The sage never tries to store things up.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance.

All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.

The truly great man dwells on what is real and not what is on the surface.

Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing yet not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.

Attending fully and becoming supple,
Can you be as a newborn babe?

Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,
Can you avoid separation?

What honor can there be without humility?
           What heights can be reached without being low?

The pieces of a chariot are useless
             unless the work in accordance with the whole
A man's life brings nothing
             unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe
Playing one's part
          in accordance with the universe
          is true humility

So whether you're a gem in the royal court
       or a stone on the common path
If you accept your part with humility
       the glory of the universe will be yours

When life begins
            we are tender and weak
When life ends
            we are stiff and rigid
All things, including the grass and trees,
          are soft and pliable in life
          and dry in brittle in death

So the soft and supple
            are the companion of life
While the stiff and unyielding
            are the companions of death

An army that cannot yield
          will be defeated
A tree that cannot bend
          will crack in the wind
Thus by Nature's own decree
           the hard and strong are defeated
           while the soft and gentle are triumphant

Why are the people starving?-
Because their grain is being eaten up by the taxes
That's why they're starving

Why are people rebellious?-
Because those above them meddle in their lives
That's why they're rebellious

Why do people regard death so lightly?-
Because they are so involved with their own living
That's why they regard death so lightly

In the end,
The treasure of life is missed by those who hold on
    and gained by those who let go

Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind become still.
The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return.
They grow and flourish and then return to the source.