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One cannot reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.

Laozi

Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man’s tools. He uses them only when he has no choice.
LAOZI

Choice Instrument Men Tool Weapon Wise
He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.
LAOZI

Powerful Strength Strong Victory
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.
LAOZI

Fulfill Inspirational Leadership Wisdom
That the soft overcomes the hard, and the yielding overcomes the resistant, is a fact known by all, but practiced by few.
LAOZI

Fact Known Overcoming Practice
Perfection is the willingness to be imperfect.
LAOZI

Imperfect Perfection Taoism
The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.
LAOZI

Courses Go Letting World
. . . 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
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
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
Wear down to be renewed.
LAOZI

Country Life People Renew Taoism
The farther you go, the less you know.
LAOZI

Country Emotion Knows Leadership People Wisdom
Take [preventive] action before things happen. Establish order before disorder has begun.
LAOZI

Action Begun Establish Happen Order
In order to eliminate the negative influences, simply ignore them.
LAOZI

Ignore Influence Negative Order
A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.
LAOZI

Artist Good Intuition Need Person
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
Meet the difficult while it is easy.
LAOZI

Difficult Easy Meet Taoism

One cannot reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.

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One cannot reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.

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