“Why did the ancients cherish the Tao?
Because through it
We may find a world of peace,
Leaving behind a world of cares,
And hold the greatest treasure under heaven.”
{TAO 62)

“A tree that reaches past your embrace grows from one small seed.
A structure over nine stories high begins with a handful of earth.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
(TAO 64)

“Wise people seek solutions;
The ignorant only cast blame.”
(TAO 79)

“The Tao is the One.
From the One come yin and yang;
From these two, creative energy;
From energy, ten thousand things,
The forms of all creation.


All life embodies yin
And embraces yang,
Through their union
Achieving harmony.”
(TAO 42)

“At birth all people are soft and yielding.
At death they are hard and stiff.
All green plants are tender and yielding.
At death they are brittle and dry.
When hard and rigid,
We consort with death.
When soft and flexible,
We affirm greater life.”
(TAO 76)

“Follow the Tao
And live in harmony.
Cultivate character (Te)
And develop your highest potential
Te and Tao
Are the way of life.
Abandon either.
And the Tao abandons you.”
(TAO 23)

“Those who know they do not know
Gain wisdom.
Those who pretend they know
Remain ignorant.


Those who acknowledge their weakness
Become strong.
Those who flaunt their power
Will lost it.


Wisdom and power
Follow truth above all.
For truth is the way of Tao.
(TAO 71)

“The Tao person knows herself
And makes no display,
Accepts herself
And is not arrogant.”
(TAO 72)

The Tao person, detached and wise,
Embraces all as Tao.”
(TAO 49)

“Tao people never try. They do.”
(TAO 48)

“Through loving service,
They attain fulfillment.”
{TAO 7)

“The Tao person
Lives fully in every moment.”


“When a conventional person hears about Tao,
He breaks into loud laughter.
If there were no laughter,
It would not be Tao.”
(TAO 41)

The greatest wisdom
Is to follow the Tao.
The Tao is mysterious, unfathomable,
Yet within is all that lives;
Unfathomable, mysterious,
Yet within is the essence;
Shadowy, intangible,
Yet within are vital principles,
Principles of truth
Informing all creation,
The lessons of life
Inherent in Tao.
(TAO 21)

The way to greater light leads through the darkness.
Going ahead feels like falling back.
The even path seems rugged and hilly,
The highest power a yielding valley.”
(TAO 41)

“The Tao that has been charted is not the eternal Way.
A word we can define is not the eternal Word.
Wu, the eternal, existed before heaven and earth.
We know it as yu, the source of ten thousand things.”
(TAO 1)

“When people call on thing beautiful,
They see something else as ugly.
By calling one thing good,
It’s opposite becomes evil.
Yet having and not having produce one another.
Difficult and easy balance each other.
Long and short complete one another.
High and low rely on each other.
Pitch and tone make harmony together.
Beginning and ending follow each other.”
The Tao person embraces the One
And lives in peace by its pattern.”
(TAO 2)

“The Tao moves by returning
In endless cycles.
By yielding, it overcomes,
Creating the ten thousand things,
Being from nonbeing.
(TAO 40)

“To follow the Tao
In wisdom and stillness
Brings order to the world.”
(TAO 45)

“Those who focus on Tao
Will be one with Tao
Those who study its power
Will be powerful.
Those who focus on failure
Will certainly fail.”
(TAO 23)

“Let your roots go deep
Into the source.
With attitude build a firm foundation
Of peace in the Tao.”
(TAO 59)

“Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.”
(TAO 11)

“Cultivated in your soul,
The Tao brings peace to your life.
Cultivated in your home,
It brings peace with those you love.
Spreading to friends and neighbors,
It brings peace to your community.”
(TAO 54)

“Know the Tao
Without leaving your doorstep.
See its face
Reflected in the window.
To seek it outside
Is to leave it behind.”
(TAO 47)

“The Tao person knows himself
And makes no display,
Accepts himself,
Abd us bit arrogant.”
(TAO 72)

“The Tao person
Never strives to appear great,
Which is how true greatness is achieved.”
(TAO 34)

“When you know nature as part of yourself,
You will act in harmony.
When you feel yourself part of nature,
You will live in harmony.”


“Measuring success
By other’s words
Creates anxiety.
What you desire
And what you fear
Are within yourself.”
(TAO 13)

“The Tao is mysterious, unfathomable
Yet within is all that lives;
Unfathomable, mysterious
Yet within is the essence,
Shadowy, intangible,
Yet within are vital principles,
Principles of truth
Informing all creation.”
(TAO 21)

“Standing on tiptoe, we become unsteady.
Stretching ourselves too far, we lack balance.
Showing off, we hide our light.
Competing with others, we lose our way.”
(TAO 24)

“The Tao person
is as pure as a child.
In purity is a strength
That dispels all harm.
If you do not fear others,
They will not fear you.”
(TAO 55)

“The wisest person
Trusts the process,
Without seeking to control;
Takes everything as it comes,
Lives not to achieve or possess,
But simply to be
All he or she can be
In harmony with Tao.
(TAO 2)

“Can you go through your days
Holding fast to the Tao?
Releasing your tension,
As you focus your breathing,
Can you relax like a child?
Can you clear your vision
And open yourself to life?”
(TAO 10)

“Twist and become whole.
Bend and become straight.
Empty out and become full.
Expend energy and be renewed.”
(TAO 22)

“Hold to these principles;
Seek simplicity,
Grasp the essential,
Overcome selfishness
And wasteful desires.”
(TAO 19)

“The five colors can blind our eyes,
The five sounds deafen our ears,
The five tastes exhaust our appetites,
Chasing desire can drive us mad.
Therefore, the Tao person
Seeks inner wisdom,
Lets go of excess
Affirms the truth.”
(TAO 12)

“Great trouble comes from not knowing what is enough.
Breat conflict arises from wanting too much.
When we know when enough is enough,
There will always be enough.”
(TAO 46)

“When seeking knowledge,
Much is acquired,
When seeking Tao,
Much is discarded.”
(TAO 48)

“Much chatter brings only exhaustion.
Stay true to your center.”
(TAO 5)

“Nature does not waste words,
Neither do people of Tao.”
(TAO 23)

“Close your mouth,
Shut your doors,
And live close to Tao.
Open your mouth,
Be busy all day,
And live in confusion.”
(TAO 52)

“Be still
And discover your center of peace.
Throughout nature
The ten thousand things move along,
But each returns to its source.
Returning to center is peace.
Find Tao by returning to source.”
(TAO 16)

“Rejecting appearances,
The Tao person wears simple clothes,
Lives true to center,
Wears jade close to the heart.”
(TAO 70)

The Tao person embraces the One
And lives in peace by its pattern.
Do not dwell on your ego, and you will discover your soul.
Avoid prideful acts, and your work will endure.
If you do not compete, no one on earth will compete against you.
Follow the ancient wisdom:
“Yield and Overcome.”
True peace is achieved
By centering
And blending with life.”
(TAO 22)

“Develop your masculine power
Yet be gentle and nurturing.
Become open like a valley
So the river of virtue
Flows through you,
Returning you to source.”
(TAO 28)

“Hold to the Tao within
And joy will surely follow.”
(TAO 35)

“Great success, like disgrace,
Can bring great trouble.
Success which advances ego
Can make you lose your way.”
(TAO 13)

“The Tao person, detached and wise,
Embraces all as Tao.”
(TAO 49)