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Cherish that which is in you and shut out that which is without, for much knowledge is a curse.

Zhuangzi

If water derives lucidity from stillness, how much more the faculties of the mind.
ZHUANGZI

Calm Mindset Water
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

Case Death Finding Live Pleasant Return
The eye is a menace to clear sight, the ear is a menace to subtle hearing, the mind is a menace to wisdom, every organ of the senses is a menace to its own capacity.
ZHUANGZI

Capacity Clear Eyes Mindset Organ Wisdom
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

Animal Creature Eyes Heart Jealous Wind
Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.
ZHUANGZI

Acceptance Flow Mindset Stay Ultimate
All men know the use of the useful, but nobody knows the use of the useless. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so that I can have a word with him?
ZHUANGZI

Forget Himself Man Word
Let your mind wander in the pure and simple. Be one with the infinite. Let all things take their course.
ZHUANGZI

Course Flow Infinity Mindset Purity Simplicity Yourself
Those who realise their folly are not true fools.
ZHUANGZI

Enemy Fools Mistake Realize
A frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean.
ZHUANGZI

Deep Ocean One Liner
There is a beginning. There is no beginning of that beginning. There is something. There is nothing.
ZHUANGZI

Beginning Philosophy
The perfect man of old looked after himself first before looking to help others.
ZHUANGZI

Help Man Old Perfection
Horses have hoofs to carry them over frost and snow; hair, to protect them from wind and cold. They eat grass and drink water, and fling up their heels. Such is the real nature of horses.
ZHUANGZI

Animal Drink Hairs Horse Nature Protection Reality Skin
The wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world.
ZHUANGZI

Better Choice King Man Position Stream Wisdom World
Perfect happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.
ZHUANGZI

Absence Happiness Perfection Wisdom
Good order results spontaneously when things are let alone.
ZHUANGZI

Alone Goodness Result
Men do not mirror themselves in running water – they mirror themselves in still water. Only what is still can still the stillness of other things.
ZHUANGZI

Deep Man Mirror Run Water
Words exist because of meaning; once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words.
ZHUANGZI

Deep Existence Forget Literature Meaning Poet Word Yourself
He who knows the activities of Nature lives according to Nature.
ZHUANGZI

Activity Himself Live Nature
Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free.
ZHUANGZI

Flow Freedom Mindset Yourself
When deeds and words are in accord, the whole world is transformed.
ZHUANGZI

Action Transformation Word World
People value that part of knowledge which is known. They do not know how to avail themselves of the Unknown in order to reach knowledge. Is this not misguided?
ZHUANGZI

Guide Knowledge Order People Reach Value
Are you and I perchance caught up in a dream from which we have not yet awakened?
ZHUANGZI

Awake Dreams Myself Yourself
The eyes envy the mind.
ZHUANGZI

Eyes Jealous Mindset
To regard the fundamental as the essence, to regard things as coarse, to regard accumulation as deficiency, and to dwell quietly alone with the spiritual and the intelligent – herein lie the techniques of Tao of the ancients.
ZHUANGZI

Alone Ancient Essence Fundamental Intelligence Quiet Spiritual Technique
I am going to try speaking some reckless words, and I want you to try to listen recklessly.
ZHUANGZI

Listening Reckless Talk Try Word Yourself
Compare birth with death, compare death with life; compare what is possible with what is not possible and compare what is not possible with what is possible; because there is, there is not, and because there is not, there is.
ZHUANGZI

Born Compare Death Life Possible
All men know the utility of useful things; but they do not know the utility of futility.
ZHUANGZI

Known Men Utility

Cherish that which is in you and shut out that which is without, for much knowledge is a curse.

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Cherish that which is in you and shut out that which is without, for much knowledge is a curse.

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