Wise words from Zhuangzi

Zhuang Zhou, also known as Zhuangzi, was a 4th century BC influential Chinese philosopher. He wrote the Zhuangzi, which is one of the foundational texts of Taoism.

Below we list some words of wisdom by Zhuangzi.

"Do not struggle. Go with the flow of things, and you will find yourself at one with the mysterious unity of the Universe."

"A path is made by walking on it."

"If you have insight, you use your inner eye, your inner ear, to pierce to the heart of things, and have no need of intellectual knowledge."

"A petty thief is put in jail. A great brigand becomes a ruler of a Nation."

"A frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean."

"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."

"To be truly ignorant, be content with your own knowledge."

"The enlightened attention rejects nothing nor welcomes anything-like a mirror it responds equally to all."

"Birth is not a beginning; death is not an end. There is existence without limitation; there is continuity without a starting point."

"Great knowledge sees all in one. Small knowledge breaks down into the many."

"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."

"Never admire a man by his strength; judge him in how he uses it- A way is made by walking it"

"Rewards and punishments are the lowest form of education."

"Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate."

"My opinion is that you never find happiness until you stop looking for it."

"The greatest tragedy that can befall a person is the atrophy of his mind."

"Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man."

"We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away."

"The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not."

"The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives but does not keep."

"Take care of your body, then the rest will automatically become stronger."

"When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance."

"Words exist because of meaning; once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words."

"Do not seek fame. Do not make plans. Do not be absorbed by activities. Do not think that you know. Be aware of all that is and dwell in the infinite. Wander where there is no path. Be all that heaven gave you, but act as though you have received nothing. Be empty, that is all."

"Your preciousness lies in your essence; it cannot be lost by anything that happens."

"If you want to nourish a bird, you should let it live any way it chooses. Creatures differ because they have different likes and dislikes. Therefore the sages never require the same ability from all creatures. . . concepts of right should be founded on what is suitable. The true saint leaves wisdom to the ants, takes a cue from the fishes, and leaves willfulness to the sheep."

"Perfect happiness is the absence of striving for happiness."

Copyright © Stephen Petullo, Scott Petullo