Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words
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SageSourceQuote
ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

The way of the superior man is hidden but becomes more prominent every day, whereas the way of the inferior man is conspicuous but gradually disappears.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

The skilled reader turns it over and over in his mind, and once he gets it, draws on it his whole life, finding that it has no limits.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸Maintain perfect balance in each and every set of circumstances and thus keep to steadfast principle at all times.
ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Use oneness [truthfulness] to put the 3 universal world virtues—wisdom, goodness, and courage—into practice.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Knowing how to cultivate oneself is to know how to govern others; knowing how to govern others is to know how to govern the empire, the state, and the family.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Those who turn inward and find that they are not true to themselves cannot govern the people well.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

When understanding proceeds from truthfulness, one truly understands.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

The most truthful and capable of giving full realization to their human nature can form a trinity, a union of heaven, earth, and man.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Truthfulness is the beginning and end of things; without truthfulness, there is nothing.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Cultivating shoots of goodness gives form to truthfulness that then burns bright influencing and transforming the people.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Completion of the self is true goodness…the Way that unites external and internal.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

Perfect truthfulness though unmoving, creates change; though taking no action, brings about completion; though making no display, becomes manifest.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

The sage honors his inborn, basic goodness rising in influence when sanity reigns in society; enduring protected by silence when the Way does not prevail.

Zisi

Whoever is his true self has an understanding of the universe; whoever has a true understanding of the universe realizes his true self.

Zisi

The god-given is called Nature; to follow that nature is called Tao; to cultivate the Tao is called Culture.

Zisi

The way of great learning is keeping clear our original, clear, basic goodness.

ZisiDoctrine of the Mean, Maintaining Perfect Balance, Zhongyong 中庸

The Tao is the way things are which you can't depart from even for one instant.

Zhu XiFour BooksThere is no fixed shape to the preservation of perfect balance; it depends on the circumstances of the moment.
Zhu XiFour BooksOnly by carefully considering each set of circumstances, and following what’s called for by those circumstances can one act in accord with the appropriate course of action.
Zhu Xi

The feminine, the valley, the spontaneity of spiritual transformation, this subtle and profound way to wonder is the most powerfully creative principle