125 Lao Tzu Quotes, Sayings & Wisdom Words for inspiration

Lao Tzu also known as Laozi, or Lao-Tze was a Chinese philosopher and writer. This “Old Master” has played a central role in Chinese culture for millennia. Lao Tzu has traditionally been regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese text that describes the Tao (or Dao) as the source of all existence. Here we have curated Lao Tzu Quotes to give insight into this wise man and his teachings.

Lao Tzu Quotes

1. “Great acts are made up of small deeds.” ~ Lao Tzu

2. “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.” ~ Lao Tzu

3. “The world belongs to those who let go.” ~ Lao Tzu

4. “To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” ~ Lao Tzu

5. “Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?” ~ Lao Tzu

6. “If the people must be ever fearful of death, then there will always be an executioner.” ~ Lao Tzu
7. “Our enemies are not demons, but human beings like ourselves.” ~ Lao Tzu
8. “There is no disaster greater than not being content; there is no misfortune greater than being covetous.” ~ Lao Tzu
9. “Ambition has one heel nailed in well, though she stretches her fingers to touch the heavens.” ~ Lao Tzu
10. “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Love Quotes

11. “He who defends with love will be secure; Heaven will save him, and protect him with love.” ~ Lao Tzu
12. “A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.” ~ Lao Tzu
13. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu
14. “Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.” ~ Lao Tzu
15. “Love is of all the passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses.” ~ Lao Tzu
16. “Go to the people. Live with them, learn from them, love them.” ~ Lao Tzu
17. “Because of a great love, one is courageous.” ~ Lao Tzu
18. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu
19. “Your own positive future begins in this moment. All you have is right now. Every goal is possible from here.” ~ Lao Tzu
20. “If lightning is the anger of the gods, then the gods are concerned mostly about trees.” ~ Lao Tzu

Inspirational Lao Tzu Quotes

21. “Is it not through her selflessness that she is able to perfect herself?” ~ Lao Tzu
22. “To be worn out is to be renewed.” ~ Lao Tzu
23. “Just remain in the center; watching. And then forget that you are there.” ~ Lao Tzu
24. “The way to do is to be.” ~ Lao Tzu
25. “He who talks more is sooner exhausted.” ~ Lao Tzu
26. “As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it.” ~ Lao Tzu
27. “If you want to know me, look inside your heart.” ~ Lao Tzu
28. “A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.” ~ Lao Tzu
29. “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” ~ Lao Tzu
30. “Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Wisdom Words

31. “The reason why the universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms.” ~ Lao Tzu
32. “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” ~ Lao Tzu
33. “The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world. Through this I know the advantage of taking no action.” ~ Lao Tzu
34. “Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.” ~ Lao Tzu
35. “Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.” ~ Lao Tzu
36. “Do you imagine the universe is agitated? Go into the desert at night and look at the stars. This practice should answer the question.” ~ Lao Tzu
37. “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” ~ Lao Tzu
38. “The Wise Man is square but not sharp, honest but not not malign, straight but not severe, bright but not dazzling.” ~ Lao Tzu
39. “To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.” ~ Lao Tzu
40. “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Quotes

41. “From wonder into wonder existence opens.” ~ Lao Tzu
42. “The best fighter is never angry.” ~ Lao Tzu
43. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” ~ Lao Tzu
44. “Act without expectation.” ~ Lao Tzu
45. “Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.” ~ Lao Tzu

46. “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ~ Lao Tzu
47. “Do not conquer the world with force, for force only causes resistance. Thorns spring up when an army passes. Years of misery follow a great victory. Do only what needs to be done without using violence.” ~ Lao Tzu
48. “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” ~ Lao Tzu
49. “The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. He prefers what is within to what is without.” ~ Lao Tzu
50. “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~ Lao Tzu

Short Lao Tzu Quotes

51. “The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground.”~ Lao Tzu
52. “A good traveler leaves no tracks.” ~ Lao Tzu
53. While the tender and weak dance on the breeze above.” ~ Lao Tzu
54. “Loss is not as bad as wanting more.” ~ Lao Tzu
55. “Silence is a source of great strength.” ~ Lao Tzu

56. “The way of heaven is to help and not harm.” ~ Lao Tzu
57. “Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.” ~ Lao Tzu
58. “What is firmly rooted cannot be pulled out.” ~ Lao Tzu
59. “The heart that gives, gathers.” ~ Lao Tzu
60. “Composure is the ruler of instability.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Motivational Quotes

