Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu also highlighted the characteristics of water in the “Tao Te Ching” stating, “Water is fluid, soft and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.
The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places people reject and so is like the Tao
Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows that is true, but few can put it into practice.
The characterization of water are softness and humility that basically symbolize Taoist virtue. The supreme good is like water, which benefits all of creation without trying to compete with it. It gathers in unpopular places. Thus, it is like Tao.
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
If we want to shrink something, we have to expand it first. If we want to weaken something, we have to strengthen it first. If we want to get rid of something, we have to encourage it first. If we want to seize something, we have to give that thing first.
The generals have a saying: "Rather than make the first move it is better to wait and see. Rather than advance an inch it is better to retreat a yard." This is called going forward without advancing, pushing back without using weapons.
Without opening your door, you can open your heart to the world. Without looking out your window, you can see the essence of the Tao. The more you know, the less you understand.
there is nothing better than moderation. The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. life happens to bring his way.
Men are born soft and supple; dead, they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death.