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alydalton's review against another edition
5.0
Ancient yet timeless.
Simple yet profound.
Brief yet expansive.
Wisdom for the ages:
“Knowing constancy, the mind is open.
With and open mind, you will be openhearted.
Being openhearted, you will act royally. “
Simple yet profound.
Brief yet expansive.
Wisdom for the ages:
“Knowing constancy, the mind is open.
With and open mind, you will be openhearted.
Being openhearted, you will act royally. “
hugsanddrugs's review against another edition
4.0
The value of a life is measured by the soul. Fire.
still_bummed's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
2.25
3/7 ★★★☆☆☆☆
sarahs3's review against another edition
4.0
Favorite Quotes
“He who identifies himself to loss, loss rejoices to ruin” (23)
“He who knows the glory of his nature and recognizes also his limitations becomes useful like the world's valleys. Being like the world's valleys, eternal Te will not fail him, he will revert to simplicity.” (34)
“Therefore the wise man practices moderation; he abandons pleasure, extravagance and indulgence.” (29)
“He who knows others is intelligent; he who understands himself is enlightened; he who is able to conquer others has force, but he who is able to control himself is mighty. He who appreciates contentment is wealthy. He who dares to act has nerve; if he can maintain his position he will endure, but he, who dying does not perish, is immortal.” (33)
“Therefore the wise man to the end will not pose as a great man, and by so doing will express his true greatness.” (34)
“That which has a tendency to contract must first have been extended; that which has a tendency to weaken itself must first have been strong; that which shows a tendency to destroy itself must first have been raised up; that which shows a tendency to scatter must first have been gathered. This is the explanation of a seeming contradiction: the tender and yielding conquer the rigid and strong (i.e., spirit is stronger than matter, persuasion than force). The fish would be foolish to seek escape from its natural environment. There is no gain to a nation to compel by a show of force.” (36)
“lowly valley; the whitest are most likely to be put to shame; the broadest in virtue resemble the inefficient. The most firmly established in virtue resemble the remiss. The simplest chastity resembles the fickle, the greatest “square has no corner, the largest vessel is never filled. The greatest sound is void of speech, the greatest form has no shape. Tao is obscure and without name, and yet it is precisely this Tao that alone can give and complete.” (41)
“There are some things which it is a gain to lose and a loss to gain” (42)
“The most tender things of creation race over the hardest. ” (43)
“I therefore recognize an advantage in the doctrine of not doing (wu wei) and not speaking.” (56)
“There is no sin greater than desire” (46)
“The good he treats with goodness; the not-good he also treats with goodness, for Te is goodness.” (49)
“The thing that is well planted is not easily uprooted. The thing that is well guarded is not easily taken away. ” (54)
“With beautiful words one may sell goods but in winning people one can accomplish more by kindness.” (62)
“One should avoid assertion (wu wei) and practice inaction. One should learn to find taste in the tasteless, to enlarge the small things, and multiply the few. He should respond to hatred with kindness. He should resolve a difficulty while it is easy, and manage a great thing while it is small. Surely all the world’s difficulties arose from slight causes, and all the world’s great affairs had small beginnings.” (63)
“That which is at rest is easily restrained, that which has not yet appeared is easily prevented. The weak is easily broken, the scanty is easily scattered. Consider a difficulty before it arises, and administer affairs before they become disorganized. A tree that it takes both arms to encircle grew from a tiny rootlet. A pagoda of nine stories was erected by placing small bricks. A journey of three thousand miles begins with one step. If one tries to improve a thing, he mars it; if he seizes it, he loses it. The wise man, therefore, not attempting to form things does not mar them, and not grasping after things he does not lose them. The people in their rush for business are ever approaching success but continually failing. One must be as careful to the end. Therefore the wise man desires to be free from desire, he does not value the things that are difficult of attainment. He learns to be unlearned, he returns to that which all others ignore. In that spirit he helps all things toward their natural development, but dares not interfere.” (64)
“If one discards compassion and is still brave, abandons economy and is still generous, forsakes humility and still seeks to be serviceable, his days are numbered. ” (67)
““When a man is living he is tender and fragile. When he dies he is hard and stiff. It is the same with everything, the grass and trees, in life, are tender and delicate, but when they die they become rigid and dry. Therefore those who are hard and stiff belong to death’s domain, while the tender and weak belong to the realm of life……The strong and the great stay below; the tender and weak rise above.” (76)
