• Confucianism is harsh and rigid, but Taoism is soft and gentle.
• Lack of words can be just as powerful as the most articulate speeches.
• Taoism seeks to make our lives pure and free of temptations.
• Injustice, inequality, and constant contending have overrun our world. Those who have nothing crave to own things; those who own things crave to own other people.
• A true Taoist is never involved in worldly affairs and distances themselves from the mundane.
• Taoism encourages us to learn through the world around us.
• Virtually every technological accomplishment results from observing nature and then applying that knowledge elsewhere.
• Knowing when to let things go is an art.
• It never tries to keep its waters to itself and always knows when to let them flow free. Similarly, we must also learn to move on and leave behind our triumphs and shortcomings alike. Dwelling on them does absolutely no good.
• A great example of this skill is hidden in the nature of a spring.
• To let go means letting things take their natural course and surrender to the inevitable cycle of life.
• If there’s too much of everything all the time, we become indifferent and superficial, neglecting our hearts and minds.
• Ideal leadership is often invisible.
• People’s emotional state and way of living mirror their leader’s strengths and weaknesses.
• A true Taoist is always happy to share the gifts of Tao while remaining in the shadows.
• The ideal relationship between a leader and their followers is one in which the latter are barely aware or even totally unaware of the leader’s existence, and everything falls in its proper place through Non-Action. Only in this way can true Tao prevail.
• Lao-Tzu offers the followers of Taoism three invaluable treasures — compassion, frugality, and self-effacement.
• But to be morally just and fair, one must first get to know themselves. Knowing and understanding others is easy but listening to and understanding yourself is much more difficult.
• What makes you driven and motivated? What gives you the strength to push forward and break through the obstacles? What stands in the way of you fully accepting yourself? Answering these and other questions will help you become closer to your inner self.
• By being in touch with the universe and ourselves, we can become powerful tools that can change the world.