When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty, There arises the recognition of ugliness. When they all know the good as good, There arises the recognition of evil.

The small is easy to scatter.

We desire to understand the world by giving names to the things we see, but these things are only the effects of something subtle.

Man at his birth is supple and tender, but in death, he is rigid and hard. Thus, suppleness and tenderness accompany life, but rigidity and hardness accompany death.

He who controls the past controls the future.

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

To lead people, walk behind them.