Taoism Quotes: top 100 famous quotes about Taoism

Taoism Quotes & Sayings

Happy to read and share the best inspirational Taoism quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes.

Who can rest until the moment of action? — Laozi

Lao Tsu says the way of life is water, to be fluid. — Frederick Lenz

The limitations that we can see of the sexual description of reality are very apparent. Very few men attain enlightenment, even fewer women. — Frederick Lenz

Some people think Taoism means not doing anything, just going on with your life. That has little or nothing to do with Taoism. — Frederick Lenz

Truly, only those who see illness as illness can avoid illness. — Laozi

People of old deemed freedom from greed precious, and this is how they got beyond the world. — Zicheng Hong

The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. — Laozi

Let people take death seriously, and not travel far. — Laozi

The Way is hidden and nameless. Still only the Way nourishes and completes. — Laozi

To retreat after a work well done is Heaven's Way. — Laozi

The hard and stiff are death's companions. The soft and weak are life's companions. — Laozi

If people live in constant fear of death, and if breaking the law is punished by death, then who would dare? — Laozi

If a branch is too rigid, it will break. Resist, and you will perish. Know how to yield, and you will survive. — Liezi

Truly, only acting without thought of one's life is superior to valuing one's life. — Laozi

Harmony is called the eternal. Knowing the eternal is called clarity. — Laozi

Behave simply and hold on to purity. — Laozi

A good counter needs no calculator. — Laozi

The Tao's principle is spontaneity. — Laozi

Although he travels all day, the sage never loses sight of his luggage carts. — Laozi

Those who know it do not speak about it. Those who speak about it do not know it. — Laozi

Who acts in stillness finds stillness in his life. — Lao-Tzu

The Tao is told is not the Tao. — Laozi

The sage has no concern for himself, but makes the concerns of others his own. — Laozi

All men desire to free themselves solely from death; they do not know how to free themselves from life. — Laozi

Pursue without interfering. — Laozi

Abandon cleverness, discard profit, and thieves and robbers will disappear. — Laozi

Returning is the movement of the Way. — Laozi

First and last follow each other. — Laozi

Lightly given promises must meet with little trust. — Laozi

The sage embraces the one, and is an example to the world. — Laozi

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

A good speaker does not stutter. — Laozi

Simple, like uncarved wood. — Laozi

The purest white seems stained. — Laozi

The sage attends to the belly, and not to what he sees. — Laozi

Make the small big and the few many. — Laozi

There was something that finished chaos, born before Heaven and Earth. — Laozi

Nurture the spontaneous peaceful life. — Laozi

I am at peace, and people become fair by themselves. — Laozi

The sage never strives for greatness, and can therefore accomplish greatness. — Laozi

Do you think you can make the world a better place? I do not think you can. It is already perfect. — Laozi

The most straight seems curved. — Laozi

The world is a sacred vessel that cannot be changed. He who changes it will destroy it. He who seizes it will lose it. — Laozi

He (the sage) is good to those who are good. He is also good to those who are not good. That is the virtue of good. — Laozi

True words are not pleasing. Pleasing words are not true. — Laozi

The mind of the child is not formed. We are shown that this is life, this is the world. — Frederick Lenz

As soon as rules were made, names were given. There are already many names. One must know when it is enough. — Laozi

Quiet your mind and stop judging and resisting and manipulating the natural way. — Laozi

Who has excess and supplies the world? Only the one who follows the Way. — Laozi

Those who are content suffer no disgrace. — Laozi

The most able seems clumsy. — Laozi

There is no greater crime than desire. — Laozi

When people do not dread authorities, then a greater dread descends. — Laozi

Ancient masters of excellence had a subtle essence, and a depth too profound to comprehend. — Laozi

All things such as grass and trees are soft and supple in life. At their death they are withered and dry. — Laozi

Must one dread what others dread? — Laozi

We really have no choice in the matter. We are given a description of the world that is much more potent and much deeper than you might realize. — Frederick Lenz

Filling life exceedingly is called ominous. — Laozi

The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground
While the tender and weak dance on the breeze above. — Lao-Tzu

When the great Tao is abandoned, benevolence and righteousness arise. — Laozi

The value comes from what is there, but the use comes from what is not there. — Laozi

Do you really want to be happy? You can begin by being appreciative of who you are and what you've got. — Benjamin Hoff

When bitter enemies make peace, surely some bitterness remains. — Laozi

Excellent soldiers are not furious. — Laozi

The more you talk of it, the less you understand. — Laozi

There is no way to measure it ... because there's no one to measure it. — Frederick Lenz

Cultivate virtue in yourself, and it will be true. — Laozi

Things joined by profit, when pressed by misfortune and danger, will cast each other aside. — Zhuangzi

Don't impose your will through manipulation of aggressive emotions and actions. — Laozi

Enlightenment comes through the feminine side of the being. — Frederick Lenz

Without looking through the window, you can see Heaven's Way. — Laozi

When equal armies battle, the grieving one will be victorious. — Laozi

Do not strive for the shine of jade, but clatter like stone. — Laozi

Acceptance doesn't mean masochistic pessimism, but joyful support of and participation in the great cosmic drama. — Nathan J. Johnson

Earth is a divine organism
it cannot be successfully manipulated
Who attempts manipulation will encounter defeat — Lao-Tzu

The reason for great distress is the body. Without it, what distress could there be? — Laozi

Searching for precious goods leads astray. — Laozi

Doing or not doing something - they are similar. Both involve an action and sincerity. — CLAMP

The sage is sharp but does not cut, pointed but does not pierce, forthright but does not offend, bright but does not dazzle. — Laozi

In the West the wise are usually thought of as leaders. In the East, the wise are very often though of as followers. — Frederick Lenz

The I Cing is a study in duality and what lies beyond duality. — Frederick Lenz

They can see their neighbors. Roosters and dogs can be heard from there. Still, they will age and die without visiting one another. — Laozi

Only I am clumsy, like drifting on the waves of the sea, without direction. — Laozi

Abandon benevolence, discard duty, and people will return to the family ties. — Laozi

Wear down to be renewed. — Laozi

How can I know you if I don't know myself? — Lujan Matus

Intelligent people know others. Enlightened people know themselves. — Laozi

Water uses itself to go beyond whatever it needs to go beyond. — Frederick Lenz

Expression is never helped by suppression. — Ming-Dao Deng

People are hard to govern. The rulers interfere with too much. That is why people are hard to govern. — Laozi

Peace and quiet are preferred. Victory should not be praised. — Laozi

There is no greater disaster than discontent. — Laozi

All things arise in unison. Thereby we see their return. — Laozi

By moderation one can be generous. — Laozi

Things exalted then decay. This is going against the Way. What goes against the Way meets an early end. — Laozi

The sage is one with the world, and lives in harmony with it. — Laozi

The longer you travel, the less you know. — Laozi

Abandon wisdom, discard knowledge, and people will benefit a hundredfold. — Laozi

Use the light to return to clarity. — Laozi

Meet the big while it is small. — Laozi