The Tao Te Ching is the only work handed down by Lao Tzu, which contains many traditional classic wisdoms in Chinese culture. This article introduces eight of these famous pieces of wisdom.

First, the best is like water

Famous sayings from "Tao Te Ching"

The growth of animals, plants, and people all need the nourishment of water. Water nourishes the growth of all things, but it does not want to occupy a high position, but prefers to live in a very ordinary low-lying place. This kind of spirit of doing merit without expecting anything in return is very valuable and the highest kind of kindness.

Not only Laozi, but also Confucius praised water for its benevolence, righteousness, courage, wisdom and other qualities. In addition, ancient scholars such as Mencius, Mozi, and Sun Tzu also praised water.

Second, stop in moderation

Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" says: "Being contented is not humiliating, knowing is stopping is not perilous." If you can do things without being greedy for too much and know how to be content and stop in moderation, you will not encounter danger or failure.

If you are greedy for too much, you will get nothing. If you are too greedy for too much, not only will you not get it, but you will also lose money. Facts have proven that many setbacks and failures are caused by greed for too much. Being able to be content and stop when enough is enough is the truly wise approach.

The Chinese nation has had the idea since ancient times that we should not be greedy for too much and should stop doing things in moderation and proceed step by step.

Third, the sea accepts all rivers

Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" says: "The reason why the river and the sea are the kings of hundreds of valleys is because they are good at descending." Jianghai is the lowest place in the world, so all rivers belong to it.

Laozi uses the laws of nature as a metaphor for human laws. Only when the king of a country behaves with a humble attitude can everyone follow him and achieve great achievements. If ordinary people can behave humbly, they can also gather energy and become more meaningful people.

As early as the Yellow Emperor in ancient times, the Chinese nation praised the sea for its magnanimity to accommodate hundreds of rivers.

Lao Tzu

Four. Overcoming hardness with softness

To overcome hardness with softness is the wisdom that weak people are good at, and the most typical example is that a drop of water can penetrate a stone. The water droplets, with their unhurried rhythm, just ticking, can penetrate the hard rock after a long time.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, after the Qing troops entered the Pass, Hong Chengchou led his troops to resist resolutely. The Qing army found it difficult to deal with them. At this time, Empress Xiaozhuang of the Qing Dynasty personally took action and used the gentle methods unique to women to make Hong Chengchou submit to the Qing Dynasty and solve problems that were difficult to solve with tough methods.

Fifth, governing a big country is like cooking small delicacies

Because highly intelligent people have integrated all the big and small things in life and society, and have mastered the key to doing big and small things. According to the same rule, governing a country is the same as cooking a small fish. Therefore, governing a country by a highly intelligent person is as simple and easy as cooking a small fish.

As the saying goes, it is difficult for those who do not know how to do it, but it is not difficult for those who do. People who find it difficult to govern a country do so because they do not understand enough about it. Wise people who can see through it find it easy to do so.

As early as my country's Shang Dynasty, Prime Minister Yi Yin once said to Tang, the monarch of the Shang Dynasty, that governing a country is like cooking. You can't do it too hastily, nor too slack, but just right.

6. Retire after success

The law of life and career development is that prosperity must decline. Grasp this rule, follow this rule, and actively exit when it starts to decline, so that you will not fall miserably.

Fan Li from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of our country, Zhang Liang from the Han Dynasty, Liu Bowen from the Ming Dynasty, etc. all took the initiative to withdraw after their successes, and finally died a good death.

Seven, Great Wisdom Is Like Foolishness

Many people believe that one must be shrewd in order to achieve great success. But if you are too smart, you will harm yourself.

Wang Xifeng in "A Dream of Red Mansions" was too shrewd and used deceptive means to compete for profits, even killing people. He was later sentenced to jail and died in prison. Therefore, the smarter and more profit-seeking people are, the more confused they will be. Those who are less interested in pursuing interests and know how to be satisfied are the ones with great wisdom.

People who have little interest in self-interest rarely use skills, so they look stupid. People with great wisdom are stupid on the outside but wise on the inside. Yan Hui, the most admired disciple of Confucius, was a man of great wisdom and foolishness. At first, Confucius thought Yan Hui was stupid because he didn't question his knowledge. But after a long period of observation, I realized that he had great wisdom in his heart.

Eight, the Great Way to Simplicity

The process of exploring truth must be reversed.

The medium truth seems very complicated, but the big truth is very simple. A person of great wisdom can summarize complex things very simply, and can also do complex things simply. Doing complex things simply is the wisdom advocated by China since ancient times.