Chinese Wisdom & Philosophy — Page 3

Ér sūn zì yǒu ér sūn fú, mò wèi ér sūn zuò mǎ niú

"Children and grandchildren have their own fortune; do not be a horse or ox for them"

Yù sù zé bù dá

"If you desire speed, you will not reach the goal"

Dàjiā dōu shì mìng, bàn diǎn bù yóu rén

"Everything is fate; not a half-point is up to us"

Dào bù tóng, bù xiāng wéi móu

"When the paths are different, one cannot plan together"

Lín kě jué jǐng

"Digging a well when you're already thirsty"

qín néng bǔ zhuō

"Diligence can make up for natural clumsiness or lack of talent"

qín fèn chū tiān cái

"Hard work produces genius"

Rén qín dì shēng bǎo, rén lǎn dì shēng cǎo

"When a person is diligent, the earth produces treasure; when a person is lazy, the earth produces weeds"

Huò cóng kǒu chū

"Disaster exits through the mouth"

Bù tīng lǎorén yán, chīkuī zài yǎnqián

"If you don't listen to the words of the old, you'll suffer the consequences right before your eyes"

Lù yáo zhī mǎ lì, rì jiǔ jiàn rén xīn

"A long journey tests a horse's strength; time reveals a person's true character"

Qiān lǐ yīn yuán yī xiàn qiān

"True love transcends distance and circumstance"

Yuǎn lái de héshang huì niàn jīng

"Monks from afar are better at chanting sutras"

Yuǎn qīn bù rú jìn lín

"A faraway relative is not as good as a nearby neighbor"

Qīn qi yuǎn lí xiāng, lín jū gāo dǎ qiáng

"Relatives smell fragrant from afar; neighbors build high walls"

Yuǎn shuǐ jiě bù liǎo jìn kě

"Distant water cannot quench a nearby thirst"

Yuǎn shuǐ bù jiù jìn huǒ

"Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire."

Mò xìn zhí zhōng zhí, xū fáng rén bù rén

"Don't trust those who seem straightest; guard against those who appear most virtuous"

Dàn xíng hǎo shì, mò wèn qián chéng

"Just do good deeds, do not ask about the future"

Wù yǐ è xiǎo ér wéi zhī, wù yǐ shàn xiǎo ér bù wéi

"Do not do evil just because it is small; do not fail to do good just because it is small"

Wù yǐ shàn xiǎo ér bù wéi

"Do not fail to do good just because it seems small"

Jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén

"What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others"

Jìn rén shì, tīng tiān mìng

"Do your best as a human, listen to heaven's decree"

Gǒu yǎo Lǚ Dòngbīn, bù shí hǎo rén xīn

"The dog bites Lu Dongbin, not recognizing a good person's heart"

Gǒu ná hào zi duō guǎn xián shì

"A dog catching mice — meddling in affairs that aren't its business"

Lǘ chún bù duì mǎ zuǐ

"Donkey lips don't fit a horse's mouth"

Rén bù kě mào xiàng, hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng

"People cannot be judged by their looks, just as seawater cannot be measured by the bushel"

Bié kàn zéi chīfàn, yào kàn zéi áidǎ

"Don't watch the thief eating; watch the thief getting beaten"

lóng shēng lóng, fèng shēng fèng, lǎo shǔ shēng ér huì dǎ dòng

"Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and mice beget offspring that can dig holes"

Jié zé ér yú

"Draining the pond to catch all the fish"

Huà lóng diǎn jīng

"Paint the dragon and dot its eyes"

Huà shé tiān zú

"To draw a snake and add feet to it"

Huà hǔ huà pí nán huà gǔ

"You can paint a tiger's skin, but it's hard to paint its bones"

Yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě

"Drinking poison to relieve thirst"

Yǐn shuǐ sī yuán

"When drinking water, think of the source"

Chī shuǐ bù wàng wā jǐng rén

"When drinking water, don't forget the person who dug the well"

Zuìwēng zhī yì bú zài jiǔ

"The drinker's intent is not on the wine"

shuǐ dī shí chuān

"Dripping water can hollow out stone"

Dī shuǐ chuān shí

"Dripping water wears through stone"

Fàng xià tú dāo, lì dì chéng fó

"Put down the butcher's knife and instantly become a Buddha"

Shòu rén dī shuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǐ yǒng quán xiāng bào

"When receiving the grace of a drop of water, repay it with a surging spring"

Dī shuǐ zhī ēn, yǒng quán xiāng bào

"The grace of a water drop, repay with a surging spring"

Zuì shēng mèng sǐ

"Drunk on life, dreaming in death"

Dāi ruò mù jī

"Dumb/seemed as a wooden chicken"

Niǎo zhī jiāng sǐ, qí míng yě āi; rén zhī jiāng sǐ, qí yán yě shàn

"When a bird is about to die, its cry is mournful; when a person is about to die, their words are kind"

Měi kuàng yù xià

"Each time you look, it is worse"

Zǎo qǐ sān guāng, wǎn qǐ sān huāng

"Rise early and everything is bright; rise late and everything is rushed"

Shuō qǐlái róngyì zuò qǐlái nán

"Easier said than done"

Dōngfāng bù liàng xīfāng liàng, hēile nánfāng yǒu běifāng

"If the East isn't bright, the West will be; if the South goes dark, there's still the North"

Chī dé kǔ zhōng kǔ, fāng wéi rén shàng rén

"Only by enduring the bitterest suffering can one become superior to others"