630+ Best & Inspiring Taoism Quotes | Taoism Water Quotes |Happiness Quotes
Taoism Water Quotes
- “All streams flow to the sea, Yet the sea is never full. To be like these flows Is to be content.” – Lao Tzu
- “The water that flows follows what is natural; it goes where there is no obstacle, and if you place an obstacle in its way the water will go around it.”
- “I would rather live by a running brook With a pine tree nearby For company than live in any other way.”
- “And the little brook is long There are many pools along its bank, And there, just before the oldest tree, I like to stop and rest and play.”
- “The water that flows follows what is natural; it goes where there is no obstacle, and if you place an obstacle in its way the water will go around it.”
- “Flowing waters follow a path; Scented breezes are borne aloft by the wind; Gentle breezes move our thoughts to their goal. The very old pine sways in the breeze As if it were a sapling. Be like water my friend.” – Tsunenori Yamao
- “Tao is like water. Water benefits everything and goes unobstructed and unpossessed by anyone, yielding but never bent, flowing but not seeking a destination.”
- “The Tao flows everywhere, to all things it is like the current of a river in its gentleness and power.” Lao Tzu
- “There is no water like the water of the Tao. Its power is so great that it can wash away three thousand years of pollution.” Lao Tzu
- “The flowing water follows the way; The deep blue sky goes with the weather. The soft earth supports all things.”
- “I would rather live by a running brook With a pine tree nearby For company than live in any other way.” – Old Chinese Saying
- “Still water is good for the complexion.”
- “The stream that does not run away is easy to ride along on.”
- “The water that you touch in a river is the last of what has passed, and the first of that which comes; so with present time.” – Heraclitus
- “A running river doesn’t know it’s a river.”
- “The way of the traveler is not like the highway; The path of the sage is not marked out by travelers.” Lao Tzu
- “Water flows in and out without losing its nature.”
- “The ocean is deep, but you can still hear the sound of it from shore.”
- Lao Tzu
- “Like water anoints an ugly stone, So does kindness brightens even a heart Of stone. The beauty of a moving leaf Is like that of a woman.”
- “Clearwater reflects the clouds.”
- “A running stream is never still; A flowing brook is never deep.” – Tao Te Ching
- “The water is the same, but the ways are different.” Lao Tzu
- “For life to be complete, it should flow like the river, not be stopped by a wall.” – Lao Tzu
- “For the Tao to be eternal, it must be full. Then where is the greed?”
- “The Tao gives shade when it is hot, And water when it is thirsty.” – Lao Tzu
- “If you look up to the sky and don’t see the stars, How can you know what’s above your own head?” – Lao Tzu
- “Like a flowing brook, like a well-lived life.”
- “To understand the people, do business with the water.” – Lao Tzu
- “Water gives life to the people, but not in a heavy way.” – Lao Tzu
- “Overflow on a rainy day; be sufficient at a time of drought.”
- “When too much water is taken from the pond, it is no longer able to sustain life.” – Lao Tzu
- “Everyone loves a clear river; few love to look into their own hearts and minds.
Kung Fu Panda Taoism Quotes
- “Tao is subtle; the things it favors are those that stand the test of time.”
- “The truth is not what sticks in your mind, but what remains with you after all else has been forgotten.”
- “Only then will you know if something will remain or go away forever.”
- “It’s impossible to prevent an event from happening unless you render yourself unable to exist in this universe, which would be suicide.”
- “The sage doesn’t remove himself from anything… he doesn’t struggle against any of reality’s flow.”
- “The wise accept the natural order of things. They don’t try to control, just to understand.”
- “When you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will hold on to, and then you can put everything down.”
- “The body is a vessel for the soul. It is a tool that we borrow from fate.”
- “Good words are not as good as silence, and silence is not as good as bad words. Although the latter is spoken with good intentions; the former can be sensed only by those whose hearts are pure.”
- “To unleash your true potential, you must first release yourself from your past, and bring yourself to a state of peace.”
- “What’s more human than sleeping? To do it peacefully and not regret it when you wake up.”
