Great Quotes from Lao Tzu
LAO TZU – (5th century BC)
Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. Lao Tzu is the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
“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.”
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
“Knowledge is the treasure, and practice is the key to it.”
“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.”
“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.”
“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”
“There is no crime greater than having too many desires; There is no disaster greater than not being content; There is no misfortune greater than being covetous.”
“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
“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.”
“We gain by losing, Lose by gaining.”
“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”
“The wise man is one who knows, what he does not know.”
“What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
“New beginnings are disguised as painful endings”
“So the unwanting soul sees what’s hidden, and the ever-wanting soul sees only what it wants.”
“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.”
“Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.”
“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.”
“He who is satisfied with his lot is rich;”
“What is a good man but a bad man’s teacher. What is a bad man but a good man’s job.”
“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.”
“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
“If you aren’t afraid of dying, there is nothing you can’t achieve.”
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
“To recognize your insignificance is empowering.”
“Sometimes you must yield in order to win, and sometimes maintaining a low place leads you to win.”
