The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven. Zhuangzi More Quotes by Zhuangzi More Quotes From Zhuangzi Where can I find a man who has forgotten words, so I can have a few words with him? Zhuangzi zen-buddhist forgotten men When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten; when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten; when the heart is right, "for" and "against" are forgotten. There is no change in what is inside, no following what is outside, when the adjustment to events is comfortable. One begins with what is comfortable and never experiences what is uncomfortable, when one knows the comfort of forgetting what is comfortable. Zhuangzi shoes feet heart If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind! The mind of the sage, being in repose, becomes the mirror of the universe, the speculum of all creation. Zhuangzi mirrors mind water You cannot speak of ocean to a well-frog, the creature of a narrower sphere. You cannot speak of ice to a summer insect, the creature of a season. Zhuangzi ice ocean summer Study is to study what cannot be studied. Undertaking means undertaking what cannot be undertaken. Philosophizing is to philosophize about what cannot be philosophized about. Knowing that knowing is unknowable is true perfection. Zhuangzi knowing mean knowledge When affirmation and negation came into being, Tao faded. After Tao faded, then came one-sided attachments. Zhuangzi tao affirmation attachment Right is not right; so is not so. If right were really right it would differ so clearly from not right that there would be no need for argument. If so were really so, it would differ so clearly from not so that there would be no need for argument. Zhuangzi chinese would-be needs Life comes from the earth and life returns to the earth. Zhuangzi nature earth life Heaven is in everything: follow the light, hide in the cloudiness and begin in what is. Do this and your understanding will be like not understanding and your wisdom will be like not being wise. By not being wise you will become wise later. Zhuangzi light wisdom wise The sound of water says what I think. Zhuangzi nature water thinking The sage embraces things. Ordinary men discriminate amongst them and parade their discriminations before others. So I say; those who discriminate, fail to see. Zhuangzi spiritual ordinary men He who regards all things as one is a companion of Nature. Zhuangzi companion nature all-things He who pursues fame at the risk of losing his self is not a scholar. Zhuangzi risk losing self I cannot tell if what the world considers ‘happiness’ is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness. Zhuangzi obsessed way world Life is finite, While knowledge is infinite. Zhuangzi chinese infinite life-is To be truly ignorant, be content with your own knowledge. Zhuangzi letting-go life knowledge Paraphrased: When Chuang Tzu was about to die, his disciples began planning a splendid funeral. However some disciples expressed concern that given a particular arrangement, birds and kites would eat his remains. Chuang Tzu replied, "Well, above ground I shall be eaten by crows and kites, below it by ants and worms. What do you have against birds? Zhuangzi crow funeral bird The living all find death unpleasant; men mourn over it. And yet, what is death, but the unbending of the bow and its return to its case? Zhuangzi return men death But you now, you wear your soul on your sleeve, exhausting your energy, propping yourself up on a tree, mumbling, or bent over your desk, asleep. Heaven gives you a form and you wear it out by pointless argument. Zhuangzi tree giving heaven The one-legged creature is envious of the millipede; the millipede is envious of the snake; the snake is envious of the wind; the wind is envious of the eye; the eye is envious of the heart. Zhuangzi eye heart wind