- “Your past influences every decision you make, so why depend on it anymore?”
- “If you accept your past, then you can just let it go. If you don’t, the past will continue to haunt you.”
- “To know that something is impossible is to take away all of its power over you.”
- “When a man has no bonds or restrictions, he makes himself limitless.”
- “If some people don’t mind doing the wrong thing when they’re alone, how can they do what is right when they’re with others?”
- “To be free, you must let go of your expectations.”
- “Why be afraid when it’s time to face the truth?”
- “A life without mistakes is one destined for extinction.”
- “There are many paths to peace, and though it may seem hard, they all lead back to yourself.”
- “The true master doesn’t seek strength in his own heart, but rather finds it in the hearts of those around him.”
- “[The master] can either jump or he can choose to continue down a sad road, but the choice is his alone to make.”
- “To learn something new, you’re not supposed to forget what you already know. The more you learn, the more you must know.”
- “A man’s greatest strength isn’t born of his bare muscles; it’s born from the courage and self-confidence that comes from having a strong mind, and knowing that you are capable of anything.”
Taoism Quotes on Happiness
- “If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, it’s possible to be happy.
- “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
- “Things that don’t matter can’t hurt.”
- “If people are able to put their minds into a tranquil state of emptiness, this unspeakable joy will appear of its own accord.”
- “Those who know don’t talk; those who talk don’t know!”
- “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”
- “Happiness is much more than a feeling. It is an activity, of which feeling is only one part.”
- “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.”
- “The highest achievement was produced by a combination of effort and serene ease in the mind.”
- “The light of the body is the illumination of the mind.”
- “Awareness without action is like a bird that has lost its way in a dark forest.”
- “If you want to be happy, make others happy. The more others are happy, the more you will be happy.”
- “Of all things under Heaven, I like the people the best.”
- “In harmony with the Tao, all life is transformed.”
- “A true person cultivates virtue in order to achieve goodness; he does not bother in pursuit of gain.”
- “The foolish person seeks happiness from material things, but the wise man realizes that true joy comes first from a pure heart, and then material things can be added upon as needed.”
- “There is no greater sorrow than regretting something you have done, and wishing you could undo it.”
- “True happiness comes from discipline and restraint.”
- “He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.”
- “A man is wise enough when he can accept even the things he cannot change without losing his temper.”
- “The greatest happiness is to possess little and possess all within yourself.”
- “I will help everyone I can that needs it, so long as it doesn’t interfere with my own affairs.”
- “All words are equal; it is what is contained within that really matters.”
- “To say nothing of meaning, most things refer to things which have no meaning.”
- “A good person has the right to do anything that would be beneficial for himself or others.”
- “The man who knows how to lead others and still keep his self-reliance will be held in high esteem by all.”
- “He who does not replace his mind with the Tao sooner or later will lose it. He who does not learn the Tao will not last.”
- “True joy does not come from selfishness or taking, but is a feeling of gratitude from giving.”
- “Whoever can see beauty in the Tao, will find good in all things.”
- “The wise man knows what he says before he speaks, and afterward is glad he did so because he has no reason to take back his words.”
Taoism Quotes on Balance
- “When things are out of balance, something is out of place. When the place is right, then all things fall into line.”
- “If you try to hold water it will always escape from your grasp, and so it is with trying to deal with a flood by damming up the stream.”
- “When we meet people, we need not agree with them for their philosophy to be worthwhile and instructive.”
- “Respect all life. Show no partiality to anybody. But always give preference to those who cannot defend themselves.”
- “The Tao is like a river that never seizes back when it has been given free rein.”
- “What you resist, persists.”
- “To return what you have borrowed.”
- “A Chinese proverb: ‘If you don’t bind, the universal will bind itself.’ A better translation would be ‘If you give, the universal will repay. If you give, it will take back.'”
- “The Tao does not compete with the other sages; it is on a higher level than them all.”
- “I know that in the past I have done many things that were not natural to me. I let my old self die out slowly, and for this reason, I have been able to make myself perfect.”
