Lao Tzu

"The master doesn't give himself away; he remains as small as a grain of sand."

"In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired."

"Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness."

"The rigid tree breaks in the storm; the flexible one bends and survives."

"Silence is the source of all things."

"True mastery is freedom from fear."

"By letting it go it all gets done; the world is won by those who let it go."

"The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao."

"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill."

"The more you have, the more you need to protect it."

"A tree that grows too fast will not bear good fruit."

"Darkness within darkness—the gateway to all understanding."

"The hand that follows intellect can achieve."

"When walking, just walk; when eating, just eat."

"The body is the root; the mind is the branches."

"Forget the destination, the path itself is the joy."

"In the world, there is nothing softer than water, yet nothing stronger."

"The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without claiming reward."

"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who masters himself is mighty."

"To see all things as one is the beginning of enlightenment."

"The sage does nothing, yet nothing remains undone."

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears without speaking."

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise; seek what they sought."

"The more laws you make, the less justice you have."

"Wealth is the test of a man's character."

"Those who hate do not harm you; they harm themselves."

"The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror; it grasps nothing, refuses nothing."

"To stand with effort on tiptoes is not to stand firmly."

"All streams flow to the ocean because it lies below them."

"The one who sees emptiness and laughs has found the key."