Laozi

The Master acts without doing, and everything gets done.

A foolish man is always doing, Yet much remains to be done.

Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.

A great nation is like a great man:When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.Having realized it, he admits it.Having admitted it, he corrects it.He considers those who point out his faultsas his most benevolent teachers.He thinks of his enemyas the shadow that he himself casts.

In the Universe the difficult things are done as if they were easy.

The truth often sounds paradoxical.

Whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. What is soft is strong.

The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done. If powerful men and women could venter 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 desire, all things are at peace.

The Tao is great. The universe is great. Earth is great. Man is great. These are the four great powers. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows only itself.

When the great Tao is forgotten, goodness and piety appear. When the body's intelligence declines, cleverness and knowledge step forth. When there is no peace in the family, filial piety begins. When the country falls into chaos, patriotism is born.

The Tao is always at ease. It overcomes without competing, answers without speaking a word, arrives without being summoned, accomplishes without a plan. Its net covers the whole universe. And though its meshes are wide, it doesn't let a thing slip through.

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren't afraid of dying, there is nothing you can't achieve. Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter's place. When you handle the master carpenter's tools, chances are that you'll cut your hand.

The Tao which you know is not the eternal Tao

Conduct your triumph as a funeral.

Praise of power leads to weakness; Love of things leads to loss; The wise one leads by filling people's hearts; He destroys illusion and disturbs those who believe they are wise; He does nothing yet everything happens.

Can you love or guide someone without any kind of expectation?

That which offers no resistance can enter where there is no space.

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment. For only those who are not full are able to be used which brings the feeling of completeness.

Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things?

That which offers no resistance, overcomes the hardest substances.

When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.