I have a particular fondness for Taoist classics and I have a fair few translations of the Tao Te Ching on my bookshelf. I love the feeling of simplicity generated when reading.
I cherry picked the following quotes with a relevance to my testing.
If you have not before taken the following approaches in your testing then I encourage you to try them (failing this you could just read “The Berenstain Bears Inside, Outside, Upside Down” as initially recommended to me by Rob Sabourin):
On Subtle Wisdom…
- In order to contract a thing, one should surely expand it first.
- In order to weaken, one will surely strengthen first.
- In order to overthrow, one will surely exalt first.
- In order to take, one will surely give first.
What is planted by the best planter can never be removed;
What is embraced by the best embracer can never be loosened.
On Absolute Equality:
- Blunt all that is sharp;
- Cut all that is divisible;
- Blur all that is brilliant;
- Mix with all that is humble as dust;
Chapter LXIV:
- What is motionless is easy to hold;
- What is not yet foreshadowed is easy to form plans for;
- What is fragile is easy to break'
- What is minute is easy to disperse.
- Deal with a thing before it comes into existence;
- Regulate a thing before it gets into confusion.
- The common people in their business often fail on the verge of succeeding.
- Take care with the end as you do with the beginning,
- And you will have no failure.
All the above from the 1937 Translation by Ch’u Ta-Kao
You can find various translations around the web:
