#ABILITY TRAINING# Introduction The text of "Tao Te Ching" takes "morality" in the philosophical sense as its outline, and discusses the ways of self-cultivation, governing the country, military use, and health preservation. Most of them focus on politics, which is the so-called " The study of "Inner Saint and External King" is profound in meaning and comprehensive in scope, and is known as the Ten Thousand Classics. Below is a collection of classic quotes and explanations from the Tao Te Ching shared by . Welcome to read and reference!

Part 1: Classical sayings and explanations of the Tao Te Ching

1. The best thing is like water. Water is good for all things without dispute.

Explanation: The kindest character is like water. Water is the ultimate goodness in the world, providing nourishment to all things, but he lives under it without competing with it.

Water is the source of life. Water here is a metaphor for the personality of a good person. Russian writer Leo Tolstoy wrote in his diary: "A human being should be like water as Lao Tzu said. There is no obstacle, he flows forward; when he encounters a dam, he stops; when there is a gap in the dam, he flows forward again. Go. If the container is square, it becomes a square; if the container is round, it becomes a circle. Therefore, it is more important and stronger than everything else."

　2. It is not self-seeing, so it is clear; If you are not self-righteous, you will be outstanding; if you are not self-defeating, you will be successful; if you are not proud of yourself, you will be strong. My husband does not fight, so no one in the world can fight with him.

Explanation: By not only seeing yourself, you can understand the world better; by not being self-righteous, you can express yourself better; by not boasting about yourself, you can achieve success; by not being arrogant, you can make progress in the long run; because you don’t fight , so it is difficult for the world to compete with him.

"No fighting" is regarded by Taoists as a natural principle of heaven. It is actually a gentleman's art and way of life that uses non-fighting as fighting.

3. The sky is long and the earth is long. The reason why the heaven and the earth can be long and long-lasting is because they do not generate themselves, so they can live forever.

Explanation: Heaven and earth are long-lasting. The reason why heaven and earth can last long is because they do not exist for themselves, so they can survive for a long time.

The heaven and the earth do not generate themselves, so they can live forever. Laozi uses the heaven and the earth to embody the character of the Great Dao and reveal it to human society.

4. The wind will last forever, and the rain will last all day.

Explanation: A violent hurricane lasts all morning, and a heavy downpour lasts all day.

Lao Tzu advocates "hoping to speak naturally", that is, giving less instructions is in line with nature. Drifting winds and showers cannot last, so: * will not last.

5. The five colors make one blind, the five tones make one deaf, the five tastes make one’s mouth refreshed, the pursuit of hunting in the fields makes one’s heart go crazy, and the rare goods make one’s travels difficult.

Explanation: Colors dazzle people, five tones (sonorous) make people deaf, five pleasant tastes spoil people's taste, galloping for hunting makes people crazy, and precious property makes people steal and rob.

The "five colors", "five tones" and "five flavors" themselves are part of human culture. Laozi does not advocate abstinence, but opposes indulgence.

6. Holding on to gain profit is not as good as what you already had. If you pick it up and sharpen it, you can't keep it forever. The hall is full of gold and jade, but no one can guard it. If you are proud of your wealth, you will suffer the consequences.

Explanation: It is better to control how much you have than to stop in moderation. The hammer is sharpened and sharpened, and it cannot remain sharp for a long time. The hall is filled with gold and jade, but it cannot be kept forever. Being rich and arrogant will only bring disaster to oneself.

Lao Tzu uses fullness and sharpness as metaphors to illustrate that those who are full of gold and jade, wealthy and arrogant are prone to disasters, and advocates that "the body will retreat after success is achieved, which is the way of heaven."

7. If it is crooked, it will be complete; if it is wrong, it will be straight; if it is hollow, it will be full; if it is hollow, it will be new; if it is small, it will be gained; if it is too much, it will be confused.

Explain that if you bend, you can achieve perfection, if you bend, you can straighten, if you are low, you can fill up, if you are old, you can become new, if you take less, you can get more, if you are greedy, you can be confused. The above six sentences are ancient idioms. Laozi advocates using dialectical thinking to understand and grasp the changes in social life.

