortlessly, without any interference of the conscious will.
The program writes the program.
Nothing is done because the doer has wholeheartedly vanished into the deed.
Be in perfect harmony with the way things are.
The Master has mastered Nature; not in the sense of conquering it, but of becoming it.
Evil is a state of self-absorption which is in disharmony with the universal process.
The Master is available to all people and doesn't reject anyone. He is ready to use all situations and doesn't waste anything.
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher? What is a bad man but a good man's job?
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.
If you over esteem 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.
Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place.
The Tao doesn't take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil. The Master doesn't take sides; she welcomes both saints and sinners.
The supreme good is like water, which, nourishes all things without trying to.
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.
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will be blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.
Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.
The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.
Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance.
See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self; then you can care for all things.
Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
The master doesn't seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.
If you don't realize the source, you stumble in confusion and sorrow. When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king. Immersed in the wonder of the Tao, you can deal with whatever life brings you, and when death comes, you are ready.
When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists.
If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy.
The master doesn't talk, he acts.
Stay at the center of the circle and let all things take their course.
Stop thinking and end your problems. Must you value what others value, avoid what others avoid? How ridiculous.
If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty, If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, give everything up.
The Master, by residing in the Tao, sets an example for all beings. Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light. Because he has nothing to prove, people can trust his words. Because he doesn't know who he is, people recognize themselves in him. Because he has no goal in mind, everything he does succeeds.
He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm. He who rushes ahead doesn't go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light. He who defines himself can't know who he really is. He who has power over others can't empower himself. He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures.
Just do your job, then let go.
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.
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.
The Master does his job and then stops. He understands that the universe is forever out of control, and that trying to dominate events goes against the current of the Tao. Because he believes in himself, he doesn't try to convince others. Because he is content with himself, he doesn't need others' approval. Because he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him.
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich. If you stay in the center and embrace death with your whole heart, you will endure forever.
Let your workings remain a mystery. Just show people the results.
When there is no desire, all things are at peace.
The Master doesn't try to be powerful; thus he is truly powerful. The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; thus he never has enough.
The Master does nothing, yet he leaves nothing undone. The ordinary man is always doing things, yet many more are left to be done.
Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.
If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself.
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.
There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy. Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.
The more you know, the less you understand.
True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way. It can't be gained by interfering.
The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings. He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to; no illusions in his mind, no resistances in his body. He doesn't think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. He holds nothing back from life; therefore he is ready for death, as a man is ready for sleep after a good day's work.
If you close your mind in judgments and traffic with desires, your heart will be troubled. If you keep your mind from judging and aren't led by senses, your heart will find peace.
The Master lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire. He never expects results; thus he is never disappointed. He is never disappointed; thus his spirit never grows old.
Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.
Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself.
The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Tolerant like the sky, all-pervading like sunlight, firm like a mountain, supple like a tree in the wind, he has no destination in view and makes use of anything life happens to bring his way.
Act without doing; work without effort. Think of the small as large and the few as many. Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts.
The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn't cling to his own comfort; thus problems are no problem for her.
Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before they exist. The giant pine tree grows from a tiny sprout. The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet.
Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.
The Master takes action by letting things take their course. He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning. He has nothing, thus has nothing to lose. What he desires is non-desire; what he learns is to unlearn. He simply reminds people of who they have always been.
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.
All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.
The Master is above the people, and no one feels oppressed. She goes ahead of the people, and no one feels manipulated. The whole world is grateful to her. Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.
Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and in 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.
The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal good. The best leader follows the will of the people. All of them embody the virtue of non-competition. Not that they don't love to compete, but they do it in the spirit of play. In this, they are like children and in harmony with the Tao.
There is no greater misfortune than underestimating your enemy. Underestimating your enemy means thinking that he is evil. Thus you destroy your three treasures and become an enemy yourself.
If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve.
Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter's place. When you handle the master carpenter's tools, chances are you'll cut yourself.
Act for people's benefit. Trust them; leave them alone.
Whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.
The Master can keep giving because there is no end to her wealth. She acts without expectation, succeeds without taking credit, and doesn't think that she is better than anyone else.
Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame.
The Master fulfills her own obligations and corrects her own mistakes. She does what she needs to do and demands nothing of others.
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.