King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Tao Te Ching

author: Lao-Tse


first line: The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.





I've been reading the Tao Te Ching in daily installments from Daily Lit. It's something totally different from what I normally read.



The Tao Te Ching consists of 81 short poems, which you can read here. It was written about 2,500 years ago by Lao Tzu and is the basis for the philosophical school of Taoism.



Most of the themes in the Tao Te Ching are about living life simply and doing away with material things. This is a difficult book to review, I feel I really can't do it justice. It's such a profound work.


Here are a few of my favorite passages:

He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.

Sincere words are not elegant; elegant words are not sincere.

The good person does not argue; the person who argues is not good.

The wise do not have great learning; those with great learning are not wise.

True Persons do not hoard.

Using all they have for others, they still have more.

Giving all they have to others, they are richer than before.


The way of heaven is to benefit and not to harm.

The way of the True Reason is to assist without striving

in the unfolding of the story of the earth.

Empty everything out; hold fast to your stillness.

Even though all things are stirring together,

watch for the movement of return.

The ten thousand things flourish and then

each returns to the root from which it came.

Returning to the root is stillness.

Through stillness each fulfils its destiny.

That which has fulfilled its destiny

becomes part of the Always-so.

To be aware of the Always-so is to awaken.


Those who innovate while in ignorance of the Always-so

move toward disaster.

Those who act with awareness of the Always-so

embrace all, are not possessed by particular desire,

and move toward the Tao.

Those who are at one with the Tao abide forever.

Even after their bodies waste away, they are safe and whole.

I enjoyed reading the Tao Te Ching and am glad I ventured off and read something different.