Exerpts from the Tao te Ching

Allow yourself to yield, and
      you can stay centered.
Allow yourself to bend, and
      you will stay straight.
Allow yourself to be empty, and
      you'll get filled up.
Allow yourself to be exhausted, and
      you'll be renewed.

Having little, you can receive much.
Having much, you'll just become confused.

Therefore the sage embraces the oneness
      and becomes a pattern for the whole world.
She doesn't display herself,
      so she becomes illuminated.
She doesn't justify herself,
      so she becomes distinguished.
She doesn't boast,
      so she is recognized.
She doesn't claim credit,
      so she advances and endures.
She doesn't contend,
      so no one can contend with her.

"Yield and you can stay centered" --
Is this saying meaningless?
Stay whole, and all things return to you.

From Poem 23

Concentrate on Tao and you'll experience Tao.
Concentrate on power and you'll experience power.
Concentrate on loss and you'll experience loss.

If you won't trust, you won't be trusted.

From Poem 26

Heaviness is the root of lightness.

From Poem 35

Stay centered in the Tao and the world
      comes to you:
Comes, and isn't harmed;
Comes, and finds contentment.

Poem 50 Between their births and their deaths,       three out of ten are attached to life,       three out of ten are attached to death,       three out of ten are just idly passing through. Only one knows how to die and stay dead       and still go on living. That one hasn't any ambitions,       hasn't any ideas, makes no plans. From this mysterious place of not-knowing       and not-doing he gives birth to whatever       is needed in the moment. Because he is constantly filling his being       with nonbeing, he can travel the wilds       without worrying about tigers or wild       buffalo, or he can cross a battlefield       without armor or weapon. No tiger can claw him. No buffalo can gore him. No weapon can pierce him. Why is this so? Because he has died, there isn't any more       room for death in him.