“We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.”

“We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.”

“We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.”

“He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it.”

“Everything under heaven is a sacred vessel and cannot be controlled. Trying to control leads to ruin. Trying to grasp, we lose. Allow your life to unfold naturally. Know that it too is a vessel of perfection. Just as you breathe in and breathe out, there is a time for being ahead and a time for being behind; a time for being in motion and a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous and a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe and a time for being in danger.”

“If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.”

“My teachings are easy to understand and easy to put into practice.Yet your intellect will never grasp them,and if you try to practice them,you'll fail.My teachings are older than the world.How can you grasp their meaning?If you want to know me,Look inside your heart.”