The truly great ones rely on substance, and not on surface, hold on to the fruit, and not to the flower.

Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment; Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength.

The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small.

A follower of the Way (Tao) loses something each day. Loss after loss until arriving at Non Action (Wu Wei).

What people loathe the most is to be orphaned, desolate, unworthy. But this is what princes and kings call themselves.

Do not conquer the world with force, for force only causes resistance. Thorns spring up when an army passes. Years of misery follow a great victory. Do only what needs to be done without using violence.

Is not the action of nature like the stretching of a bow? The high, it pulls down; the low, it lifts up; It takes from what is in excess In order to make good of what is deficient. Who can take what they have in excess and offer it to others?