- “Do what you always do; keep your heart open, and your life will answer for your intentions. Be at one with the Tao, and the Tao will be at one with you.”
- “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.”
- “If we could see things as they are, we would realize that they are a lot more simple than how we perceive them.”
- “Attain quietness within yourself and you will end your wandering.”
- “Hold fast to the One, and one half of your journey through life is over.”
- “It is by being simple that we can cope with the complexity of life.”
- “If you want to have a war with someone, don’t do it with his strong points; beat him at his weaknesses. That way you’ll get the best of him.”
- “If you come across a sage who has mastered himself as completely as you want to master yourself, let him be your master.”
- “If you want to be a great leader, demonstrate yourself first by being the servant of others.”
- “Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.”
- “In governing men and in serving heaven, there is nothing better than moderation.”
- “As the tree that grows from a tiny seed becomes large and spreads its branches so that whatever perches on it has room enough, so is he who lives for others better and more successful than he who lives only for himself.”
- “Be a child again; be strong in yourself, and there will be no more of the old age.”
- “Stand where you are and know that I am God.”
- “He who therefore wishes to govern men should remember to act like a man, and not become like a tyrant.”
- “Practice self-control; for by that act you will make the Tao shine on other men as well.”
Taoism Quotes About Nature
- “Heaven is the place where nothing is seen and the sage lives in practice.”
- “The life of a sage is to be self-sufficient, but not isolated.”
- “The Tao gives birth to One who follows it, one who does not follow it dies.”
- “Mistaking death for life or illusion for reality will bring only harm.”
- “When a thing is small, it moves quickly; when it gets big, it goes slow.”
- “Without desires, the people will labor with ease.”
- “The Way produces one who is good; one who is good produces the Way.”
- “One who rests on the Way will not be troubled by events.”
- “There are two spirits in man: a superior spirit and an inferior spirit. The superior spirit is harmonious and righteous, the inferior spirit is hostile and deceitful.”
- “It is in the nature of Virtue that the good man is not aware of his goodness, and the bad man is not aware of his wickedness.”
- “The Way begot one, One begot two, two begot three, and three begot the ten thousand things.”
- “Turning away from life is death; turning to life is birth.”
- “One who knows other people is wise; one who knows himself has insight.”
- “Success is as dangerous as failure. The sage is free from danger, free from desire and holds to himself.”
- “The Way of Heaven has no favorites. It is content with what it has.”
- “Be sure in the will to seek nothing; Be sure in the heart (mind) to retain nothing. Be sure in the mouth to say nothing.”
- “Not to exalt oneself, not to condemn others, not to be proud of one’s abilities; not to claim special favors from heaven.”
- “I (the Way) know nothing of life and death, for I am given to those who are not yet born, and hold in my arms those who are dying.”
- “The Ten Thousand Things rise from It as it is their Source, but It does not think of claiming the merit; It gives them breath and they, in turn, give (each other) form.”
- “Heaven and earth are impartial; they see all men as straw dogs.”
- “Heaven and earth are without passion; they regard all things as straw dogs.”
- “The sage is never petty, never selfish, never pretentious; he achieves greatness by seeming small.”
- “If I have, even more, I would desire still more; this is the way of death.”
- “If I have surplus property, I will share it with others; this is the way of life.”
- “Man’s Way follows what nature has taught him. There is no wisdom in trying to go against nature.”
- “Heaven has no fixed plan for the human race; it embraces all and favors none.”
- “It is the way of heaven to keep things going by overcoming them; their strength is in weakness, their life is in death.”
- “What enables you to make your way prosperous without giving offense, will enable you to carry out all your designs, without taking any hurt.”
Taoism Leadership Quotes
- “The best leaders are those who stay the same. The worst ones change.”
- “To govern well, be like water.”
- “With an unfathomable and boundless mind, everything seems clearer.”
- “Those with a small mind make a big noise; those with a big mind make no noise at all”
- “People should choose their own lives – not have them chosen for them.”
- “People who don’t make mistakes are not doing anything”
- “In the world, all things end in death. To act before destiny is to choose a new life.”
