The sage attends to the belly, and not to what he sees. Laozi More Quotes by Laozi More Quotes From Laozi Empty your mind of all thoughts. Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of beings, but contemplate their return. Each separate being in the universe returns to the common source. Returning to the source is serenity. If you don't realize the source, you stumble in confusion and sorrow. When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king. Immersed in the wonder of the Tao, you can deal with whatever life brings you, and when death comes, you are ready. Laozi grandmother kings heart The eternal void is filled with infinite possibilities Laozi void possibility infinite Solve it before it happens. Order it before chaos emerges. Laozi taoism chaos order Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man's tools. He uses them only when he has no choice. Laozi choices wise men Knowledge of the eternal is all-embracing. To be all-embracing leads to righteousness, which is majestic. Laozi righteousness taoism majestic 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. Laozi good-man leadership people When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you. Laozi being-yourself respect relationship Seek not happiness too greedily and be not fearful of happiness. Laozi seeking-happiness taoism happiness Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her. Laozi confidence self-esteem inspirational When life begins we are tender and weak When life ends we are stiff and rigid All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life and dry in brittle in death So the soft and supple are the companion of life While the stiff and unyielding are the companions of death An army that cannot yield will be defeated A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind Thus by Nature's own decree the hard and strong are defeated while the soft and gentle are triumphant Laozi army strong life Yet mystery and imagination arise from the same source. This source is called darkness ... Darkness within darkness, the gateway to all understanding. Laozi darkness-within light imagination Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe. Laozi solitude hate men A tree that is unbending, is easily broken. Laozi broken-heart acceptance tree When everyone in the world sees beauty, then ugly exists. Laozi taoism ugly world To see things in the seed, that is genius. Laozi intelligence educational nature There is no need to run outside for better seeing... Rather abide at the center of your being; For the more you leave it the less you learn. Search your heart and see... The way to do is to be. Laozi learning running art The most difficult in the world must be easy in its beginning. Laozi taoism easy world 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. Laozi winning letting-go goodbye Learn to lead in a nourishing manner. Laozi volunteer credit coercion A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants. A good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is. Laozi intuition artist change