Famous Lao Tzu Quotations

First 1 Last 
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."
by Lao-Tzu
"In dwelling, live close to the ground. 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."
by Lao Tzu
"Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough."
by Lao Tzu
"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."
by Lao Tzu
"Because of a great love, one is courageous."
by Lao Tzu
"In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it."
by Lao Tzu
"Without stirring abroad, one can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window one can see the way of heaven. The further one goes the less one knows."
by Lao Tzu
"The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world."
by Lao Tzu
"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."
by Lao Tzu
"A tree trunk the size of a man grows from a blade as thin as a hair. A tower nine stories high is built from a small heap of earth."
by Lao Tzu
"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
by Lao Tzu
"When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish."
by Lao Tzu
"To produce things and to rear them, To produce, but not to take possession of them, To act, but not to rely on one's own ability, To lead them, but not to master them - This is called profound and secret virtue."
by Lao Tzu
"He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened."
by Lao Tzu
"He who is contented is rich."
by Lao Tzu
"If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence."
by Lao Tzu
"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small."
by Lao Tzu
"Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good."
by Lao Tzu
"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."
by Lao Tzu
"A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him."
by Lao-Tzu
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
by Lao-tzu
"All things in the world come from being. And being comes from non-being."
by Lao Tzu
"Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretch her fingers to touch the heavens."
by Lao Tzu
"An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox."
by Lao Tzu
"Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy."
by Lao Tzu
"Arms are instruments of ill omen. When one is compelled to use them, it is best to do so without relish. There is no glory in victory, and to glorify it despite this is to exult in the killing of men. When great numbers of people are killed, one shou"
by Lao Tzu
"Arms are instruments of ill omen. . . . When one is compelled to use them, it is best to do so without relish. There is no glory in victory, and to glorify it despite this is to exult in the killing of men. . . . When great numbers of people are killed, one should weep over them with sorrow. When victorious in war, one should observe mourning rites."
by Lao-Tzu
"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want."
by Lao Tzu
"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."
by Lao Tzu
"Be the chief but never the lord."
by Lao Tzu
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength loving someone deeply gives you courage."
by Lao Tzu
"Born to be wild - live to outgrow it."
by Lao Tzu
"Conquering others takes force, conquering yourself is true strength."
by Lao-Tzu
"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
by Lao Tzu
"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt."
by Lao Tzu
"From wonder into wonder existence opens."
by Lao Tzu
"From caring comes courage."
by Lao Tzu
"From caring comes courage"
by Lao Tzu
"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it."
by Lao Tzu
"Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it."
by Lao Tzu
"Great acts are made up of small deeds."
by Lao Tzu
"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still."
by Lao Tzu
"He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty."
by Lao Tzu
"He who conquers others is strong He who conquers himself is mighty."
by Lao Tzu
"He who talks more is sooner exhausted."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows others is wise;
He who know himself is enlightened."
by Lao-tzu
"He who knows others is wise.He who knows himself is enlightened."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows himself is enlightened."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows enough is enough will always have enough."
by Lao Tzu
"He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know."
by Lao-tzu
"He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know."
by Lao Tzu
"He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted."
by Lao Tzu
"He who tip-toes cannot stand he who strides cannot walk."
by Lao Tzu
"He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire."
by Lao-tzu
"Heaven endures and the earth last a long time because they do not live for themselves."
by Lao Tzu
"How could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men?"
by Lao Tzu
"I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any."
by Lao Tzu
"I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures."
by Lao Tzu
"I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world."
by Lao-tzu
"I have three treasures. Guard and keep them The first is deep love, The second is frugality, And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world. Because of deep love, one is courageous. Because of frugality, one is generous. Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world."
by Lao Tzu
"If the Great Way perishes there will morality and duty. When cleverness and knowledge arise great lies will flourish. When relatives fall out with one another there will be filial duty and love. When states are in confusion there will be faithful servants."
by Lao Tzu
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
by Lao Tzu
"If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve."
by Lao Tzu
"It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins."
by Lao Tzu
"It is the Vague and Elusive. Meet it and you will not see its head. Follow it and you will not see its back."
by Lao Tzu
"Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment."
by Lao Tzu
"Knowing others is intelligence knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power."
by Lao Tzu
"Know the masculine, keep to the feminine."
by Lao Tzu
"Learning builds daily accumulation, but the practice of Tao builds daily simplification. Simplify and simplify, until all contamination from relative, contridictory thinking is eliminated. Then one does nothing, yet nothing is left undone. One who wins the world does so by not meddling with it. One who meddles with the world loses it."
by Tao te Ching
"Learning builds daily accumulation, but the prictice of Tao builds daily simplification. Simplify and simplify, until all contamination from relative, contridictory thinking is eliminated. Then one does nothing, yet nothing is left undone. One who wins the world does so by not meddling with it. One who meddles with the world loses it."
by Lao-Tzu
"Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides."
by Lao Tzu
"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."
by Lao Tzu
"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them #NAME?forward in whatever way they like."
by Lao Tzu
"Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses."
by Lao Tzu
"Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires."
by Lao-tzu
"Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires."
by Lao Tzu
"Man's enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself."
by Lao Tzu
"Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins."
by Lao Tzu
"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power."
by Lao Tzu
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
by Lao Tzu
"Nature is not human hearted."
by Lao Tzu
"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it."
by Lao Tzu
"One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others."
by Lao Tzu
"One may know the world without going out of doors"
by Lao Tzu
"One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him."
by Lao Tzu
"One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him."
by Lao Tzu
"People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge."
by Lao-tzu
"People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure."
by Lao Tzu
"People in their handling of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure."
by Lao Tzu
"Pride attaches undue importance to the superiority of one's status in the eyes of others And shame is fear of humiliation at one's inferior status in the estimation of others. When one sets his heart on being highly esteemed, and achieves such rating, then he is automatically involved in fear of losing his status."
by Lao Tzu
"Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment."
by Lao Tzu
"Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness."
by Lao-tzu
"Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength."
by Lao Tzu
"Silence is a source of great strength."
by Lao Tzu
"Stop thinking, and end your problems."
by Lao Tzu
"The best man is like water. Water is good it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in lowly places that all disdain. This is why it is so near to Tao."
by Lao Tzu
"The best [man] is like water.
Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them.
It dwells in [lowly] places that all disdain.
This is why it is so near to Tao."
by Lao-tzu


Hire a Writer