Not much is known about Lao Tzu.
His name, also rendered as Laozi, simply means “Old Master.” Lao Tzu is the supposed author of the classic spiritual text, the Tao Te Ching.
I’ve read the Tao Te Ching several times, and it’s one of my favorite books ever. Every time, it speaks to me in a different way, revealing new levels of wisdom.
Lao Tzu’s words are simple and profound, wise and compassionate, worldly and metaphysical. Here’s a glimpse of what Lao Tzu has gifted us.
Lao Tzu Quotes
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.
If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.
He who defines himself can’t know who he really is.
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Stop thinking, and end your problems.
To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
To see things in the seed, that is genius.
Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.
The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice
He who is contented is rich.
Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself.
If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
If you want to know me look inside your heart.
I purposely did not provide any explanation for these quotes. I encourage you to meditate on these, and allow their profundity to unpack within your consciounsness.
There’s so much depth in those statements.
I leave you with that.
Much Love,
~ Stephen Parato
PS – For more quotes, check out 9 Quotes About Presence That Will Blow Your Mind
