If you can act with vigor, you have a will. If you know how to be satisfied you are rich. If you overcome yourself you have strength. If you understand yourself you are illuminated. I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Be gentle and you can be bold be frugal and you can be liberal avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.

The first is gentleness the second is frugality the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. “If you want to know me, look inside your heart.” – Lao Tzu We’ve collected the best Lao Tzu quotes to give you the inspiration you need to live better. Primary taken from this foundational text, Lao Tzu’s words are concerned with returning to nature, seeking calm, and living in the moment. It is an ideal that is at the root of all things.Īs the author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu is regarded as the founder of philosophical Taoism, and as a deity in both religious Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions. Tao is an unseen but not transcendent force that is both powerful yet humble. Lao Tzu has traditionally been regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese text that describes the Tao (or Dao) as the source of all existence. These Lao Tzu quotes give insight into this wise man and his teachings.Īlive sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries B.C., this semi-legendary figure has played a central role in Chinese culture for millennia. Whether you know him as Lao Tzu, Laozi, or Lao-Tze, this “Old Master” was a Chinese philosopher and writer. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.

Lao tzu the way of life