61. “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ~ Lao Tzu
62. “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.” ~ Lao Tzu
63. “Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.” ~ Lao Tzu
64. “Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.” ~ Lao Tzu
65. “He who acts, spoils; he who grasps, lets slip.” ~ Lao Tzu
66. “The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.” ~ Lao Tzu
67. “One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him.” ~ Lao Tzu
68. “A bad man is a good man’s job.” ~ Lao Tzu
69. “When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready… The teacher will disappear.” ~ Lao Tzu
70. “If you wish to be out front, then act as if you were behind.” ~ Lao Tzu

Famous Lao Tzu Quotes

71. “It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full.” ~ Lao Tzu
72. “When pure sincerity forms within, it is outwardly realized in other people’s hearts.” ~ Lao Tzu
73. “The road you can talk about is not the road you can walk on.” ~ Lao Tzu
74. “When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty, there arises the recognition of ugliness. When they all know the good as good, there arises the recognition of evil.” ~ Lao Tzu
75. “The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small.” ~ Lao Tzu
76. “Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose.” ~ Lao Tzu
77. “Knowing how to yield is strength.” ~ Lao Tzu
78. “Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.” ~ Lao Tzu
79. “Chanting is no more holy than listening to the murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more scared than simply breathing, religious robes no more spiritual than work clothes.” ~ Lao Tzu
80. “There is no illusion greater than fear.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Quotes

81. “If I had just a little bit of wisdom I should walk the great path and fear only straying from it.” ~ Lao Tzu
82. “With few there is attainment. With much there is confusion.” ~ Lao Tzu
83. “Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.” ~ Lao Tzu
84. “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” ~ Lao Tzu
85. “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” ~ Lao Tzu
86. “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” ~ Lao Tzu
87. “Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish – too much handling will spoil it.” ~ Lao Tzu
88. “People in their handlings of affairs often fail when they are about to succeed. If one remains as careful at the end as he was at the beginning, there will be no failure.” ~ Lao Tzu
89. “Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don’t see the self as self, what do we have to fear?” ~ Lao Tzu
90. “I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil nor do I serve any.” ~ Lao Tzu

Best Lao Tzu Quotes

91. “From caring comes courage.” ~ Lao Tzu
92. “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~ Lao Tzu
93. “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” ~ Lao Tzu
94. “By letting go it all gets done.” ~ Lao Tzu
95. “If you are depressed you are living in the past.” ~ Lao Tzu
96. “When there is no desire, all things are at peace.” ~ Lao Tzu
97. “If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ~ Lao Tzu
98. “To hold, you must first open your hand. Let go.” ~ Lao Tzu
99. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” ~ Lao Tzu
100. “Stop thinking, and end your problems.” ~ Lao Tzu

Quotes by Lao Tzu

101. “To see things in the seed, that is genius.” ~ Lao Tzu
102. “Take care with the end as you do with the beginning.” ~ Lao Tzu
103. “The further one goes, the less one knows.” ~ Lao Tzu
104. “When goodness is lost there is morality.” ~ Lao Tzu
105. “The Tao is nowhere to be found. Yet it nourishes and completes all things.” ~ Lao Tzu
106. “When men lost their understanding of the Tao, intelligence came along, bringing hypocrisy with it.” ~ Lao Tzu
107. “The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be.” ~ Lao Tzu
108. “Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires.” ~ Lao Tzu
109. “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~ Lao Tzu
110. “If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.” ~ Lao Tzu

Popular Lao Tzu Quotes

111. “He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.” ~ Lao Tzu
112. “If you want to lead them you must place yourself behind them.” ~ Lao Tzu
113. “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” ~ Lao Tzu
114. “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” ~ Lao Tzu
115. “When you accept yourself, the whole world accepts you.” ~ Lao Tzu
116. “An over sharpened sword cannot last long.” ~ Lao Tzu
117. “Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.” ~ Lao Tzu
118. “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend.” ~ Lao Tzu
119. “If you do not value rare treasures, you will stop others from stealing.” ~ Lao Tzu
120. “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” ~ Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu Quotes

121. “A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day.” ~ Lao Tzu
122. “When you are at one with loss, the loss is experienced willingly.” ~ Lao Tzu
123. “He who knows he has enough is rich. Perseverance is a sign of will power. He who stays where he is endures. To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.” ~ Lao Tzu
124. “Nature is not human hearted.” ~ Lao Tzu
125. “Respond to anger with virtue. Deal with difficulties while they are still easy. Handle the great while it is still small.” ~ Lao Tzu

Thank you for reading this. Which quote did you like the most in the above list? Please let us know your favorite quote in the comments section.

If you liked this article on Lao Tzu Quotes, please share at your favorite social media portals with your friends and relatives.