20 Taoist wisdoms to relax and start enjoying life

20 Taoist wisdoms to relax and start enjoying life

Catch a selection of quotes from the Tao De Jing and Juanzi to inspire you and set you on the path to finding harmony.

The roots of Taoism go back to ancient times. It is believed that the foundations of the doctrine were formed in the V-III centuries BC. Later Taoism became a religion, rituals and other elements of it appeared (since the II century AD). But initially it was a natural philosophical current. It is based on the doctrine of the great Tao.

Literally from Chinese this word translates as “the way”. However, its meaning is much more extensive. It is about the world order of the universe, the incomprehensible and all-encompassing force underlying all things. To achieve harmony and happiness, a person needs to take this path, try to cognize the Tao and merge with it.

“The path of 10,000 li begins under your feet,” said Lao Tzu. Perhaps the first step on it will be one of the wise quotes that we will cite below. By the way, it is with Lao-tzu that we will begin. It is to him is attributed the authorship of the main treatise of Taoism – “Tao De Ching” (“The Book of the Way and Grace”).

statue of Lao-tzu

10 wise phrases from the Tao De Ching

Only that which holds nothing back loses nothing.

2 Zhang

The Tao washes everything away like a stream, and for this reason no one can achieve complete satisfaction.

4 zhang

That is why the wise one does not hurry to follow the dictates of his “I”, and the body itself chooses the road, forgets about itself and therefore itself remains alive.

7 Zhang

The best thing is to be like water. Water readily gives goodness to all the darkness of beings and does not struggle.

8 zhang

If one loves everything in this world as oneself, one can live carelessly, trusting in the world.

13

When the craving to understand everything dries up, obscurity and longing disappear.

20 zhang

The best path is where there are no wheel prints.

27 zhang

The highest grace is to be carefree, it just happens without reason. The bad grace is to be preoccupied with doing things, and there is always a reason for it.

38 zhang

I am good to the one who is good-hearted, to the one who has an unkind heart I am also good-hearted, that is true good-heartedness.

49 Zhang.

People when they are born are pliable and gentle, but when they become inflexibly hard, they die.

76 zhang.

Also playing an important role in the development of the philosophical ideas of Taoism is the treatise Zhuang Tzu, named after the author. The book is a Taoist canon, consisting of 33 chapters of analytical reasoning and dialogues.

“Zhuang Tzu” addresses a wide range of philosophical topics, including ideas about opposites, relativity, immutability, immortality and transfiguration. Here are some wise quotes from the book of the same name that remind us of the importance of introspection, harmony, and adaptability to change.

5 wise phrases from Zhuang Tzu

The path initially has no limits, words initially have no set meaning. It is only when we hold on to our invented truths that delineations appear.

Detach that which upsets the will. Free yourself from that which disconcerts the heart. Drive away that which burdens the life force. Remove all obstacles to the realization of the Path.

The mountain robs itself of trees. Oil burns itself in the lamp. The cinnamon tree is cut down from being edible. The lacquer tree is cut down because it is useful. Everyone knows how useful it is to be useful; but no one knows how useful it is to be useless.

A wise man has nothing of his own. A godly man has no merit. A spiritual man has no name.

All men in life are in the darkness of delusion. You should not think that everyone is deluded and you alone are not in the darkness.

With the blind you will not admire the colors of paintings. With the deaf you will not enjoy the sounds of bells and drums. But is it only the body that is blind and deaf? The mind can also be blind and deaf.

I do not call someone sensitive who hears others, but only someone who hears himself.

He who values life despises profit.

To find pleasure in selfless love for all in one’s heart is the essence of humanity and duty.

When we are at peace, our mind is enlightened. When we are enlightened, we attain emptiness. When we are empty, we follow non-attachment. Then everything happens by itself.