8. Go to the extreme of emptiness, keep quiet, and watch all things come together.

Explanation: By reaching the ultimate emptiness of the mind and adhering to the wonderful state of tranquility, one can see the existence of the great road in the changes of all things.

Only by conforming to nature can we embody the Tao that governs all things. Only by conforming to the Tao can we last forever.

9. See simplicity and be simple, have few selfish desires.

Explanation: Keep your essence simple and unpretentious, and reduce selfishness and greed (you can be the Tao).

Laozi advocated simplicity and few desires. Silk that is not dyed is plain, wood that is not carved is plain. Seeing plainness and embracing simplicity means: not to be confused by external things and lose its true nature.

Lao Tzu advocates that people cannot be without desires, but they must not be greedy, let alone indulge in lust.

10. If you don’t have enough faith, you will have no faith.

Explanation: If there is insufficient integrity, trust will be lost. A person cannot establish himself without trust. If a person does not keep trust, he cannot gain a foothold in society.

11. The Tao is always inactive, but there is nothing that does not do anything.

Explanation: The Great Dao always follows nature and does nothing, but there is nothing it does not do. This is an important proposition of Laozi's philosophical thought. Wuwei does not mean doing nothing; Wuwei is the evaluation of the role of Wuwei.

12. What is established cannot be established, and what is crossed cannot be achieved. Those who see themselves are unclear, those who are self-righteous will not manifest themselves, those who cut down on themselves will have no success, and those who are proud of themselves will not grow.

Explanation: You cannot stand on tiptoes for a long time, and you cannot travel far if you take too long a stride. People who think they are knowledgeable do not understand, people who are self-righteous do not distinguish between right and wrong, people who show off to themselves cannot see merit, and people who are arrogant will not make progress.

It embodies Laozi’s thought of governing by doing nothing. Only by not violating nature and not forcing ourselves to do anything can we achieve our goals.

13. Man follows the earth, earth follows the heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature.

Explanation: Man takes the law of the earth, the earth takes the law of the sky, and the sky takes the law of the Tao, and the Tao is purely natural.

This sentence is the outline of Laozi's theory, which explains the basic relationship between Laozi's "Tao" theory and heaven, earth and man. "Tao follows nature" points out that human society and nature must imitate "Tao", and "Tao" only imitates itself.

14. If you are in a mild situation, you will lose your roots; if you are impatient, you will lose your authority.

Explanation: If you are hasty, you will lose your roots, and if you are restless, you will lose your dominance.

"Laozi's Execution" says: "The emphasis means to be restrained in desires and to be self-respecting, and the light means to indulge in desires and be light on oneself. Both of them are used to treat the body. Jing means to be quiet and do nothing, and impatience means to be anxious for success and good deeds. Both of them are used to treat the body. "Words for governing the country."

15. When things are strong, they grow old.

Explanation: When things reach strength, they also tend to age. When things reach their extremes, they must reverse; when they reach their peak, they must decline.

Part 2: Classical sayings and explanations of the Tao Te Ching

1. Rule the country with justice, use military force with magic, and conquer the world with nothing.

Explanation: Only by governing the country with righteous principles, using military force with clever strategies, and resting with the people to stabilize their hearts can we submit to the world.

To govern a country, one must be upright, and one must use military force wisely. Only by following nature can one achieve governance by doing nothing. This is Lao Tzu's basic strategy on governing the country, using troops, and bringing peace to the world.

2. Seeing small means bright, keeping soft means strong.

Explanation: Observing a few subtle things is called enlightenment, and holding on to weakness is called strength.

Those who are promising should be aware of the situation clearly, and be able to remain soft when dealing with others.

3. If a great achievement is missing, its use will not cause any harm. If there is a big surplus, it will be of endless use. Great straightness is like bending, great skill is like clumsiness, great debate is like indifference.

Explanation: The most perfect one always makes people feel that there is something missing, but its effect never fails. The fullest thing seems empty, and its effects are endless. The most upright ones seem crooked, the most dexterous ones seem clumsy, and the most eloquent ones seem unable to make sense.

