There was something formless and perfect, before the Universe was born
It is serene, empty, solitary, unchanging, infinite,
Eternally present.
It is the mother of the Universe
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.
It flows through all things, inside and outside
And returns to the origin of all things,
The Tao is great,
The Universe is great,
Earth is great,
Man is great.
These are the four great powers.
Man follows the Earth
Earth follows the Universe
The Universe follows the Tao
The Tao follows only itself.

“Empty your mind of all thoughts
Let your heart be at peace
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return
Each separate being in the Universe
returns to the common Source
Returning to the Source is Serenity
If you don’t realize your Source,
stumble in confusion and sorrow
When you realize where you come from,
You naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused
Kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a King.
Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,
You can deal with whatever comes”

Swami Rama

"The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the wise long for a state of tranquility."
- Swami Rama

Without Action

Not praising the worthy prevents contention,
Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,
Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.

In this manner the sage governs people:
Emptying their minds,
Filling their bellies,
Weakening their ambitions,
And strengthening their bones.

If people lack knowledge and desire
Then they can not act;
If no action is taken
Harmony remains.

Abstraction

When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied.

So alive and dead are abstracted from nature,
Difficult and easy abstracted from progress,
Long and short abstracted from contrast,
High and low abstracted from depth,
Song and speech abstracted from melody,
After and before abstracted from sequence.

The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.

The Way

The Way that can be experienced is not true;
The world that can be constructed is not real.
The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;
The world represents all that exists and may exist.

To experience without abstraction is to sense the world;
To experience with abstraction is to know the world.
These two experiences are indistinguishable;
Their construction differs but their effect is the same.

Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way,
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world.

10 Minimalist Quotes from Tao Te Ching

1. “In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple.”

2. “If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”

3. “If you want to be given everything, give everything up.”

4. “If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”

5. “When there is no desire, all things are at peace.”

6. “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

7. “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.”

8. “The Master’s power is like this.
He lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire.
He never expects results; thus he is never disappointed.
He is never disappointed; thus his spirit never grows old.”

9. “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.”

10. “The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others, the happier he is.
The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is.”