Those who know when to halt are unharmed.

Yielding, like ice about to melt.

He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

The True Person governs by emptying the heart of desire and filling the belly with food, weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

To lead, one must follow.

A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind. Thus by nature's own decree, the soft and gentle are triumphant.

There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the mother of the universe. For lack of a better name, I call it the Tao. It flows through all things, inside and outside, and returns to the origin of all things. The Tao is great. The universe is great. Earth is great. Man is great. These are the four great powers. Man follows the earth. Earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows only itself.