The great river is powerful because it stays low. So too must the leader. To govern a community, one must not grasp and control,...

The world presents itself as a series of choices: strong or weak, knowing or ignorant, acting or yielding. The striving mind, in trying to...

The sage does not force the river to change its course; he builds his settlement along its banks. In the same way, a wise...

The Sage does not contend, and so no one under heaven can contend with him. This is the great secret. To force a solution...

The world pulls you in ten thousand directions, and the mind becomes a restless monkey. To know peace, you must return to the source....

The uncarved block holds all possibilities. To create a tool that serves for a lifetime, one must not force the wood, but listen to...

The Sage does not look to the writings of men for wisdom; he looks to the world as it is. The great Tao flows...

The wise ruler keeps the people's minds empty and their bellies full. In the same way, you must learn to empty your own mind...

The great Tao flows everywhere. To find it, one must become like it: still, deep, and yielding. In times of chaos, men strive and...