9 Quotes From Lao Tzu For Self-Realization
“Longwinded speech is exhausting. Better to stay centered.”
The Tao Te Ching is attributed to Lao-Tzu. Or Laozi. “Old Master” is the title given to him for articulating the spiritual in such simple language — language that founded an entire school of thought (Taoism) that’s been in practice for over 2,000 years. Others have contributed to Taoism, but it’s fixed that he’s the founder.
Lao-Tzu lived during the Chinese Zhao Dynasty (600 BCE). He held the position of Keeper of Archives for the royal court which led to him being known and well-respected as a scholar and philosopher. All until he was stirred into heading westward, towards the mountains, to finish his treatise and live as a hermit.
In his own words, it is great only because it is unlike anything else. In short, the Tao Te Ching is a book that promotes non-action, not-knowing, stillness, non-duality, and non-attachment. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever read.
“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”
But the one true gift that it has to offer is something greater than all these things: A road map for self-realization.
“Longwinded speech is exhausting.
Better to stay centered.”
In the past, I found that whenever I would have a long conversation with someone, I’d feel as if I were drained afterward. And I’d blame this on the world, myself, or the person, but it wasn’t needed. If I would’ve remained silent — and centered — then I wouldn’t have felt so drained.
Understand that words are nothing but vibrations. That’s it. And these vibrations could have either positive or negative effects on our minds depending on how our words are used.
And there’s always a being (or spirit) vibrating on its own within you — and that’s you — and whenever you’re silent, that’s when you’re most connected with that being.
Being silent allows for listening. Both to others and the soul.
“No self-interest?
Self is fulfilled.”
It’s difficult not to be full of ourselves — full of the “I.” It’s always I am this, I am that, I want to be this, I want to be that. But all these things aren’t needed; they only halt us from the life that “we” desire. Or the life that our egos desire.
The only thing that matters is that “I am,” the “this” and “that” doesn’t matter.
The ego is responsible for Interest. Our soul has no purpose for it, though; therefore, it can’t be fulfilled with such things.
“Live in a good place.
Keep your mind deep.
Treat others well.
Keep good order.”
It’s important to find a home — a good home. Somewhere that allows us to be distanced — distanced from others, from the world. A distance that would allow us to deepen our minds, center ourselves, become self-disciplined, and maintain our egos. Or regulate them. More importantly, though, it needs to be somewhere that’s comfortable.
Being able to lay your head somewhere peaceful, and silent, can be the best thing of all; it’s a place for growth. Or a sanctum that allows for you to do nothing else but focus on the person — or spirit — that’s within you.
It can give us somewhat of an appetite for others; an impulse to share with them a portion of that happiness, that peace.
Simply treating another person well could be all that’s needed; and that simple act of kindness can be all that that person needed to make their day… livable.
“Work when it’s time.
Only do not contend,
And you will not go wrong.”
There’s this need for work that emerges in our minds well before the time we’ll have an actual need for it in our lives.
Many do it to attain heights — heights that aren’t needed to be attained. Others do it because it is needed to feed themselves. Or their families. Or their purpose.
But for those that aren’t in an absolute, burning need for it, that may be for a reason: To learn how to be still, detached, and focused on the spiritual world within them.
He also states:
“Withdrawing when work is done:
Heaven’s Tao.”
Doership is Bondage.
Even though we get paid for it, it’s difficult not to fall victim to it. Or enslaved to it. And it shouldn’t be difficult to abandon it when the time is evident, but it is for a lot of people.
It’s become somewhat of an odd norm to always want more even when it is clear that what we have is enough.
Identities emerge from it. It’s become “our” work. It’s no longer something needed to fill our stomachs, but something used to fuel our egos. Or rather a vehicle used to drive them.
Someone can base their life entirely on their work, and not the experience of the life outside it. And that’s if there is a life that existed outside it. Usually, there isn’t. This person’s life is unfulfilled, abused. Or not what it could’ve been.
In Lao-Tzu’s words, know what is enough — abuse nothing.
“Respect the world as your self:
The world can be your lodging.”
If we decide to view the world as a reflection of ourselves — spirit or consciousness — rather than something on its own, it’ll no longer be something limited but a blank canvas full of possibilities. Possibilities at the mercy of whatever our minds desire.
Many successful people have stated this over and over again: Anything is possible. Usually, I’d counter against it. But that was simply because I knew that what was being said was something I didn’t quite understand.
Having this worldview could be essential to the success in our lives. It could improve all individual aspects of it. Most importantly, though, I believe it has the power to grow us as individuals. It forces us to focus on our mirror image rather than ignore it.
“Things grow and grow,
But each goes back to its root.
Going back to the root is stillness.
This means returning to what is.
Returning to what is
Means going back to the ordinary.”
Many people tend to not think about death. Or not think about it at all until the time is near. Or whenever it’s needed for them to attend a funeral. It’s not bad. I promise. It’s not like it’s the first time that it’s happened to us. But I’ll leave that as a thought.
From childhood to adulthood we’ve been embedded with the idea that “death” is a bad thing. It isn’t, though. Our media has simply put an unpleasant connotation on it. Or I could blame it all on the movies.
All that’ll matter in the end is what or where the place (or root) is that’s been waiting for us. Right? That’s the burning question our minds are hinged on. If we’re bound to return to something, to a certain root, then it’s in our right to know what that root is.
Maybe it’s not a place at all.
