Pain and happiness are simply conditions of the ego. Forget the ego.

My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice; but there is no one in the world who is able to understand and practice them.

Accept disgrace willingly... Accept being unimportant... Surrender yourself humbly; then you can be trusted to care for all things. Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things.

Conquering the world and changing it, I do not think it can succeed.

Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish, too much handling will spoil it.

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.

Gentleness brings victory to him who attacks, and safety to him who defends. Those whom Heaven would save, it fences round with gentleness.