A tree as wide as a man's embrace grows from a tiny shoot.

There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.

Those who take long steps cannot keep the pace.

Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.

Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Be still and allow the mud to settle.

Thirty spokes are joined in the wheel's hub. The hole in the middle makes it useful.

Do you think that you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear. Integral awareness is fluid and adaptable, present in all places and at all times. That is true meditation. ... The Tao is clear and simple, and it doesn't avoid the world.