Laozi believes that when things reach a state, their manifestations will return to nature.

4. Misfortunes lie on the back of blessings, and blessings lie on the backs of misfortunes.

Explanation: Woe, blessings depend on it, blessings, disasters are hidden in it.

This is a famous saying of Laozi’s dialectical thinking. We must treat misfortunes and blessings correctly, see advantages from disadvantages, and find disadvantages from advantages. Mao Zedong quoted this sentence in "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People", explaining that "good things can lead to bad results, and bad things can lead to good results."

5. Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes.

Explanation: Governing a big country is like cooking small fish (same principle)

This is Lao Tzu’s strategy for governing a country. Mao Chuanyun: "If you cook the fish, it will break into pieces; if you treat the people's troubles, they will fall apart. If you know how to cook the fish, you will know how to treat the people."

6. The picture is more difficult than the easy one, because it is greater than the detail.

Explanation: When dealing with difficult things, you should start from the easy place, and when doing big things, you should start from the subtle places.

Only by starting from the easy to the difficult and accumulating little can we achieve great things.

7. The difficult things in the world must be done in the easy way; the great things in the world must be done in the details.

Explanation: Difficulties in the world must happen from easy things, and great things in the world must happen from small things.

Regarding the big and difficult things in the world, if you think big and start small, there is nothing you can't accomplish.

Promising people often accomplish great things by starting from nothing. If you don't do small things, you won't accomplish big things!

8. Treat the problem before it exists, and cure it before it is in chaos.

Explanation: Things must be done before they happen, and disasters must be dealt with before they happen.

Laozi put forward the view of the change and development of things. Things are changing quantitatively, but before a qualitative change occurs, some are still in their infancy, so they must be solved as soon as possible.

9. The tree that hugs each other is born from the smallest grain; the nine-story platform starts from tired soil; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Explanation: The big tree that hugs each other starts from young buds, the nine-story high platform is accumulated with baskets of soil; a journey of thousands of miles is also made step by step.

It reveals the profound truth of quantitative change and qualitative change. Only by proceeding from reality and accumulating bit by bit can great things be achieved.

10. If you are careful from the beginning to the end, you will never fail.

Explanation: If you treat the work at the end as seriously as you did at the beginning, you will never be unsuccessful in anything you do.

Persistence is the key to doing things. Whoever laughs last, laughs best.

11. A good word of faith is not beautiful, a good word is not believed; a good person does not argue, a debater is not good, a knowledgeable person is not knowledgeable, and a knowledgeable person does not know.

Explanation: Honest language is not beautiful, and beautiful language is not honest. Kind people do not know what to say, and people who use smooth words are not kind. People who are wise are not knowledgeable, and people who are knowledgeable are not wise.

Laozi put forward the theory of "truth, goodness and beauty", which is the incisive conclusion of the five thousand words of "Laozi".

12. I have three treasures, which I must hold on to and protect: the first is compassion, the second is frugality, and the third is not daring to be the first in the world.

Explanation: I have three treasures that I will never give up: one is kindness, the other is frugality, and the third is not to be aggressive.

Laozi proposed the "Three Treasures" as his theoretical basis. Compassion is the starting point and destination of the "Three Treasures"; frugality in life and simplicity in government are the key to the "Three Treasures"; only if one "does not dare to be the first in the world" can he be the first in everything, this is the core of Lao Tzu's "Three Treasures".

13. He who is good at being a soldier will not use force; he who is good at fighting will not be angry; he who is good at defeating the enemy will not fight; he who is good at using people will be subordinate.

Explanation: A person who is good at being a general never boasts about his bravery; a person who is good at fighting is not easily impulsive and angry; a person who is good at defeating the enemy does not confront the enemy head-on; a person who is good at employing people is humble to others

"Being humble" and "not fighting" are important aspects of Laozi's thought. This article combines the use of troops and personnel to explain the "virtue of indisputability" and emphasizes the application of the idea of ??"the weak prevails over the strong" in military affairs.

