Mankind strives, explores and conflicts. These all bring destruction, according to Laozi. Follow the ways of Dao, and all shall be well, he has consistently implored us.

EP81 The end of the road

In Laozi's dream life, we would all have a nice modest house, enough food, be peaceful, delight in simple pleasures, keep to ourselves, keep our minds free from unnecessary thoughts and concerns. Everyone is living in harmony and contentment.

EP80 Welcome to paradise

True resolution of conflict allows both sides to win. There's no reason for there to be a winner and a loser, as this could create further conflict down the line.

EP79 Game theory

We know that Laozi has a love affair with water. In its manner it comes close to Dao in his thinking. The secret of water's strength is its very softness and malleability. It achieves great things through yielding, persistence and patience.

EP78 Water power

Laozi believes that it's important – it's the way of Dao – to adjust the inequalities in society. The rich should use some of their wealth to help the poor. In so doing they enrich the world.

EP77 Take from the rich and give to the poor

For hard and stiff, read impervious and intransigent. For soft and weak, read yielding and vulnerable. Life is full of movement and freshness. Trees can survive the gales if they sway in the wind.

EP76 Bend in the wind

Laozi's message – If you are a king, watch your back. If you are a subject, hold the king to account.

EP75 Watch your back

Here, Laozi is saying, if you push people to the limits of their tolerance, then they no longer fear death. Your so called weapon of last resort, death, no longer works.  Result: chaos.

EP74 Here comes the chopper to chop off your head

The net of Heaven spreads far and wide. In English we sometimes say ‘the long arm of the law,’ meaning punishment is inescapable.

EP73 The net of heaven spreads far and wide

Laozi implores rulers to follow the ways of the Dao. Don't get too comfortable in the hot seat, he chides  ... nothing is forever. You ignore the lives and livelihoods of the people at your peril.

EP72 Beware the lord of misrule

Exploring the profound teachings of one of China’s most important philosophers.

True wisdom is knowing that there is so much that you do not know, so much more to learn. Anyone who claims otherwise is self-defeating or misguided, or in Laozi's words, sick.

EP71 Into the unknown

Whilst he is revered now as a great sage, there may have been few people in his day and age who actually understood enough about him to carry on the message. Like Dao however, Laozi gave his message simply and without expectation.

EP70 The sage in coarse linen

For Laozi, war and conflict is failure. To get to that point shows that both sides have moved very far away from the principal of Dao, and so there will likely be no winners.

EP69 There are no winners in war

On the surface it may seem as though Laozi is giving advice to warriors, but his words are just as applicable to rulers, leaders, and those in charge generally. More importantly for a good leader, Laozi suggests, is knowing how to best use the people and resources that one has.

EP68 Fight the good fight

The key part of this verse is Laozi's focus on Compassion, Frugality and lack of Ambition – what he describes as his three treasures.

EP67 Examine your motives

LEAD

Laozi wants to make the analogy with a sage wishing to show leadership. Not from above or in front, but below and behind… like water weaving its way through difficult terrain, through a valley.

EP66 Lead from behind

Laozi mentioned that if you overregulated the people then they would use their ingenuity to find ways to subvert your rule. So - in the spirit of Non-doing, wouldn't it be better to govern with openness, simplicity and honesty?

EP65 The perils of knowledge

This verse contains one of the best known sayings, if not THE best known saying of Laozi, which most people in the West know as ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’

EP64 A journey of a thousand miles…

In this verse, Laozi is warning against complacency. He would have made a pretty good project manager or life coach in the 21st century.

EP63 Fools rush in

Let's remind ourselves that Dao is the ultimate. It is all forgiving and values everything equally – the good and the not so good. It is a sanctuary for all.

EP62 Dao – the sanctuary for all things

The Sayings of Laozi

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