Below are some of my favorite quotes from an extraordinary collection of quotes: Taoist Wisdom: Daily Teachings from the Taoist Masters, edited by Timothy Freke (1999).

Taoism (pron. “Dow-ism”) was born in the mists of pre-history. Taoist philosophy evokes mystery, oneness, aligning with nature’s rhythms, and blending with the Vastness.

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1
An unchanging Oneness.
An ever-changing presence.
The Mother of all Life.
Without wishing to define it,
I say it is ‘The Whole.’
It is really impossible
to give it a name,
But I call it ‘Tao.’ ”
(Lao Tzu)

2
“Tao is indefinable original totality.
It is the mysterious Essence.”
(Lao Tzu)

3
“Tao is like an empty space
That can never be filled up,
Yet it contains everything.”
(Lao Tzu)

4
“Tao is the all-embracing Oneness…
Tao is indefinable original totality.”
(Lao Tzu)

5
“The essence of Tao is mystery.”
(Guang Cheng)

6
“Tao acts like a still axis
around which the universe evolves.”
(Tai Gong Diao)

7
“Existence and nonexistence
are the undulating pulse of Tao.”
(Lao Tzu)

8
“Tao is the one Universal Self
at the heart of every individual self.”
(Timothy Freke)

9
“The true reason for things
is indefinable and ungraspable.
Only when returned to a state of primal simplicity
through profound contemplation
can consciousness partially see
into these dark depths.”
(Guan Tin Tzu)

10
“The Ancient Masters understood Mystery.
The depth of their wisdom is unfathomable.”
(Lao Tzu)

11
“To use this short finite life
to grieve over the chaos of the world
is like weeping into a river of tears
for fear it will run dry.”
(Lao Tzu)

12
“The Wise flow with the Tao in life,
and in death they merge with the Oneness of things.”
(Chuang Tzu)

13
“The wise are borne along
By the current of universal evolution.”
(Chuang Tzu)

14
“The ancients knew that
life is only a temporary visit to this world,
and death is only a temporary withdrawal.”
(Lien Tzu)

15
“Something mysterious happened, and
I found myself at one with Tao.”
(Yen Cheng Tzu)

16
“Your body is on loan from Heaven and Earth for a short time.
Your every activity is an integral part of the great flux.”
(Cheng, speaking to Shun)

17
“Why not live your own life,
not the life that others say you should?”

18
“…the undefinable primal formlessness of Tao… ”
(Geng Sang Tzu)

19
“The wise are one with Oneness.”
(Chuang Tzu)

20
“Eventually you will experience
the great awakening,
and then you will discover that
life is a great dream.”
(Chuang Tzu)

21
“Separate individuals
are like passing waves
on the vast sea of Tao.”
(Timothy Freke)

22
“O Tao! It makes me supremely happy
to know that I was born from you
and on death will return to you.”
(Chuang Tzu)

23
“Life and death
are two aspects
of the same existence.”
(Chuang Tzu)

24
“Give yourself to the wave of the Great Change.
Surrender to the cycle of things.”
(T’ao Ch’ien)

25
“Obtain as much joy from life as you can,
and then accept death when it comes,
for everything must end.”
(Tang Zhu)

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SOURCE

Taoist Wisdom: Daily Teachings from the Taoist Masters, Ed. Timothy Freke (New York, Sterling Publishing Company Inc., 1999)

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