Chinese Wisdom & Philosophy — Page 10

Mǎn zhāo sǔn, qiān shòu yì

"Pride invites loss, humility receives benefit"

Zǎixiàng dù lǐ hǎo chēng chuán

"A prime minister's belly is big enough to sail a boat"

Bá miáo zhù zhǎng

"Pulling up shoots to help them grow"

Qīngmíng qiánhòu, zhòng guā diǎn dòu

"Around Qingming Festival, plant melons and sow beans"

Mǐn ér hào xué, bù chǐ xià wèn

"Quick-minded and loving to learn, not ashamed to ask those below"

Luóbo báicài, gè yǒu suǒ ài

"Radish or cabbage, each person has what they love"

Yǎng ér fāng zhī fù mǔ ēn

"Only after raising children yourself do you truly understand your parents' grace"

Dúshū xū yòng yì, yī zì zhí qiān jīn

"When reading, you must apply your mind; one word is worth a thousand gold"

Wén zhì bīn bīn, rán hòu jūn zǐ

"When refinement and substance are balanced, then there is a gentleman"

Jìng jiǔ bù chī chī fá jiǔ

"Refusing a polite offer only to face a harsher alternative"

Xuányá lè mǎ

"To rein in one's horse at the edge of a cliff"

Ēn jiāng chóu bào

"To repay kindness with enmity"

Yǐ dé bào yuàn

"Repay unkindness with kindness"

Yǐ zhí bào yuàn, yǐ dé bào dé

"Repay injury with uprightness; repay kindness with kindness"

Tuì yībù hǎikuò tiānkōng

"Take a step back and the sea becomes vast, the sky boundless"

Làngzǐ huítóu jīn bù huàn

"A prodigal who turns back is worth more than gold"

Fǎn zhě dào zhī dòng

"Reversal is the movement of the Dao"

Wēn gù ér zhī xīn

"Review the old and understand the new"

Qí lǘ kàn chàng běn — zǒu zhe qiáo

"Riding a donkey, reading the opera script — we'll see as we go"

Duì zhèng xià yào, liàng tǐ cái yī

"Prescribe medicine according to the symptoms, cut clothes according to the body"

Yǒu lǐ bù zài shēng gāo

"Being right doesn't depend on having a loud voice"

Hé yǒu liǎng àn, shì yǒu liǎng miàn

"A river has two banks; a matter has two sides"

Jiāng shān yì gǎi, bǐng xìng nán yí

"Rivers and mountains are easy to change; inherent nature is hard to shift"

Jiāng hǎi suǒ yǐ néng wéi bǎi gǔ wáng

"How rivers and seas can become kings of the hundred valleys"

Lù bù xíng bù dào, shì bù wéi bù chéng

"A road not traveled doesn't reach the destination; a task not done doesn't succeed"

Gǎn miàn zhàng chuī huǒ — yī qiào bù tōng

"Blowing fire through a rolling pin — not a single opening works"

Shéng jù mù duàn, shuǐ dī shí chuān

"The rope saw cuts through wood; water drops wear through stone"

Xiǔ mù bù kě diāo yě

"Rotten wood cannot be carved"

Jūn bù mì zé shī chén, chén bù mì zé shī shēn

"If a ruler is not discreet, they lose their ministers; if a minister is not discreet, they lose their life"

Yáoyán zhǐ yú zhìzhě

"Rumors stop at the wise person"

Shèng rén wú cháng xīn, yǐ bǎi xìng xīn wéi xīn

"The Sage has no fixed heart; takes the people's heart as their own"

Búshì yījiārén, bú jìn yījiāmén

"If not family, one doesn't enter the same door"

Shì wèi zhījǐ zhě sǐ, nǚ wèi yuè jǐ zhě róng

"A scholar dies for the one who truly understands him; a woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her"

Xiùcai yù dào bīng — yǒu lǐ shuō bù qīng

"A scholar meets a soldier — having reason, cannot make it heard"

Gǒuqiě tōushēng

"To drag out an ignoble existence; to live on in degradation"

Fǎ bù chuán liù ěr

"Secrets should not pass six ears"

Jiàn xián sī qí yān, jiàn bù xián ér nèi zì xǐng yě

"When you see a worthy person, think of emulating them; when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself inwardly"

Bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn

"Direct experience outweighs secondhand knowledge"

Yù qiú shēng fùguì, xū xià sǐ gōngfu

"If you want living wealth and honor, you must put in deadly effort"

Zhī ēn tú bào

"Know the favor, plan to repay it"

Yǐ shēn zuò zé

"Lead by example; set the standard with your own conduct"

Yǒu fú tóng xiǎng, yǒu nàn tóng dāng

"Share blessings together, bear hardships together"

Mó dāo bú wù kǎn chái gōng

"Sharpening the axe does not delay the woodcutting work"

Gōng yù shàn qí shì, bì xiān lì qí qì

"If a craftsman wants to do his work well, he must first sharpen his tools"

chén mò shì jīn

"Silence is golden"

Bù míng zé yǐ, yī míng jīng rén

"Silent until the moment of spectacular revelation"

Jì lái zhī, zé ān zhī

"Since you have come, be at peace with it"

Jīng chéng suǒ zhì, jīn shí wéi kāi

"Where utmost sincerity arrives, metal and stone open."

Dú mù bù chéng lín, dān sī bù chéng xiàn

"A single tree doesn't make a forest; a single thread doesn't make a line"

Zuò wàng

"Sit and forget"