In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man. Laozi More Quotes by Laozi More Quotes From Laozi When merit has been achieved, do not take it to yourself; for if you do not take it to yourself, it shall never be taken from you. Laozi merit taken humility Keep your mouth shut, and close up the doors of sight and sound, and as long as you live you will have no vexation. But open your mouth, or become inquisitive, and you will be in trouble all your life long. Laozi sight doors long Whoever is capable of knowing when they have had enough will always be satisfied. Laozi had-enough knowing satisfaction Realize thy Simple Self, Embrace thy Original Nature. Laozi simplicity simple self Truth sounds paradoxical! Laozi paradoxical truth sound The slaying of multitudes should be mourned with sorrow. A victory should be celebrated with the funeral rite. Laozi funeral sorrow war To delight in conquest is to delight in slaughter. Laozi slaughter delight war He who has little will receive. He who has much will be embarrassed. Laozi embarrassed wealth littles Arms are instruments of ill omen, not the instruments of the gentleman. When one is compelled to use them, it is best to do so without relish. Laozi arms gentleman use The journey of a thousand miles Laozi garden journey feet To produce things and to rear them, Laozi happiness character profound A violent wind does not outlast the morning; a squall of rain does not outlast the day. Such is the course of Nature. And if Nature herself cannot sustain her efforts long, how much less can man! Laozi persistence rain morning To know how little one knows is to have genuine knowledge. Not to know how little one knows is to be deluded. Only those who know when they are deluded can free themselves from such delusion. The intelligent people are not deluded, because they know and accept their ignorance as ignorance, and thereby have genuine knowledge. Laozi intelligent ignorance knowledge All things in nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfill their function and make no claim. All things alike do their work, and then we see them subside. When they have reached their bloom, each returns to its origin. . . . This reversion is an eternal law. To know that law is wisdom. Laozi return nature law Act non-action; undertake no undertaking; taste the tasteless. Laozi undertakings taste action Standing on "tip toe", one stands not firmly. Straining in stride, one cannot walk far. Flaunting of deeds, one is unfavorably noticed. Being self-righteous, one is not respected. Boasting of self, one's merit is unrecognized. Glorifying of self, one loses the opportunity for greatness. From the viewpoint of Tao These represent imperfect Te, Valued as are filth or disease. Laozi greatness self opportunity Knowing ignorance is strength; ignoring knowledge is sickness. Laozi sickness ignorance knowing Those who make their living by collecting taxes cause the people to starve; when the people starve, the tax collectors, having no one to tax, starve also Laozi collecting causes people Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short contrast each other. High and low rest upon each other. Voice and sound harmonize each other. Front and back follow one another. Laozi difficult-and-easy voice long The good leader carries water for his people. Laozi leader water people