- “The most important thing in this world is to follow your own heart and mind.”
- “Be careful what you desire for from the beginning, because you may not get it”
- “When the wise man points at the moon, the fool looks at the finger.”
- “No man can prevent his fate, but whoever accepts his fate is a wise man.”
- “A good leader allows people to accomplish things they never thought possible.”
- “If you think in process and not in results, then there are no limits to what you can do”
- “A leader leads by example, not by force.”
- “Loss is the inevitable condition of leadership…No one can receive power without passing over to the other side and accepting the responsibility of leadership.”
- “There are no leaders without followers.”
- “To become a successful leader it’s not important how much you lead, but how much you follow.”
- “The most important quality for a leader is that he should be indulgent; when he is not, he has no right to command others.”
- “A good leader is not someone who merely talks a good game, but someone who does what is necessary to win.”
- “Leadership cannot be taught. It can only be learned.”
- “What we know to do and what we are able to do are usually two different things.”
- “There is no royal road to anything worth doing.”
- “Sometimes the best way to have great ideas and the capacity for teamwork is to make sure you’re alone for a few days.”
- “Leadership can be taken in different ways, depending on the situation you are facing.”
- “People cannot be led who have no intention of being led.”
- “The most important quality in a leader is self-confidence, but self-confidence without arrogance is rarely seen.”
- “A leader should never be deceived into thinking he knows it all”
- “When a leader is passionate about something, it usually means he has made a big mistake.”
- “The moment you start to second-guess yourself, you have already lost”
- “Nothing gained without difficulty”
- “When the wise plan and move there is no disaster; when the blundering attempt and fail, it is the beginning of wisdom”
- “In leadership, self-confidence is key in keeping people on board.”
- “With great power comes great responsibility”
- “The first step on the road to success is to know what it is”
- “Leadership isn’t something that is learned, it’s something that must be earned”
- “The single biggest indicator of leadership is how your people view you.”
- “Great leaders are not born, they’re made; not given, they’re demanded, and not chosen from any list—they’re earned.”
- “Many men have gone to the top of the ladder, only to find they couldn’t climb down”
- “When you’re working on something that matters, there is nothing as satisfying as knowing it will all come together in the end.”
- “You can do nothing halfway “
- “All great leaders are good listeners”
- “Great leadership starts with a vision and never ends”
Taoism Quotes on Death
- Death is a gateway to life.
- Death is the beginning of life; without death, there would be no life.
- The Tao can take away your pain and sorrow, but it cannot help you avoid death as it is an inevitable part of the cycle of all things.
- Live and die with courage and dignity.
- Experience the joys, happiness, and goodness of life while you may.
- Do not hide from death; there is no reason to be afraid of it.
- The soundness of your body will bring you soundness in your character; the clarity of your mind will bring you clear-mindedness in your work; the richness of this body will lead to a richness in your spirit as well as your work.
- What is death? Death is an entrance to life.
- When death’s shadow overcasts, take a few moments to think of all that you enjoyed and the happiness you shared.
- For each day that you live, make it your best one; for each year that passes, make it your most productive one; and for each decade of your life, make it the most creative one.
- Focus your efforts on what you can control, and put your heart and soul into what you cannot control.
- Accept life’s opportunities with joy: the wind in your hair, the sun shining on your face, the birds singing in the trees, the rain bringing life to all things.
- Make death an important part of your daily routine as it will make your life rich and fulfilling.
- It is better to look back at a long life full of happiness than to look forward to a short life filled with regret.
- Death is not scary if you live a full life if you meet your goals and accomplish all that you had planned to do.
- Death is actually a blessing in disguise; it is the ending to sadness, loneliness, and pain.
- It is not death that a man should fear, but he should rather fear never beginning to live.
- If someone dies please do not cry for days on end; instead, be thankful for the years they shared with you and the memories they have left behind to cherish.
- Life is short, let’s make the most of it.
- Hold your friends close and don’t look back in anger; live your life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it.
