Quotes from Laozi

Only he who does not seek to be ahead of others is capable of living in harmony with everyone.

He does not seek power - yet people follow him.

He does not praise himself - yet he is respectable.

Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Stay at the center and let all things take their course.

The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that. What is grievance? The baggage of old thought and emotion.

With virtue and quietness one may conquer the world.

Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.

In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.

To the good I would be good; to the not-good I would also be good, in order to make them good.

I let go of all desire for the common good, and the good becomes as common as the grass.

I find good people good And I find bad people good If I am good enough.

The good leader carries water for his people.

Misfortune is the root of good fortune; good fortune gives birth to misfortune.

The Way is the source of all things, good people's treasure and bad people's refuge.

Heaven's Way gives no favors. It always remains with good people.

As restrictions and prohibitions are multiplied the people grow poorer and poorer. When they are subjected to overmuch government, the land is thrown into confusion.

The truly great ones rely on substance, and not on surface, hold on to the fruit, and not to the flower.

Misery is what happiness rests upon. Happiness is what misery lurks beneath.

Seek not happiness too greedily and be not fearful of happiness.

Pain and happiness are simply conditions of the ego. Forget the ego.

Happiness perches on misery. Misery crouches beneath happiness.

Only by working within the laws that govern the flow of water will happiness be achieved.

Health is the greatest possession.