There will be calmness when one is free from external objects and is not perturbed.

The world is full of people who are determined to be somebody or give trouble. They want to get ahead to stand out. Such ambition has no use for a man of Tao, who rejects all forms of self-assertiveness and competition.

The law of non-interference with nature is a basic principle of Taoism [stating] that one should be in harmony with, not rebellion against, the fundamental laws of the universe.

The Chinese conceived the entire universe as activated by two principles, the Yang and the Yin, the positive and the negative, and they considered that nothing that exists, either animate or so-called inanimate, does so except by virtue of the ceaseless interplay of these two forces.

Matter and energy, Yang and Yin, heaven and earth, are conceived of as essentially one or as two coexistent poles of one indivisible whole.

The mark of genius is the capacity to see and to express what is simple, simply! The really great Zen artist states the utmost in the minimum of lines or effort.

Remember never to assert your self against nature; never be in frontal opposition to any problems, but to control it by swinging with it.

All in all, the goal of my planning and doing is to find the true meaning of life – peace of mind. In order to achieve this peace of mind, the teaching of detachment of Taoism and Zen proved to be valuable.

Only sober moderation lasts, and that persists through all time. Only the midpart of anything is preserved because the pendulum of life must have balance, and the midpart is the balance.

Completeness, the now, is an absence of the conscious mind to strive to divide that which is indivisible.

In Buddhism there is no place for using effort. Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food, move your bowels, pass water, and when you’re tired go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand.

In ordinary life wu-wei is expressed in “producing and rearing things without taking possession of them” and “doing work but not taking pride in it” – thus the natural “way” stands in complement to all artificial ways such as regulation, ceremonies, etc. This is the reason why the Taoists don’t like formalities and artificialities.

The superior man lets himself be guided; he does not go ahead blindly, but learns from the situation what is demanded of him and then follows.

Do not have an attitude, open yourself and focus yourself and express yourself. Reject external form that fails to express internal reality.

I don’t like to wear stuffy clothes and be at places where everyone is trying to impress each other.

One who is possessed by worry not only lacks the poise to solve his own problems, but by his nervousness and irritability creates additional problems for those around him.

If he knows how to meet fate with an attitude of acceptance, he is sure to find the right guidance.

It is not his task to try to lead – that would only make him lose the Way – but to let himself be led.

Do not seek “it”, for it will come when least expected. Let go. Don’t seek or run away.

Love is a egotism of two.

Real living is living for others.

Marriage is a friendship, a partnership based solidly upon ordinary, everyday occurrences.

Love, and you shall be loved – all love is mathematically just, as much as the two sides of an algebraic equation.

I think when a couple marry, they either go into heaven or live in hell.

I believe a couple should develop a kind of friendship. Linda and I have this kind of friendship. We understand each other, like a pair of good friends.

Without respect, love cannot go long.

Love is never lost. If not reciprocated it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.

I’m not one of those who believe in love at first sight, but I believe in taking a second look.

Absence in love is like water upon fire; a little quickens, but much extinguishes it.

Marriage is caring for children, watching over them in sickness, training them in the way they must go, sharing worry about them and pride in them.

Many young couples live a very exciting life when they are in love. So, when they marry, and their lives are reduced to calmness and dullness, they will feel impatient and will drink the bitter cup of sad marriage.

My wife and I aren’t one and one. We are two halves that make a whole. You have to apply yourself to be a family – two halves fitted together are more efficient than either half would ever be alone!

It is a well-known fact that one comes, finally, to believe whatever one repeats to one’s self, whether the statement be true or false. If a man repeats a lie over and over, he will eventually accept the lie as truth.

Young love is a flame: very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

I did love like a madman, but have enough sense to not love as a fool.

I cannot and will not “scoff” at faith when reason seems to be such a barren thing.

Faith is a state of mind that can be conditioned through self-discipline. Faith will accomplish.

Some people fight with others because they believe in different religions. If, however, they only gave the matter a bit of thought, they would never fight for such a foolish cause.

If all the religions were one, the world would be united in brotherhood.

Marriage is caring for children, watching over them in sickness, training them in the way they must go, sharing worry about them and pride in them.

Many young couples live a very exciting life when they are in love. So, when they marry, and their lives are reduced to calmness and dullness, they will feel impatient and will drink the bitter cup of sad marriage.

My wife and I aren’t one and one. We are two halves that make a whole. You have to apply yourself to be a family – two halves fitted together are more efficient than either half would ever be alone!

To be perfectly frank, I really do not believe in God. If there is a God, he is within. 

Young love is a flame: very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

I did love like a madman, but have enough sense to not love as a fool.

I have no religion whatsoever. I believe that life is a process and that man is a self-made product. The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominating thought habits.

Awakening, self-realization, and seeing into one’s own being – these are synonymous.

Faith makes it possible to achieve that which man’s mind can conceive and believe.

Religions divide people, just as styles [in martial arts] divide people.

I feel I have this great creative and spiritual force within me that is greater than faith, greater than ambition, greater than confidence, greater than determination, greater than vision. It is all these combined. My brain becomes magnetized with this dominating force which I hold in my hand.