14. When the resistance increases, the one who mourns will win.

Explanation: The two armies are evenly matched, and the sad side wins. A sad army will win, and the army will fight with great strength in the face of grief, anger and oppression.

15. If the people are not afraid of authority, great authority will come.

Explanation: When the people no longer fear the coercion (of the rulers), then the threat of chaos will come. Winning the hearts and minds of the people and paying attention to people's livelihood are the foundation of social stability.

Part Three: Famous Quotes and Explanations of the Tao Te Ching

1. If you want to suppress it, you must maintain it. If the desire is weak, it must be strengthened. If you want to abolish it, you must strengthen it. If you want to seize it, you must hold it firmly.

Explanation: If you want to shrink something, you must first expand it; if you want to weaken it, you must first strengthen it; if you want to abolish it, you must first let it flourish; if you want to take it away, you must first give it to it.

Laozi elaborated on his dialectical thinking through the analysis of four pairs of contradictory movements. He attributed this principle to "the weak prevails over the strong" and believed that fighting and governing the country cannot be separated from this principle.

2. He who knows others is wise, and he who knows himself is wise. He who conquers others is powerful, and he who conquers himself is strong. Those who are content are rich, those who are strong are ambitious.

Explanation: Being able to understand others is called wisdom, and being able to understand oneself is called wisdom. Being able to defeat others can only show that you have strength, and defeating yourself can be called strong. Those who know how to be satisfied always feel rich, and those who practice it show that they have lofty ambitions.

This is Laozi’s theory of spiritual cultivation. Understanding yourself, reflecting on yourself, and defeating yourself are the most important things in being a human being. "Those who know themselves are wise" and "those who conquer themselves are strong" are indeed ancient sayings.

3. Generous without corners, great talent comes late, great sound is rare, and the elephant is invisible.

Explanation: The most square thing cannot see its edges and corners, the more expensive the utensils are, the slower they are made, the sound cannot be heard, and the image has no trace.

This sentence is intended by Laozi to explain why the existence of "Tao" is difficult for ordinary people to understand. Because the Great Dao has infinite nature, it is difficult for ordinary people to perceive it with their senses. It is a "formless form, the image of all things."

4. The most soft thing in the world is the strongest thing in the world.

Explanation: The softest thing in the world can actually gallop through the hardest thing in the world.

"The weak is stronger than the strong", this is Laozi's perception of nature, which profoundly reminds the nature of "Tao".

5. If you love too much, you will spend a lot of money; if you hide too much, you will die richly. Knowing what is enough will not disgrace you, knowing how to stop without peril, it will last a long time.

Explanation: Excessive cherishment of reputation will definitely bring great harm, and excessive accumulation of property will definitely bring misfortune to oneself. A contented person will not suffer shame, knows when enough is enough, and will not bring danger to himself, so that he can have long-term peace.

Ordinary people tend to neglect themselves and seek fame and wealth, and are greedy and end up in danger. "Being contented" and "knowing where to stop" should become a principle that people pursue in their lives.

6. The saint knows himself but does not see himself, loves himself but does not value himself.

Explanation: The saint has self-awareness but never expresses himself; he has self-love and never shows his dignity. Self-knowledge and self-love are manifestations of a person's self-cultivation reaching a very high level.

7. People are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death?

Explanation: When people are not even afraid of death, will they still be afraid of you threatening death?

8. The strong will die, the weak will live.

Explanation: Strong people belong to the category of death, while weak people belong to the category of vitality. Weakness may turn into strength, and strength may turn into decline.

9. The soft prevails over the strong, and the weak overcomes the strong. No one in the world knows it, and no one can do it.

Explanation: There is no one who doesn’t know that weakness can overcome strength, but few people can do it.

Weakness is better than strength. Everyone knows it but cannot do it. What is difficult for everyone to achieve is often the goal pursued by people of noble character.

10. The reason why Jianghai can be the king of hundreds of grains is because he is good at controlling it, so he can be the king of hundreds of grains.