- There is a special place in heaven for those who have been very kind to others while they were alive.
- No matter how much you care for people when they are alive, even more, should you enjoy their company while they are gone.
- The world is a better place when those we care about are no longer in it.
- The happiest and most enjoyable moments of our lives are spent with the people we love.
- Nothing is better than living a life full of happiness and love.
- Life is short, live it to the fullest.
- Life is too short to waste your time on anything other than what you love the most in this world.
- Life is such a short experience that you should do whatever makes you happy and enjoy every second of it.
- Release the attachments that prevent you from living; they will only weigh you down as time goes on.
- Do not be afraid to die, just live your life to the fullest by being happy, making the most of each moment, without regrets.
- If you die young do it with a smile on your face, knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of others while you were alive.
Taoism Quotes on Love
- Love is a living thing that grows and changes
- Love is not something we can ever own
- You cannot buy the priceless treasure of love with money
- The more you have, the less you love
- Love is a fragrance that only one person can create (from within)
- To truly know someone else’s heart, look into your own
- If two people in love fail to see how lucky they are, it’s because they’ve forgotten what real love feels like
- Love is like an ocean: deep enough to drown in
- To love is to give what you do not have
- Love is not just about feelings
- What you have spent so much time searching for has always been with you
- Those who love, know they are loved only when they’ve already lost it
- You will meet many people that only love themselves and take from others; but once in a lifetime, you will find someone that loves your soul more than his own and will risk everything for it.
- Never allow yourself to set a price on love
- Love is not measured by the length of the time we feel it, but by the depth of our feelings
- Love is not something you buy or sell like a commodity
- If you want to know how much someone loves you, look at what they would risk for you
- Love is like an ocean — deep enough to drown in and wide enough to cover everything (everybody) with its waves
- The greatest gift we can give to others is our own love
- Loving somebody is not only about finding the one who can fill your heart – it’s also to learn how to be oneself in a relationship with another person
- It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all
- If you can love, if you can forgive, if you can dream, anything is possible
- Love is the greatest force of all
- Love is the most potent of all medicines
- Loving someone doesn’t mean that you have to believe in them or what they stand for; it’s just about loving who they are for themselves
- If you want to show love, learn to give it first
- Where you don’t love yourself, you cannot truly love anything (or anyone) else
- Love makes the world go around; but if we lose love from our life, the world will soon come to a standstill
- True love comes with no conditions attached
- Only when we give do we truly receive (see Luke 6:38)
- Love can build a bridge from the human heart to the soul of another person
- Love is not a game; it’s your soul being offered to another person
- When faith in love is lost, the heart turns gray like dying leaves
- When the two of you are apart, you will always be thinking about each other
- It’s not that we don’t love everyone – it’s just that we love those who truly deserve our attention and our time (whether they’re close or far)
- Love cannot be bought or sold or exchanged for something else
- Love is a choice – not an emotion
- Love is not enough to sustain a relationship
- Love is both a search and a discovery (when you cannot find it, you will start to look for it)
- A person’s true character is revealed through their love
- Once in love, we tend to exaggerate the good things about the one we are with but forget all the bad things
- When somebody truly loves you, you know it
- Love is not a friendship that has gone wrong; it’s a family that has grown together
- Love is a choice we make every day of our lives
- You cannot buy love – but you can give love
- True love is never easy (see 1 Cor. 13:1-13)
- Love takes away all the pain and replaces it with joy and pleasure
- Love is faith without deeds (faith that is not carried out in our relationship with what we believe)
- Love is something you must choose to receive (love does not come to us when we are not expecting it)
- Love has the power to heal even the deepest wounds
- A person who loves themselves will never be selfish in their love for others (from ‘The Tao of Living’ by Lao Tzu)
- When two people share a profound love, life will flow easily between them
- Love is not a promise; it’s an action that gives us the power to change everything
- We can give love to others only if we’re prepared to accept that same love in return
- When you truly love someone, you are safe with them (in your heart) even when they are not there beside you
- Love is a journey, not a destination
- Love is not as strong as death or deaf as silence.
