52 In the beginning was the Tao.All things issue from it;all things return to it. To find the origin,trace back the manifestations.When you recognize the childrenand find the mother,you will be free of sorrow. If you close your mind in judgmentsand traffic with desires,your heart will be troubled.If you keep your mind from judgingand…
51 Every being in the universeis an expression of the Tao.It springs into existence,unconscious, perfect, free,takes on a physical body,lets circumstances complete it.That is why every beingspontaneously honors the Tao. The Tao gives birth to all beings,nourishes them, maintains them,cares for them, comforts them, protects them,takes them back to itself,creating without possessing,acting without expecting,guiding…
50 The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings. He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to: no illusions in his mind, no resistances in his body. He doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. He holds…
45 True perfection seems imperfect,yet it is perfectly itself.True fullness seems empty,yet it is fully present. True straightness seems crooked.True wisdom seems foolish.True art seems artless. The Master allows things to happen.She shapes events as they come.She steps out of the wayand lets the Tao speak for itself. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu,…
44 Fame or integrity: which is more important?Money or happiness: which is more valuable?Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look to others for fulfillment,you will never truly be fulfilled.If your happiness depends on money,you will never be happy with yourself Be content with what you have;rejoice in the way things are.When…
41 When a superior man hears of the Tao,he immediately begins to embody it. When an average man hears of the Tao, he half believes it, half doubts it. When a foolish man hears of the Tao, he laughs out loud. If he…
37 The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done. If powerful men and women could center themselves in it, the whole world would be transformed by itself, in its natural rhythms. People would be content with their simple, everyday lives, in harmony, and free of desire. When there is no…
36 If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given. This is called the subtle perception of the way things are….
35 She who is centered in the Taocan go where she wishes, without danger.She perceives the universal harmony,even amid great pain,because she has found peace in her heart. Music or the smell of good cookingmay make people stop and enjoy.But words that point to the Taoseem monotonous and without flavor.When you look for it,…
34 The great Tao flows everywhere.All things are born from it,yet it doesn’t create them.It pours itself into its work,yet it makes no claim.It nourishes infinite worlds,yet it doesn’t hold on to them.Since it is merged with all thingsand hidden in their hearts,it can be called humble.Since all things vanish into itand it alone…
