What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river,--the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven converge; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility.
The sage knows without traveling, perceives without looking, completes without acting.
The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth. The named is the mother of all things.
It's hard to keep your balance standing tip-toe.
Without looking through the window, you can see Heaven's Way.
Things flourish, then each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness: Stillness is called return to life, return to life is called the constant; knowing the constant is called enlightenment.