天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is.
Tao Te Ching/Lines
Lines from the Tao Te Ching
These are the lines that get quoted out of the book and set on walls. Each one is taken from the text on this site, with the chapter it belongs to beside it.
是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
上善若水。
The highest excellence is like (that of) water.
水善利万物而不争，处众人之所恶
The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things, and in its occupying, without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men dislike.
三十辐，共一毂，当其无，有车之用。
The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends.
是以圣人为腹不为目
Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes.
致虚极，守静笃。
The (state of) vacancy should be brought to the utmost degree, and that of stillness guarded with unwearying vigour.
归根曰静
This returning to their root is what we call the state of stillness.
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.
知人者智，自知者明。
He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent.
胜人者有力，自胜者强。
He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.
道常无为而无不为。
The Tao in its regular course does nothing (for the sake of doing it), and so there is nothing which it does not do.
大方无隅；大器晚成；大音希声；大象无形
Its largest square doth yet no corner show; a vessel great, it is the slowest made; loud is its sound, but never word it said; a semblance great, the shadow of a shade.
天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚。
The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest.
故知足不辱，知止不殆，可以长久。
Who is content needs fear no shame. Who knows to stop incurs no blame. From danger free long live shall he.
为学日益，为道日损。
He who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks) from day to day to diminish (his doing).
知者不言，言者不知。
He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it.
天下难事，必作于易；天下大事，必作于细。
All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small.
合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。
The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.
以其不争，故天下莫能与之争。
Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive with him.
人之生也柔弱，其死也坚强。
Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.
天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜
There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it.