Lao Tzu

Explore 11 quotes by Lao Tzu

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Patience Persistence One step at a time

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 64.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 64.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Patience All in good time Nature Teleology

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 37.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 37.

The sage does not accumulate for himself.
The more he uses for others, the more he has himself.
The more he gives to others, the more he possesses of his own.
The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure.
The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Generosity

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 81.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 81.

He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Tact and discretion Talking Ignorance

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 56.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 56.

Let people hold on to these:
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Simplicity Doing less Letting go

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Advice

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 19.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 19.

Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Clearing one's mind Clarity Stillness Patience

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Question

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 15.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 15.

If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Letting go Grasping Attachment

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Paradox Zen koan

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 29.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 29.

When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Knowledge Yin and yang

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 2.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 2.

The pursuit of learning is to increase day after day.
The pursuit of Tao is to decrease day after day.
It is to decrease and further decrease until one reaches the point of taking no action.
No action is undertaken, and yet nothing is left undone.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Tao Doing less Inaction

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 48.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 48.

He who knows others is wise;
He who knows himself is enlightened.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Topic

Self-knowledge

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 2.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 2.

The Tao that can be told of is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the mother of all things.

Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching

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Read the Tao Te Ching at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Tao

Author

Lao Tzu

Source

Tao Te Ching

Genre

Philosophical literature Religious literature

Language

Chinese

Time

400 BC 400s BC 5th century BC

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. 道德經 [Tao Te Ching]. c. 400 BC, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Laozi [Lao Tzu]. "The Natural Way of Lao Tzu." A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, translated by Wing-Tsit Chan. Princeton University Press, 1969, ch. 1.