The Tao Te Ching is a tiny book filled with wisdom about life, nature, happiness, and leadership. Tao means "The Way," and in Taoism it refers to the process of nature and the universe. Made up of 81 short chapters, you could read this in a couple hours. I recommend you take the time to do so. Esoteric, mysterious, paradoxical, and wise, this book will make you think. It bears frequent revisits.
Key Takeaways
Memorable Quotes
Rating: 8/10
I love the mystery of this book. It makes me things about life, nature, and psychology. I'll be revisiting this one every few months as a bedtime read.
Key Takeaways
- The universe is impartial: it does not take sides.
- Nature is all powerful, so the wise person is humble.
- All things contain positive and negative aspects (yang and yin).
- The world is full of paradox.
Memorable Quotes
- 16: Know Eternity – Seek an open mind–the ideal of vacuity. Seek Composure–the essence of tranquility. All things are in process, rising and returning. Plants blossom for a season, then return to the root. In returning to the root, we find tranquility; this leads to our destiny, which is eternity. To know eternity is enlightenment; to ignore eternity is to invite calamity. Knowing eternity means seeing the big picture; seeing the big-picture is broad-minded; breadth of vision brings nobility; nobility is close to divinity. The Tao is divine. The Tao is Eternal. Death is not to be feared.
- 26: Self-Mastery – The light overcomes the heavy; the still overcomes the active. The wise man never forgets his dignity; though surrounded by dazzling sights, he remains calm and unmoved. How did it happen that the emperor, master of ten thousand chariots, lost control of his empire? Being flippant himself, he lost the respect of his subjects; failing to control himself, he lost control of the empire.
- 42: Yin and Yang – The Tao produces unity; unity produces duality; duality produces trinity; trinity produces all things. All things contain both the negative principle (yin) and the positive principle (yang). The third principle, energetic vitality (chi), makes them harmonious. There are some things which it is a gain to lose, and a loss to gain. This may not be what they teach in school, but it is the first lesson in learning the Tao.
- 68: Bring Out The Best – The best soldier is not warlike; the best fighter is not wrathful; the best conqueror is not quarrelsome; the best ruler is obedient himself. This is the secret to bringing out the best in others; this is following the Tao. Since ancient days, it is the path of virtue.
- 71: Ignorance – To know that there are some things you cannot know is mental health. Not to know the things you ought to know is illness. The wise man recognizes the limits of his knowledge; the foolish man thinks he knows everything.
- 78: Paradoxical Truth – Nothing is gentler than water, yet nothing can withstand its force. Likewise, nothing compares to the Tao. By it the weak defeat the strong; the flexible conquer the rigid. Every one knows this is true, but how few put it into practice. Priests are often the worst sinners. Government officers are often the worst criminals. The truth is often paradoxical.
- 81: True Words – True words are often unpleasant. Pleasant words are often untrue. Those who know the truth do not argue; those who argue do not know the truth. Scholars are seldom the wisest men; wise men are seldom scholars. Those who steal from others impoverish themselves; those who give to others become rich. Those who fight do not win; those who win do not fight. This is the way of the Tao.
Rating: 8/10
I love the mystery of this book. It makes me things about life, nature, and psychology. I'll be revisiting this one every few months as a bedtime read.