There is a thing inherent and natural which existed before heaven and earth. Motionless and fathomless, It stands alone and never changes; It pervades everywhere and never becomes exhausted. It may be regarded as the Mother of the Universe. I do not know its name. If I am forced to give It a name, I call it Tao, and I name it as supreme.
Interpretation
The quote speaks to the concept of the Tao, an eternal and unchanging force that exists before all things.
This quote by Laozi reflects on the nature of the Tao, an essential principle that transcends existence and stands as the source of all creation. It emphasizes the Tao's timeless, motionless essence that pervades the universe, suggesting a profound connection to the origins of life, illustrating that there is a fundamental truth that underlies all existence, which is beyond complete understanding yet can be experienced in its profundity.
In practice
In a discussion about the fundamental nature of reality or existence, one could quote Laozi to highlight the eternal and unchanging aspects of life.
If you understand others you are smart._x000D_ If you understand yourself you are illuminated._x000D_ If you overcome others you are powerful._x000D_ If you overcome yourself you have strength._x000D_ If you know how to be satisfied you are rich._x000D_ If you can act with vigor, you have a will._x000D_ If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting._x000D_ If you die without loss, you are eternal.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.
In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.
Rule your mind with serenity rather than with force and manipulation.
Transcendental meditation is like a car, a vehicle that allows you to go within. It's a mental technique.
The main object of religion is not to get a man into heaven, but to get heaven into him.
When I go to hell, I mean to carry a bribe: for look you, good gifts evermore make way for the worst persons.
The Court is most vulnerable and comes nearest to illegitimacy when it deals with judge-made constitutional law having little or no cognizable roots in the language or design of the Constitution.
The carnal person fears man, not God. The strong Christian fears God, not man. The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.
Our sadness won’t be of the searing kind but more like a blend of joy and melancholy: joy at the perfection we see before us, melancholy at an awareness of how seldom we are sufficiently blessed to encounter anything of its kind. The flawless object throws into perspective the mediocrity that surrounds it. We are reminded of the way we would wish things always to be and of how incomplete our lives remain.
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