Laozi

The higher the sun rises, the less shadow it casts.

To see things in the seed, that is genius.

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 dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.

Empty your mind of all thoughts. Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of the world, but let your serenity remain intact.

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.

Silence is a source of great strength.

Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.

By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.

The sage is not attached to anything, and so he loses nothing.

The greatest evil is to have no satisfaction.

The wise man's food is that which nourishes him; the fool's food is that which gratifies him.

Yield and overcome; Bend and be straight; Empty and be full; Wear out and be new; Have little and gain; Have much and be confused.

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

The difficult is done easily; the easy is done with difficulty.

If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.

The more prohibitions there are, the poorer the people will be. The more sharp weapons the people have, the more troubled the state will be. The more cunning and skill man possesses, the more peculiar things will appear. The more laws and orders are promulgated, the more thieves and robbers there will be.

When the government is muddle-headed, the people are simple and honest. When the government is clear-cut, the people are discontented.

The best rulers are those the people barely know exist. The next best are those the people praise and acclaim. The next best are those the people fear. The worst are those the people despise.

When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honors lead to arrogance, this brings disaster upon itself. When the work is done and the name is established, then one should retire. This is the Way of Heaven.

Without going out of the door, one can know the whole world. Without peeping through the window, one can see the Way of Heaven. The further one goes, the less one knows.