Taoism Quotes - Page 29

• Without stepping out the door, you can know the world.

  Laozi

  Doors, World, Knows

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• True zazen is surrendering every moment. But surrendering to what? It really does not matter what we call it: God or the Tao or the Dharma or the Buddha or our true nature. . . . It is the act of letting go, of surrendering, that matters. The very act of letting go opens us up completely.

  Dennis Merzel

  Letting Go, Nature, Doe

  Dennis Genpo Merzel (1991). “The Eye Never Sleeps”, p.49, Shambhala Publications

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• When there is no more separation between 'this' and 'that,' it is called the still-point of the Tao. At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the infinite in all things.

  Zhuangzi

  Circles, Spirituality, Philosopher

  Zhuangzi (1974). “Chuang tsu: Inner chapters”, Vintage Books USA

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• Every step is on the path.

  Laozi

  Path, Steps, Every Step

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• The Tao principle is what happens of itself.

  Laozi

  Principles, Tao, Happens

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• The Tao is told is not the Tao.

  Laozi

  Tao

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• …the doctrinal differences between Hinduism and Buddhism and Taoism are not anywhere near as important as doctrinal differences among Christianity and Islam and Judaism. Holy wars are not fought over them because verbalized statements about reality are never presumed to be reality itself.

  Robert M. Pirsig

  War, Buddhism, Reality

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• The man who has some respect for his person keeps his carcass out of sight, hides himself as perfectly as he can.

  Zhuangzi

  Respect, Men, Sight

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• It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.

  Laozi

  Inspirational, Nature, Follow Your Heart

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• One who is too insistent on his own views, finds few to agree with him.

  Laozi

  Inspirational, Leadership, Views

  Laozi, Archie J. Bahm (1996). “Tao Teh King”, p.29, Jain Publishing Company

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• Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge.

  Laozi

  Knowledge, Trends, Approach

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• The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself, The more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The Way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.

  Laozi

  Helping Others, Giving, Heaven

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• Words spoken about the Way have no taste. When looked at, there's not enough to see. When listened to, there's not enough to hear. When used, it is never exhausted.

  Laozi

  Way, Taste, Exhausted

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• The progress of the Way seems retreating.

  Laozi

  Progress, Way, Seems

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• Heaven's net is very vast. It is sparsely meshed, yet nothing slips through.

  Laozi

  Heaven, Slips

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• Those who are broad-minded and considerate are like the spring breeze, warm and nurturing, at show touch all being grow. Those who are envious an d cruel are like the snow of the northlands, stilling and freezing, at whose touch all beings die.

  Zicheng Hong

  Spring, Snow, Envious

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• Diligence means to be keen in matters of virtue and justice, but worldly people use diligence to solve their economic difficulties. Frugality means to have little desire for material goods, but worldly people use frugality as a cover for stinginess. Thus do watchwords of enlightened life turn into tools for the private business of small people. What a pity!

  Zicheng Hong

  Mean, People, Justice

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• The substance of mind is the substance of heaven. A joyful thought is an auspicious star or a felicitous cloud. An angry thought is a thunderstorm or a violent rain. A kind thought is a gentle breeze or a sweet dew. A stern thought is a fierce sun or an autumn frost. Which of these can be eliminated? Just let them pass away as they arise, open and unresisting, and your mind merges with the spacious sky.

  Zicheng Hong

  Sweet, Stars, Rain

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• You should not be too much of a purist in your way of life, for you need to be able to accept all that is foul. You should not be too clear in making distinctions in social interactions, for you need to accept everyone whether they are good or bad, wise or foolish.

  Zicheng Hong

  Wise, Needs, Able

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• When people are determined, they can overcome fate; when the will is unified, it can mobilize energy. Enlightened people do not even let nature put them in a set mold.

  Zicheng Hong

  Fate, People, Overcoming

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• When the liver is diseased, the eyesight fails; when the kidneys are diseased, the hearing is adversely affected. The disease is not visible, but its effects are. Therefore, enlightened people, wishing to be free from obvious faults, first get rid of hidden faults.

  Zicheng Hong

  People, Wish, Disease

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• There is no greater fortune than having few concerns, no greater misfortune than having many worries. Only those who have suffered over their concerns know the blessing of having few concerns. Only those who have calmed their minds know the misfortune of having many worries.

  Zicheng Hong

  Blessing, Worry, Mind

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• In dealing with good people one should be magnanimous; in dealing with bad people one should be strict. In dealing with average people one should combine magnanimity and strictness.

  Zicheng Hong

  Average, People, Should

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• A thousand pieces of gold may hardly bring a moment's happiness, but a small favor can cause a lifetime's gratitude. Too much love can turn to enmity, while aloofness can produce joy.

  Zicheng Hong

  Gratitude, Joy, Gold

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• People's shortcomings should be treated with tact; if you expose them crudely, this is attacking weakness with a weakness. When people are stubborn, it requires skill to influence them; if you treat them with anger and spite, this is treating stubbornness with stubbornness.

  Zicheng Hong

  Skills, People, Weakness

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