“They who have virtue (Te) keep their obligations, they who have no virtue insist on their rights. ” (79)
“Faithful words are often not pleasant; pleasant words are often not faithful.” (81)
“He who identifies himself to loss, loss rejoices to ruin” (23)
“He who knows the glory of his nature and recognizes also his limitations becomes useful like the world's valleys. Being like the world's valleys, eternal Te will not fail him, he will revert to simplicity.” (34)
“Therefore the wise man practices moderation; he abandons pleasure, extravagance and indulgence.” (29)
“He who knows others is intelligent; he who understands himself is enlightened; he who is able to conquer others has force, but he who is able to control himself is mighty. He who appreciates contentment is wealthy. He who dares to act has nerve; if he can maintain his position he will endure, but he, who dying does not perish, is immortal.” (33)
“Therefore the wise man to the end will not pose as a great man, and by so doing will express his true greatness.” (34)
“That which has a tendency to contract must first have been extended; that which has a tendency to weaken itself must first have been strong; that which shows a tendency to destroy itself must first have been raised up; that which shows a tendency to scatter must first have been gathered. This is the explanation of a seeming contradiction: the tender and yielding conquer the rigid and strong (i.e., spirit is stronger than matter, persuasion than force). The fish would be foolish to seek escape from its natural environment. There is no gain to a nation to compel by a show of force.” (36)
“lowly valley; the whitest are most likely to be put to shame; the broadest in virtue resemble the inefficient. The most firmly established in virtue resemble the remiss. The simplest chastity resembles the fickle, the greatest “square has no corner, the largest vessel is never filled. The greatest sound is void of speech, the greatest form has no shape. Tao is obscure and without name, and yet it is precisely this Tao that alone can give and complete.” (41)
“There are some things which it is a gain to lose and a loss to gain” (42)
“The most tender things of creation race over the hardest. ” (43)
“I therefore recognize an advantage in the doctrine of not doing (wu wei) and not speaking.” (56)
“There is no sin greater than desire” (46)
“The good he treats with goodness; the not-good he also treats with goodness, for Te is goodness.” (49)
“The thing that is well planted is not easily uprooted. The thing that is well guarded is not easily taken away. ” (54)
“With beautiful words one may sell goods but in winning people one can accomplish more by kindness.” (62)
“One should avoid assertion (wu wei) and practice inaction. One should learn to find taste in the tasteless, to enlarge the small things, and multiply the few. He should respond to hatred with kindness. He should resolve a difficulty while it is easy, and manage a great thing while it is small. Surely all the world’s difficulties arose from slight causes, and all the world’s great affairs had small beginnings.” (63)
“That which is at rest is easily restrained, that which has not yet appeared is easily prevented. The weak is easily broken, the scanty is easily scattered. Consider a difficulty before it arises, and administer affairs before they become disorganized. A tree that it takes both arms to encircle grew from a tiny rootlet. A pagoda of nine stories was erected by placing small bricks. A journey of three thousand miles begins with one step. If one tries to improve a thing, he mars it; if he seizes it, he loses it. The wise man, therefore, not attempting to form things does not mar them, and not grasping after things he does not lose them. The people in their rush for business are ever approaching success but continually failing. One must be as careful to the end. Therefore the wise man desires to be free from desire, he does not value the things that are difficult of attainment. He learns to be unlearned, he returns to that which all others ignore. In that spirit he helps all things toward their natural development, but dares not interfere.” (64)
“If one discards compassion and is still brave, abandons economy and is still generous, forsakes humility and still seeks to be serviceable, his days are numbered. ” (67)
““When a man is living he is tender and fragile. When he dies he is hard and stiff. It is the same with everything, the grass and trees, in life, are tender and delicate, but when they die they become rigid and dry. Therefore those who are hard and stiff belong to death’s domain, while the tender and weak belong to the realm of life……The strong and the great stay below; the tender and weak rise above.” (76)
“They who have virtue (Te) keep their obligations, they who have no virtue insist on their rights. ” (79)
“Faithful words are often not pleasant; pleasant words are often not faithful.” (81)