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Quotes by Chinese Authors
"Wenn man noch nicht das Leben kennt, wie sollte man den Tod kennen."
"To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness."
"At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right."
"Too much thinking causes confusion and anxietybetter to stick with the simplicity of Tao."
"In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired. In pursuit of wisdom, every day something is dropped."
"Manifest plainness Embrace simplicity Reduce selfishness Have few desires."
"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable."
"(So), he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him."
"There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen."
"Rushing into action, you fail.Trying to grasp things, you lose them.Forcing a project to completion,you ruin what was almost ripe.Therefore the Master takes actionby letting things take their course.He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning.He has nothing,thus has nothing to lose.What he desires is non-desire;what he learns is to unlearn.He simply reminds peopleof who they have always been.He cares about nothing but the Tao.Thus he can care for all things."
"The noble-minded worry about their lack of ability, not about people's failure to recognize their ability."
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved."
"Understand both yourself and your enemy, and you shall always emerge victorious."
"I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand."
"Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more."
"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."
"Worthy admonitions cannot fail to inspire us, but what matters is changing ourselves. Reverent advice cannot fail to encourage us, but what matters is acting on it. Encouraged without acting, inspired without changing " there's nothing to be done for such people."
"He who defends with love will be secure; Heaven will save him, and protect him with love."
"He who acts, spoils; he who grasps, lets slip."
"The Master, by residing in the Tao,sets an example for all beings.Because he doesn't display himself,people can see his light.Because he has nothing to prove,people can trust his words.Because he doesn't know who he is,people recognize themselves in him.Because he has no goal in mind,everything he does succeeds."
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."
"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge."
"You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended."
"Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate."
"Ist eine Lehre zur Satzung erstarrt, hat sie geendet."
"The difficult problems in life always start off being simple. Great affairs always start off being small."
"If you want to govern the people,You must place yourself below them.If you want to lead people,You must learn how to follow them."
"The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it."
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