Explanation: The river and the sea are always at the lowest point (of all rivers) and can accommodate all rivers, so it can be a river valley.

Mountains and seas compete for water, and water must return to the sea. Only by being good at serving others and being kind to others can you gain people's support and support.

11. Everyone in the world knows that beauty is beautiful, and this is evil; everyone knows that good is good, and that is not good.

Explanation: Everyone knows that the reason why beauty is beautiful must be because of some ugliness; everyone knows that the reason why good is good must be because of evil.

Beauty and ugliness, good and evil exist in opposition.

12. Knowing the male and guarding the female is the stream of the world; knowing the white and guarding the black is the pattern of the world; knowing the glory and guarding the disgrace is the valley of the world.

Explanation: I know that if I am strong by nature, but I keep my femininity, I will become a ditch where the world will return. Knowing that one's nature is pure and pure, but one maintains a chaotic and dark state, it will become a paradigm for the world. Knowing the glory of status, but sticking to a humble position, (will become) the valley where the world surrenders. This sentence has become the appeal of many celebrities in history.

13. If you keep your money shut, you will be inactive all your life.

Explanation: If you block the channel of selfish desires and close the door of emotion, you will never be embarrassed in your life. Lao Tzu's words express the principle of keeping oneself clean and keeping one's desires in check.

14. The way of heaven is beneficial but not harmful. The way of a saint is to work without fighting.

Explanation: The laws of nature are beneficial to all things but not harmful to all things. The principle followed by saints is to bring benefits to people in the world but not compete with them.

Laozi made a concluding discussion on "Tao". "The way of heaven is beneficial but not harmful" is Laozi's view of nature. "The way of a saint is to work without fighting" is his political outlook.

15. Born without having anything, doing without relying on it, succeeding without living.

Explanation: Give birth to all things without claiming them as your own, do your best for all things without taking credit for your own efforts, and accomplish great things without taking credit for yourself.

The vessel is small and easy to fill, yet it embraces all rivers. Humble people are proud of themselves, but those who do great things are always humble.

Part 4: Famous quotes and explanations from the Tao Te Ching

1. Favor and disgrace are as frightening as being favored and disgraced.

Explanation: When “favor” comes, you feel happy; when “favor” leaves, you feel disappointed; when “humiliation” comes, you feel sad; when “humiliation” leaves, you feel relieved. A heart wanders with the slander and praise from the outside world, and can no longer have a moment of peace and purity.

Moodiness, uncertainty of joy and sorrow, just like a serious illness.

Why is this? It’s because we take ourselves too seriously and pay too much attention to our own successes and failures. Our hearts are filled with many things that we think we should care about very much: money, reputation, status, family ties, friendship, love, etc. The more we are attached to these external things, the less free our hearts will be. In fact, these things are all based on the level of "being". In the end, they are all things like "mirrors, flashes of light," "dreams and bubbles," and they are not worthy of our overemphasis.

2. There is no greater disaster than dissatisfaction, and no greater fault than desire. Therefore, knowing what is enough is always enough.

Explanation: There is no sin more serious than selfish indulgence, no disaster more serious than greed, and no disaster more tragic than greed. Therefore, if you know how to be content, know where to stop, and have no greed in your heart, you can always be content and satisfied.

The most important thing in life is to know how to be content and happy. With an open-minded, cheerful and calm heart, in a colorful and changeable life filled with materialistic desires, you can reject all kinds of temptations, your mood will become comfortable, and your life will naturally be happy.

3. If you love too much, you will spend a lot of money; if you hide too much, you will perish. Therefore, if you know what is enough, you will not be disgraced, and if you know how to stop, you will not perish, and you can last a long time.

Explanation: The more people love something, the more effort they have to make to get it; the more precious things are collected, the sadder they feel when they are lost. Therefore, people who are content are less likely to be humiliated, and people who do everything in moderation are less likely to incur danger and live longer.

4. Heaviness is the root of lightness, tranquility is the king of impatience. Therefore, a gentleman never travels without his luggage. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 26"

Being frivolous means not understanding that self-respect is fundamental; being impetuous means not understanding that stability is the kingly way. Therefore, a gentleman's daily behavior shows stability and stability, and he will not belittle himself or be impatient.

