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Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.

Laozi

If a person seems wicked, do not cast him away. Awaken him with your words, elevate him with your deeds, repay his injury with your kindness. Do not cast him away; cast away his wickedness.
LAOZI

Deed Elevate Kindness Spiritual Wick
The True Person benefits yet expects no reward, does the work and moves on. There is no desire to be considered better than others.
LAOZI

Desire Earth Inspirational Move
The great Way is all-pervading. It reaches to the left and to the right. All things depend on it with their existence. Still it demands no obedience.
LAOZI

Demand Depend Reach Taoism Thing Way
Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind become still. The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return. They grow and flourish and then return to the source. Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.
LAOZI

Animal Empty Everything Fall Nature
The more laws that are written, the more criminals are produced.
LAOZI

Criminal Law Taoism
In the highest antiquity, the people did not know that there were rulers. In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them.
LAOZI

Age Next People Praise
Why is the sea king of a hundred streams? Because it lies below them… If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility. If he would lead them, he must follow behind. In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed.
LAOZI

Below Humility King Lying People
Keep behind, and you shall be put in front; keep out, and you shall be kept in.
LAOZI

Behind Compassion Humility
Good words shall gain you honor in the marketplace, but good deeds shall gain you friends among men.
LAOZI

Deed Honor Marketplace Men
The sage knows himself, but does not parade. He cherishes himself, but does not praise himself.
LAOZI

Cheish Sage Taoism
Not all spiritual paths lead to the harmonious Oneness. Indeed, most are detours and distractions, nothing more.
LAOZI

Detours Distraction Oneness Spiritual
If you can let go of (the Tao) with your mind and surround it with your heart, it will live inside you forever.
LAOZI

Forever Heart Letting Surround
Every step is on the path.
LAOZI

Every Follow Journey Path Step Taoism
He who has achieved this state Is unconcerned with friends and enemies, With good and harm, with honor and disgrace. This therefore is the highest state of man.
LAOZI

Enemy Friend Friendship Honor Men Unconcern
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.
LAOZI

Being Hard Time Stay Strong
Instead of being afraid of death, we should try to awake to life; and the only death we should escape from is to forget the presence of God into us.
LAOZI

Death Escape Feel Forget Try
Never take over the world to tamper with it. Those who want to tamper with it are not fit to take over the world.
LAOZI

REquired Take Taoism Temper World
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.
LAOZI

Family Inspirational Motivational
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. For only those who are not full are able to be used which brings the feeling of completeness.
LAOZI

Able Feeling Taoism Together
. . . the mind is desperate to fix the river {of events} in place: Possessed by ideas of the past, preoccupied with images of the future, it overlooks the plain truth of the moment.
LAOZI

Idea Past Possessed Truth
Filling all the way to the brim is not as good as halting in time.
LAOZI

Brim Fill Halt Taoism Way
To rejoice in conquest is to rejoice in murder.
LAOZI

Conquest Murder Rejoice
Make your heart like a lake, with calm, still surface, and great depths of kindness.
LAOZI

Depth Heart Inspirational Kindness
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

Arrive Artist Change Good Intuition
The world’s big things only can be done by paying attention to their humble beginnings.
LAOZI

Attention Country Done Emotion Humble People
Meet the big while it is small.
LAOZI

Big People Small Taoism
A vessel is formed from a lump of clay with care, however, it is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful.
LAOZI

Care Clay Form Space Vessel

Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.

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Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.

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