Here’s a quote from Seung Sahn Soen-Sa:
“Everything in the world comes from the same one thing. It is like in a cookie factory. Many different kinds of cookies are made — lions, tigers, elephants, houses, people. They all have different shapes and different names, but they are all made from the same dough and they all taste the same. So all the different things that you see — a cat, a person, a tree, the sun, this floor — all these things are really the same.”
This dough that all things have within them, that’s you, that’s me. It’s the root of all things, the root that we’ll all return to. It’s the spiritual being that I’ve been reiterating all throughout this article.
“Once you know that death happens to the body and not to you, you just watch your body falling off like a discarded garment.” — Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
And that’s all it is: Our lives. Our identities. Garments.
More thought on it could lead to confusion, though. Or enlightenment.
“Knowing others is intelligent.
Knowing yourself is enlightened.”
Enlightenment isn’t something that can be obtained through YouTube. Or reading countless books from spiritual teachers. Or traveling across the world in search of a Guru or Master to enlighten you. Even though learning through such things has its purpose, it won’t make you enlightened.
If you were to ask a Guru: “Where is my Guru? How can I become enlightened?”
The Guru would tell you: “You’ve already found you’re Guru, close your eyes. You’re already enlightened.”
If you were to come to the realization that you’re not anything at all: That’s true self-realization. That’s enlightenment. And by being no-thing, that’s simply knowing that — outside of the short-lived garment and ego — you’re a spiritual being and not anything other than that.
“That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings, who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being — I am that.” — Amritbindu Upanishad
“Conquering others takes force.
Conquering yourself is true strength.”
Confliction lingers in our minds when there isn’t an understanding of self-realization. Or an understanding of what we are. But it doesn’t have to linger all throughout our lives, though.
A renowned Guru by the name of Paramahansa Yogananda said in his Autobiography that:
“You may control a mad elephant; you may shut the mouth of the bear and tiger; ride the lion and play with the cobra; by alchemy you may learn your livelihood; you may wander through the universe incognito; make vassals of the gods; be ever youthful; you may walk in water and live in fire; but control of the mind is better and more difficult.”
This dualism. This confliction. It’s not something that has to remain. Or something that’s glued to you; there’s nothing for it to be glued to once you realize that it’s not of you.
Think of it like two children fighting over a loaf of bread — bread that could be halved and shared between both of them.
This bread is your life — life that requires balance; and without it, you’ll always be left feeling incomplete and unsatisfied.
Here’s a secret: Your ego isn’t going anywhere. Nor is your garment. Sometimes this garment likes to be furnished; it needs to interact with the world, it needs to be seen, it needs to be fulfilled. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be controlled.
Conquering ourselves is nothing other than establishing balance within ourselves.
“Take the entire world as nothing.
Make the least effort
And the world escapes you.”
After watching the documentary of Paramhansa Yogananda on TV, I re-wrote this quote from him:
“The earth is nothing but movies to me. Just like the beam of a motion picture. So is everything made of shadows and light. That’s what we are. Light and shadows of the Lord. Nothing else than that. There’s one purpose. To get to the beam.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
The beam is your true self; that’s what we should be focusing on, not the world that’s merely a thing like all the others.
Think of it like a movie — life and the world — and you’re the screenwriter: Be the author of your own life!
The world is nothing other than another strain to our garments. That’s all. But that doesn’t mean that that garment can’t be well-taken care of, though. And it doesn’t mean that our lives can’t be well-lived.
That’s the purpose of the Tao Te Ching: To help us live.
It may feel as though you have to exert the most effort to get the most out of the world, but that’s simply not the truth. Such thinking keeps us imprisoned. And being imprisoned by the world is nothing more than being imprisoned by ourselves.
It’s only when you abandon — or detach yourself from — the world that all the things it has to offer become obtainable.
Final Thoughts
With only 4,000 words and 81 chapters, Lao-Tzu wrote a masterpiece that has managed to remain for over 2,500 years. His words have much to teach us all. I’m sure that I will thumb through and read his book time and time again. And I’m certain that I’ll learn more and more from it.
1. Longwinded speech is exhausting. Better to stay centered: Be silent. Being silent allows for listening. Both to others and the soul.
2. No self-interest? Self is fulfilled: There’s no such thing as “I.” The “I am this” and “I am that” doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that “I am.” The only thing that matters is that you are.
3. Live in a good place. Keep your mind deep. Treat others well. Keep good order: Make sure that the place you lay your head is indeed somewhere that is peaceful and the right place for you. And treat others with kindness in the process.
4. Work when it’s time. Only do not contend, and you will not go wrong: Doership is Bondage. After working for the sake of working, leave for the sake of leaving.
5. Respect the world as your self — The world can be your lodging: View the world as a reflection of yourself. Or a fraction. Or a mere reality that originated from you. And know that you can make anything out of it because of this.
6. Things grow and grow, but each goes back to its root. Going back to the root is stillness. This means returning to what is. Returning to what is means going back to the ordinary: Death isn’t a bad thing. Life and death are simply two sides of the same coin, and that coin is in the palm of your own hand.
7. Knowing others is intelligent. Knowing yourself is enlightened: You can learn from others, but it won’t make you enlightened. Enlightenment is nothing other than coming to the realization that you’re a spiritual being and not any of the identities sprouted from the world.
8. Conquering others takes force. Conquering yourself is true strength: The ego and the mind can’t be abandoned, accept that; that’s one of the strongest things that you could ever do. Establish balance within your mind. Then you’ll be able to establish it within your life.
9. Take the entire world as nothing. Make the least effort and the world escapes you: View the world as nothing. Think of it as a movie, and you’re the screenwriter. But don’t let it write the script for you.
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