“Inspire me with love for my art and for thy creatures. In the sufferer let me see only the human being.”

All the evils that men cause to each other because of certain desires, or opinions or religious principles, are rooted in ignorance. [All hatred would come to an end] when the earth was flooded with the knowledge of God.

There are eight levels of charity. The highest is when you strengthen a man’s hand until he need no longer be dependent upon others.

It is hard for a woman with whom an uncircumcised man has had sexual intercourse to separate from him. In my opinion this is the strongest of the reasons for circumcision.

All forces that reside in the body are angels.

One should see the world, and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good – he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad – he and the world is destroyed.

All attributes ascribed to God are attributes of His acts, and do not imply that God has any qualities.

The soul is subject to health and disease, just as is the body. The health and disease of both, undoubtedly depend upon beliefs and customs, which are peculiar to mankind.

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.

God who preceded all existence is a refuge.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

God cannot be compared to anything.

He who does not understand that a dead lion is more alive than a living dog will remain a dog.

The second class of evils comprises such evils as people cause to each other, when, e.g. , some of them use their strength against others. These evils are more numerous than those of the first kind. They likewise originate in ourselves, though the sufferer himself cannot avert them.

Even the existence of this corporeal element, low as it in reality is, because it is the source of death and all evils, is likewise good for the permanence of the Universe and the continuation of the order of things, so that one thing departs and the other succeeds.

If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others, for the knowledge of the truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries.

God is identical with His attributes, so that it may be said that He is the knowledge, the knower, and the known.

I don’t know why people expect art to make sense. They accept the fact that life doesn’t make sense.

Boxing’s in my genes. I come from a fighting background. My dad and both my uncles were good boxers. I’m blessed with the art of war.

Despite my extremely modest prices, dealers and art lovers are turning their backs on me. It is very depressing to see the lack of interest shown in an art object which has no market value.

Today, I painted with blood.

Even if you were to lose it all – you would still be art.

Somehow in all this grief I found joy. Sharing art with you has made me whole again. And again.

Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.

I knew nothing about martial arts. The coach told me I was talented with learning martial arts, and put me in a school. Three years later I got my first championship in China.