I do not act, and people become reformed by themselves.

To bear and not to own; to act and not lay claim; to do the work and let it go: for just letting it go is what makes it stay.

Wise men hear and see as little children do.

All things in nature work silently. They come into being and possess nothing. They fulfill their function and make no claim. All things alike do their work, and then we see them subside. When they have reached their bloom, each returns to its origin. . . . This reversion is an eternal law. To know that law is wisdom.

A good manager is best when people barely know that he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him.

If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty. When the will to power is in charge, the higher the ideals, the lower the results. Try to make people happy, and you lay the groundwork for misery. Try to make people moral, and you lay the groundwork for vice. Thus the Master is content to serve as an example and not to impose her will. She is pointed, but doesn't pierce. Straightforward, but supple. Radiant, but easy on the eyes.

Good leaders reach solutions, and then stop. They do not dare to rely on force.