Simply yourself

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you." ~ Lao Tzu

Streaming water

"One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others." ~ Lao Tzu

Law, order and society

Lao Tzu became very famous, a wise man, and he was without doubt one of the wisest men ever. The emperor of China asked him very humbly to become his chief of the supreme court, because nobody could guide the country's laws better than he could. He tried to persuade the emperor, "I am not the right man," but the emperor was insistent.

Lao Tzu said, "If you don't listen to me... just one day in the court and you will be convinced that I am not the right man, because the system is wrong. Out of humbleness I was not saying the truth to you. Either I can exist or your law and order and your society can exist. So... let us try it."

The first day a thief who had stolen almost half the treasures of the richest man in the capital was brought into the court. Lao Tzu listened to the case and then he said that the thief and the richest man should both go to jail for six months.

The rich man said, "What are you saying? I have been stolen from, I have been robbed—what kind of justice is this, that you are sending me to jail for the same amount of time as the thief?"

Lao Tzu said, "I am certainly being unfair to the thief. Your need to be in jail is greater, because you have collected so much money to yourself, deprived so many people of money... thousands of people are downtrodden and you are collecting and collecting money. For what? Your very greed is creating these thieves. You are responsible.
The first crime is yours."

Knowing yourself

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment. - Lao Tzu

World belongs to you

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. - Lao Tzu

Flow naturally

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." - Lao Tzu

Respond intelligently

Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment. - Lao Tzu

The best leader

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: "we did it ourselves". - Lao Tzu

The greatest ...

Health is the greatest possession
Contentment is the greatest treasure
Confidence is the greatest friend
Non-being is the greatest joy.
- Lao Tzu

No hurry!

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu

Still mind

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Lao Tzu

Let it go

"By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try, the world is beyond the winning." - Lao Tzu