5. Difficult things in the world must be done in easy ways, and great things in the world must be done in details. Therefore, a saint never thinks he is great, so he can achieve greatness. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 63"

To deal with difficult things, you must start from the easy place, and to deal with big things, you must also start from the subtle place. Therefore, saints never aim high, but think big, start small, and do every little thing seriously, thereby achieving great things.

6. Seeing small means bright, keeping soft means strong. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 52"

See the small things to understand the work, and use the small things to see the big things. Being able to discover the truth from the subtleties of things is a sign of wisdom; being able to stick to weak beliefs can overcome hardness with softness and become a truly strong person.

7. The Tao is often nameless and simple. Although it is small, there is no one in the world who can serve it. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 32"

"Tao" can never be described by a name. It is simple and simple. Although it is small and invisible, nothing in the world can make it surrender. The true happiness in life is not as complicated and difficult to find as we imagine. In fact, it exists in every bit of our lives. If we keep simplicity and simplicity, we will find the true happiness in life.

8. When a sergeant hears the Tao, he practices it diligently; when a sergeant hears the Tao, he lives or perishes; when a junior officer hears the Tao, he laughs. Not smiling is not enough for the Tao. ——"Tao De Jing. Chapter 41"

After hearing the Tao, a person with a high level of enlightenment suddenly realizes it and immediately puts it into practice; I don’t know what to do, and I get nothing in the end. When the humble people hear the truth, they can’t believe it, turn a deaf ear to it, and even laugh at it. If people with low roots don't find it ridiculous after hearing it, then it is not the real Tao.

9. If you don’t see it yourself, you will understand it. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 22"

It is wise to not be self-righteous, stick to your own opinions, listen to other people's suggestions, and see the problem correctly and objectively. On the contrary, stupid people are self-willed and will lose their temper at the slightest criticism from others. Even if others are right, in order to maintain their dignity and authority, they will refute without listening.

10. Those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know. ——"Tao Te Ching. Chapter 56"

Those who truly understand the Tao know that they cannot accurately describe the nature of the Tao in words, so they do not say it; those who can describe the Tao in words are , indicating that he has not yet truly realized the Great Dao. It can be explained in life like this: wise people generally do not speak easily; people who speak casually definitely have no wisdom.

11. If you promise lightly, you will have little faith; if it is easy, it will be difficult.

Explanation: People who make promises easily are bound to break promises easily, and people who see things as easy are bound to encounter unexpected difficulties.

A promise worth a thousand dollars must be fulfilled. Only when you think things through carefully can you have a plan in mind and accomplish great things.

12. The heaven and earth are unkind and regard all things as stupid dogs; the saints are unkind and regard the common people as stupid dogs.

Explanation: Heaven and earth show no partiality and allow all things to grow and perish on their own; sages show no preference and allow the people to make their own ends meet.

The rut dog was a dog that was tied with straw during ancient sacrifices. Although people decorated it beautifully, they threw it away after use. They did not love it or hate it. People treated the rut dog like a dog. A let nature take its course attitude. The sage has no favoritism and returns nature to the people.

13. Everything in the world is born from existence, and existence is born from nothingness.

Interpretation: All things in the world are born from (visible) specific things (being), and specific things (being) are produced by the invisible "Tao". This is Lao Tzu’s diagnosis of the universe.

14. The Skynet is vast, sparse but not lost.

Explanation: The Skynet is vast and boundless. Although the mesh is thin, there will be no leakage. This is the same principle as "If you don't want others to know, you have to do nothing unless you do nothing" and "Don't stretch out your hands, otherwise you will be caught."

15. The way of heaven has no relatives, but always associates with good people.

Explanation: Heaven shows no preference for people, but the result is that it often helps good people. If you gain the right path, you will get a lot of help, but if you get the wrong path, you will get little help. The way of heaven is left to nature by doing nothing, but the result is that it often helps kind people.