Ming-Dao Deng > Quotes

“The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“Those who don't know how to suffer are the worst off. There are times when the only correct thing we can do is to bear out troubles until a better day.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“All teachings are mere references. The true experience is living your own life. Then, even the holiest of words are only words.”
― Deng Ming-Dao

“Who you are is always right.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“If you have a good idea, use it so that you will not only accomplish something, but so that you can make room for new ones to flow into you.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“Grappling with fate is like meeting an expert wrestler: to escape, you have to accept the fall when you are thrown. The only thing that counts is whether you get back up.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“We may be floating on Tao, but there is nothing wrong with steering. If Tao is like a river, it is certainly good to know where the rocks are.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“Whether we remain the ash or become the phoenix is up to us.”
― Deng Ming-Dao

“Expression is never helped by suppression.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“Those truly linked don't need correspondence. When they meet again after many years apart, Their friendship is as true as ever.”
― DENG MING-DAO

“You may be capable of great things,
But life consists of small things.”
― Deng Ming-Dao

“Markings in dry clay disappear
Only when the clay is soft again.
Scars upon the self disappear
Only when one becomes soft within.”
― Deng Ming-Dao

“It is too facile to say that the way to follow Tao is to simply go along with the flow of life. Sometimes, like the carp, we must know when to go it alone.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony

“The idea that each of us can be directly spiritual is radical. Most religions are based not on teaching adherents to be directly spiritual, but in persuading them to trust in the intercession of ministers or priests. The problem with this approach is that we cannot gain access to spirituality except through the medium of a fallible human being. If we want to see Tao, we need only open our eyes and trust what we see.”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“Reject labels. Reject identities. Reject conformity. Reject convention. Reject definitions. Reject names.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Every day passes whether you participate or not.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Keep life simple… turn toward the divine. It satisfies, it brings knowledge, and it brings joy.”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“What is it like to feel Tao? It is an effortless flowing, a sweeping momentum. It is like bird song soaring and gliding over a vast landscape. You can feel this in your life: Events will take on a perfect momentum, a glorious cadence. You can feel it in your body: The energy will rise up in you in a thrilling crescendo, setting your very nerves aglow. You can feel it in your spirit: You will enter a state of such perfect grace that you will resound over the landscape of reality like ephemeral bird song.

When Tao comes to you in this way, ride it for all that you are worth. Don't interfere. Don't stop - that brings failure, alienation, and regret. Don't try to direct it. Let it flow and follow it. When the Tao is with you, put aside all other concerns. As long as the song lasts, follow. Just follow.”
― Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations – Living in Harmony with Self and Universe Through the Taoist Way

“Whatever comes to you, you must engage it somehow. You receive it, you may alter the circumstance and let it go, you may interject something of your own into it, or you may knowingly let it pass. Whatever you do, there is no need to be apathetic toward life. Instead, full participation in all things is the surest way to happiness, vitality, success, and a deep knowledge of Tao.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Life is a constant series of opportunities. If we don’t reach out for things, if we don’t take advantage of what comes our way, then we cannot be in harmony with the essential nature of life.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Draw energy from the earth
Admit power from the heavens
Fertilize the seed within
Let it sprout into a flower of pure light”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“Every ordinary moment, every little detail should be a celebration of your personal understanding. Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence.”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“Each day your life grows a day shorter. Make every move count.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Turn your face to the sun, as flowers know how to do.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“That is why spiritual progress is slow: not because no one will tell us the secrets, but because we ourselves must overcome sentiment and fear before we can grasp it.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“History is essential to our understanding of the present. Unless we are conscious of the way in which we came to this point in time as a people, then we shall never fully be able to plan the present and the future. We need to know what roots are still alive. We need to know how things came to be so that we can project from here. We also need to know the failures of the past so that we can avoid repeating them.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Only through lighting a living fire within ourselves can we dance quickly and spontaneously enough to meet the rhythm of life.”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“If you practiced for the day, then you have won. If you were lazy for the day, then you have lost.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations

“Unlocking our potential requires education, experience, and determination. One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures.”
― Ming-Dao Deng

“A good master leads you to the true master within. Only that master, who is your own higher self, can adequately answer all questions.”
― Ming-Dao Deng, 365 Tao: Daily Meditations