What (Tao's) skilful planter plants Can never be uptorn; What his skilful arms enfold, From him can ne'er be borne Sons shall bring in lengthening line, Sacrifices to his shrine
Fools of little understanding have themselves for their greatest enemies, for they do evil deeds which must bear bitter fruits
We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it a...
What other men (thus) teach, I also teach The violent and strong do not die their natural death I will make this the basis of my teaching
Give up what is before, give up what is behind, give up what is in the middle, when thou goest to the other shore of existence; if thy mind is altogether free, thou wilt not again...
Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with The sages do not act from (any wish to be...
The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things All things leave behind them the Obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to em...
Bad deeds, and deeds hurtful to ourselves, are easy to do; what is beneficial and good, that is very difficult to do
Even the gods envy those who are awakened and not forgetful, who are given to meditation, who are wise, and who delight in the repose of retirement (from the world)
He who, by causing pain to others, wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free from hatred
His thought is quiet, quiet are his word and deed, when he has obtained freedom by true knowledge, when he has thus become a quiet man
As the impurity which springs from the iron, when it springs from it, destroys it; thus do a transgressor's own works lead him to the evil path
An evil deed is better left undone, for a man repents of it afterwards; a good deed is better done, for having done it, one does not repent
Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not learn, and turns back to what the multitude...
We offer these prayers to Rudra, the strong, whose hair is braided, who rules over heroes that he may be a blessing to man and beast, that everything in this our village may be pro...
If the Brahmana has reached the other shore in both laws (in restraint and contemplation), all bonds vanish from him who has obtained knowledge
If a man for a hundred years worship Agni (fire) in the forest, and if he but for one moment pay homage to a man whose soul is grounded (in true knowledge), better is that homage t...
Stop the stream valiantly, drive away the desires, O Brahmana! When you have understood the destruction of all that was made, you will understand that which was not made. If the Br...
If, whether for his own sake, or for the sake of others, a man wishes neither for a son, nor for wealth, nor for lordship, and if he does not wish for his own success by unfair mea...
As a tree, even though it has been cut down, is firm so long as its root is safe, and grows again, thus, unless the feeders of thirst are destroyed, the pain (of life) will return...
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao The law of the Tao is its being what it is
The Bhikshu whose body and tongue and mind are quieted, who is collected, and has rejected the baits of the world, he is called quiet
There should be a neighbouring state within sight, and the voices of the fowls and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us, but I would make the people to old age, even to d...
If a man's thoughts are not dissipated, if his mind is not perplexed, if he has ceased to think of good or evil, then there is no fear for him while he is watchful
Hence the sage is able (in the same way) to accomplish his great achievements It is through his not making himself great that he can accomplish them
Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller)
What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which kings and princes use for themselves So it is t...
Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical
0 When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating When one gives undivided attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it t...
A Bhikshu who has entered his empty house, and whose mind is tranquil, feels a more than human delight when he sees the law clearly