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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

One whose inner being is fixed upon such greatness emits a Heavenly glow. Even though he has this Heavenly glow, others will see him as just a man. Someone who has reached this point will begin to be consistent.
ZHUANGZI

Beginning Consistent Glow Greatness Heaven Point
Silence, and non action are the root of all things.
ZHUANGZI

Action Root Silence
To be constant is to be useful. To be useful is to realize one’s true nature. Realization of one’s true nature is happiness. When one reaches happiness, one is close to perfection.
ZHUANGZI

Constant Happiness Nature Oneself Perfection Realize
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
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
Rewards and punishments are the lowest form of education.
ZHUANGZI

Education Form Low Punishment Reward
Human life is limited, but knowledge is limitless. To drive the limited in pursuit of the limitless is fatal; and to presume that one really knows is fatal indeed!
ZHUANGZI

Death Drive Human Knowledge Life Limitation Oneself Pursuit
Each one’s destiny cannot be altered.
ZHUANGZI

Change Destiny One Liner Oneself
To go outside what your charge was, and to try to solve everything yourself, is dangerous.
ZHUANGZI

Charge Dangerous Solution Yourself
But you now, you wear your soul on your sleeve, exhausting your energy, propping yourself up on a tree, mumbling, or bent over your desk, asleep. Heaven gives you a form and you wear it out by pointless argument.
ZHUANGZI

Argument Energy Exhaust Form Heaven Point Soul Tree
Running around accusing others is not as good as laughing. And enjoying a good laugh is not as good as going along with things.
ZHUANGZI

Enjoyment Goodness Laughter Run
Birth is not the beginning, Death is not the end.
ZHUANGZI

Beginning Born Death End
He who does his work like a machine grows a heart like a machine and he who carries the heart of a machine in his breast loses his simplicity. He who has lost his simplicity becomes unsure in the strivings of his soul.
ZHUANGZI

Carry Growth Himself Lose Machine Work
Your preciousness lies in your essence; it cannot be lost by anything that happens.
ZHUANGZI

Essence Lost Lying Precious Yourself
Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature.
ZHUANGZI

Affect Ceremony Charity Donation Lost Man Mindset Music Nature Original Satisfaction Seek
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

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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