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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

Filling all the way to the brim is not as good as halting in time.
LAOZI

Brim Fill Halt Taoism Way
He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that is worn out shall be renewed. He who has little shall succeed. He who has much shall go astray.
LAOZI

Empty Entire Humility Little Succeed
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
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
The great image lacks shape.
LAOZI

Condition Great Image Look Shape Taoism
Quarrel with a friend – and you are both wrong.
LAOZI

Friendship Quarrel Wrong
Perfection is the willingness to be imperfect.
LAOZI

Imperfect Perfection Taoism
Conquering others requires force. Conquering oneself requires strength
LAOZI

Motivational Strength Wisdom
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
Good words shall gain you honor in the marketplace, but good deeds shall gain you friends among men.
LAOZI

Deed Honor Marketplace Men
When the highest type of people hear Tao (Truth), they diligently practice it. When the average type of people hear Tao, they half believe in it. When the lowest type of people hear Tao, they laugh at it. If they did not laugh, it would not be Tao.
LAOZI

Average Believe Diligently Practice
The sage is not ill, because he sees illness as illness.
LAOZI

Health Illness Knowledge Sage Taoism
Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream.
LAOZI

Dream Opportunity Success Weed
The master accomplishes more and more by doing less and less until finally he accomplishes everything by doing nothing.
LAOZI

Accomplish Doing Master Nothing
The transformation toward eternal life is gradual. The heavy gross energy of body, mind, and spirit must first be purified and uplifted. When the energy ascends… then self mastery can be sought.
LAOZI

Energy Mind Purify Self
The Great Tao flows everywhere, to the left and to the right, all things depend on it to exist, and it does not abandon them. To its accomplishments it lays no claims. It loves and nourished all things, but does not lord it over them.
LAOZI

Abandon Accomplishment Inspirational
There was something that finished chaos, born before Heaven and Earth.
LAOZI

Earth Finish Heaven Something Taoism
I have the mind of a fool, understanding nothing.
LAOZI

Knowledge Mind Understanding
Not praising the deserving prevents envy.
LAOZI

Envy Praise Prevent Taoism
What resists, persists.
LAOZI

Emotions Feel Persist Resist
. . . 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
Not all spiritual paths lead to the harmonious Oneness. Indeed, most are detours and distractions, nothing more.
LAOZI

Detours Distraction Oneness Spiritual
The weak overcomes the strong. The soft overcomes the hard. Everybody in the world knows this, still nobody makes use of it.
LAOZI

Everybody Overcome Strong Taoism
A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.
LAOZI

Artist Good Intuition Need Person
Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose
LAOZI

Gain Inspirational Lose People Some
A foolish man is always doing, Yet much remains to be done.
LAOZI

Done Foolish Man Mad Result
When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating.
LAOZI

Animal Intelligent Separate Soul

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.

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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.

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