Chinese Wisdom & Philosophy — Page 6

Dà zhì ruò yú

"Great wisdom appears like foolishness"

Tān duō jiáo bù làn

"If you're greedy for too much, you won't chew it well"

Xiao cong ban doufu — yi qing er bai

"Green onion mixed with tofu — one clear, two white"

Zhǐyào gōngfu shēn, tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn

"If your effort is deep enough, an iron pestle can be ground into a needle"

hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu, fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú

"You should not have the heart to harm others, but you must not lack the heart to guard against them"

Qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo

"The gun shoots the bird that sticks its head out"

Shígàn xīngbāng, kōngtán wùguó

"Practical work revitalizes the nation; empty talk harms the country"

Gōngfu bù fù yǒuxīnrén

"Hard work does not let down the determined person"

Zì hèn zhī wú yè, mò yuàn tài yáng piān

"Hate your own branch for having no leaves; do not blame the sun for being biased"

Zhī zú zhě fù

"He who knows he has enough is rich"

Zhāo wén dào, xī sǐ kě yǐ

"Hear the Dao in the morning, die in the evening, that is acceptable"

tiān wài yǒu tiān

"There are heavens beyond heaven"

Tiān wú jué rén zhī lù

"Heaven never blocks all paths for a person; there is always a way out"

Tiān dào chóu qín

"Heaven rewards the diligent"

Tiān jī bù kě xiè lòu

"Heaven's secrets must not be revealed"

Tiānshí bùrú dìlì, dìlì bùrú rénhé

"Heaven's timing is not as good as earth's advantage; earth's advantage is not as good as human harmony"

Tiān yǒu bù cè fēngyún, rén yǒu dànxī huòfú

"Heaven has unpredictable storms; humans have sudden fortune and misfortune"

Tiān xíng jiàn, jūn zǐ yǐ zì qiáng bù xī

"Heaven's movement is vigorous; the noble one thus strengthens himself without ceasing"

Yǔ rén fāngbiàn, zìjǐ fāngbiàn

"When you accommodate others, you accommodate yourself"

Zhù rén wéi lè

"Helping others is happiness"

Yīng xióng wú yòng wǔ zhī dì

"A hero has no place to display his martial prowess"

Yīngxióng suǒjiàn lüètóng

"Great minds think alike"

Qián lóng wù yòng

"Hidden dragon: do not use"

Tāo guāng yǎng huì

"Hide your light and nourish the darkness"

Shàng dé bù dé

"Highest virtue is not virtue (in appearance)"

Qí shēn zhèng, bù lìng ér xíng; qí shēn bù zhèng, suī lìng bù cóng

"When his person is upright, he commands without orders; when his person is not upright, even orders are not followed"

Dǎ shé dǎ qī cùn

"When hitting a snake, hit it at seven inches"

Lǎoshi rén cháng zài, jiǎohuá rén cháng bài

"Honest people endure; cunning people often fail"

Fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí

"Wind, horses, and cattle do not reach each other"

Rén qíng sì zhǐ zhāng zhāng bó, shì shì rú qí jú jú xīn

"Human feelings are like paper—each sheet thin; worldly affairs are like chess—each game new"

Jiāngshān yì gǎi běnxìng nán yí

"Rivers and mountains are easily changed, but one's nature is hard to move"

Rén wǎng gāochù zǒu, shuǐ wǎng dīchù liú

"People climb toward high places; water flows toward low places"

Rén yǒu bēi huān lí hé, yuè yǒu yīn qíng yuán quē

"Humans have joy and sorrow, parting and reunion; the moon has dimness and brightness, waxing and waning"

Qiān qiān jūn zǐ, bēi yǐ zì mù yě

"The modest, modest gentleman — he cultivates himself through humility"

Hán mén chū guìzǐ, bái wū chū gōngqīng

"Poor families produce distinguished sons; humble houses produce high officials"

Xūxīn shǐ rén jìnbù, jiāo'ào shǐ rén luòhòu

"Humility makes people advance; pride makes people fall behind"

Bǎi chǐ gān tóu, gèng jìn yī bù

"Even from the top of a hundred-foot pole, take one step further"

Bǎi lǐ bù tóng fēng, qiān lǐ bù tóng sú

"Within a hundred li the wind differs; within a thousand li customs differ"

Shāng qí shí zhǐ, bùrú duàn qí yī zhǐ

"Hurting ten of their fingers is not as good as breaking one of their fingers"

Wǒ yǒu sān bǎo, chí ér bǎo zhī

"I have three treasures that I hold and keep"

Cǐ chù bù liú yé, zì yǒu liú yé chù

"If this place doesn't keep me, there will naturally be a place that will"

Nán dé hú tú

"It is rare to be confused; hard to attain muddle-headedness"

Bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chū

"Illness enters through the mouth; disaster exits through the mouth"

Bìng cóng kǒu rù

"Illness enters through the mouth"

Xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòufu

"An impatient heart cannot eat hot tofu"

Shí nián shù mù, bǎi nián shù rén

"It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to rear people"

Yù bù zhuó bù chéng qì

"Jade cannot become a vessel without being carved"

Jiāng Tàigōng diào yú — yuàn zhě shàng gōu

"Jiang Taigong fishes — let the willing ones get hooked"

Zé rén zhī xīn zé jǐ, shù jǐ zhī xīn shù rén

"With the heart that blames others, blame yourself; with the heart that forgives yourself, forgive others"

Dé dào duō zhù, shī dào guǎ zhù

"He who finds the Way receives abundant help; he who loses the Way receives little help"