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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

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
Look at this window: it is nothing but a hole in the wall, but because of it the whole room is full of light. So when the faculties are empty, the heart is full of light.
ZHUANGZI

Empty Heart Light Room Window
When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
ZHUANGZI

Ignorance People Philosophy
There may be difficulty at the moment, but I will not lose the Virtue that I possess. It is when the ice and snow are on them that we see the strength of the cypress and the pine. I am grateful for this trouble around me, because it gives me an opportunity to realize how fortunate I am.
ZHUANGZI

Difficult Fortunate Gratitude Lose Moments Myself Opportunity Possession Realize Snow Strength Trouble Virtue
Standards are different for all things, so the standard set by man is by no means the only ‘certain’ standard. If you mistake what is relative for something certain, you have strayed far from the ultimate truth.
ZHUANGZI

Different Man Mistake Standard Truth Ultimate Yourself
When affirmation and negation came into being, Tao faded. After Tao faded, then came one-sided attachments.
ZHUANGZI

Affirmation Attachment Negative Oneself Religious
All men know the utility of useful things; but they do not know the utility of futility.
ZHUANGZI

Known Men Utility
Luck implies an absolute absence of any principle.
ZHUANGZI

Absence Luck Principle
Only fools imagine they are already awake. How clearly they understand everything! How easily they distinguish this deception from that reality!
ZHUANGZI

Awake Easy Fools Imagination Reality Understand
He who regards all things as one is a companion of Nature.
ZHUANGZI

Himself Infinite Nature Oneself Regard Whole
We possess our body by chance and we are already pleased with it. If our physical bodies went through ten thousand transformations without end, how incomparable would this joy be! Therefore the sage roams freely in the realm in which nothing can escape, but all endures.
ZHUANGZI

Body Chance Endurance Escape Freedom Joy Possession Sage Transformation World
Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
ZHUANGZI

Conflict Harmony Life Stop
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
The Way is to man as rivers and lakes are to fish, the natural condition of life.
ZHUANGZI

Condition Life Man Natural River Way
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
The right way to go easy is to forget the right way.
ZHUANGZI

Easy Forget Journey Right Way

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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