Tao Quotes on
Prevention and patience

Authentic Quotes from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Here are quotes from the Tao Te Ching, the Taoist classic by Lao Tzu, about prevention and patience. To see the whole quoted chapter, click the chapter link within brackets.

Prevention

Moderation means prevention. Prevention means achieving much virtue.

Meet the difficult while it is easy.

Meet the big while it is small.

The most difficult in the world must be easy in its beginning.

The biggest in the world is small in its beginning.

The brittle is easy to shatter.

The small is easy to scatter.

What has not yet emerged is easy to prevent.

Solve it before it happens. Order it before chaos emerges.

A tree as wide as a man’s embrace grows from a tiny shoot.

A tower of nine stories starts with a pile of dirt.

A climb of eight hundred feet starts where the foot stands.

Patience

Who can wait in stillness while the mud settles?

Who can rest until the moment of action?

Tao Quote Categories

Here are the 388 Tao quotes extracted from the Tao Te ching by Lao Tzu, sorted into 19 topics. Each Tao quote has a link to its chapter in the book.

1. Tao, the Way Quotes

   
   

2. Nature and the world Quotes

   
   

3. Knowledge and wisdom Quotes

   
   

4. Opposites and paradoxes Quotes

   
   

5. Non-action and action Quotes

   
   

6. Prevention and patience Quotes

   
   

7. Moderation and modesty Quotes

   
   

8. Humility and compassion Quotes

   
   

9. Desire, wealth and greed Quotes

   
   

10. Good and bad Quotes

    
    

11. Role Models Quotes

    
    

12. Simplicity, stillness and silence Quotes

    
    

13. Fear and imperfection Quotes

    
    

14. The female, child and family Quotes

    
    

15. Yielding Quotes

    
    

16. Rulers and government Quotes

    
    

17. Longevity and death Quotes

    
    

18. Seeing clearly Quotes

    
    

19. War and violence Quotes

    
    

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My Taoism Books:

Tao Te Ching

The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

       More about the book here.

Tao Quotes

The Ancient Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. 389 quotes from the foremost Taoist classic, divided into 51 prominent topics. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

       More about the book here.

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The Greek philosophers and what they thought about cosmology, myth, and the gods. Click the image to see the book at Amazon.

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Basic Concepts of the Peaceful Martial Art
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Life Energy Encyclopedia

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Stefan Stenudd

About me

I'm a Swedish author and aikido instructor. In addition to fiction, I've written books about Taoism and other East Asian traditions. I'm also an historian of ideas, researching ancient thought and mythology. Click the image to get to my personal website.

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