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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

All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
ZHUANGZI

Lost Man Need Religion Water
Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly.
ZHUANGZI

Butterfly Dreams Himself Incarnation
The ultimate happiness is doing nothing.
ZHUANGZI

Happiness Philosophy Ultimate
When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten. When the belt fits, the belly is forgotten. When the heart is right, “for” and “against” are forgotten. No drives, no compulsions, no needs, no attractions: Then your affairs are under control. You are a free man.
ZHUANGZI

Affair Attraction Control Drive Forget Freedom Heart Man Philosophy Shoe Spirituality Yourself
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
Verily God does not reward man for what he does, but for what he is.
ZHUANGZI

God Himself Man Reward Work
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
Being is thoughtless-beyond and beneath all categories of thought. Expression is the realization of creative thought. Being is still; expression, moving. But then if I do not strive, who will?
ZHUANGZI

Beyond Creativity Expression Myself Realize Thinking Willing
Study is to study what cannot be studied. Undertaking means undertaking what cannot be undertaken. Philosophizing is to philosophize about what cannot be philosophized about. Knowing that knowing is unknowable is true perfection.
ZHUANGZI

Knowledge Known Perfection Philosophy Religious Spirituality Study True Unknown
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
The enlightened attention rejects nothing nor welcomes anything-like a mirror it responds equally to all.
ZHUANGZI

Attention Enlightenment Equality Mirror Respond Welcome
A sage steers by the bright light of confusion and doubt.
ZHUANGZI

Bright Confusion Doubt Light Sage
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
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
Do not struggle. Go with the flow of things, and you will find yourself at one with the mysterious unity of the Universe.
ZHUANGZI

Flow Spiritual Struggle Universe Yourself
The Tao is in all things, in their divisions and their fullness. What I dislike about divisions is that they multiply, and what i dislike about multiplication is that it makes people want to hold fast to it. So people go out and forget to return, seeing little more than ghosts.
ZHUANGZI

Division Fast Forget Hold People Return See

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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