Zhuangzi

Philosopher Chinese 369 – 286

Daoist philosopher known for paradoxes and butterfly parable.

383 quotes

"Destiny is a river; the wise person floats upon it."
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."
Perseverance
"In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped."
"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."
Peace
"Perfect action leaves no trace; perfect speech is beyond words."
Art
"The butterfly does not count the days it lives; it simply lives beautifully."
Beauty
"The sage is not bound by any doctrine; he is free to learn from all traditions."
Freedom
"There is nothing to fear except fear itself; all else is merely illusion."
Fear
"A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and insensitive."
Life
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
"The tree that grows in the forest unnoticed is the one that survives the longest."
"Joy and sorrow are neighbors; they live in the same house."
"Do nothing, yet nothing remains undone."
"Yield and overcome; bend and be straight."
"Music is the voice of the void."
Music
"The master leaves no trace and makes no claims."
"All suffering comes from wanting things to be different than they are."
"The sage observes the world but does not judge it."
Wisdom
"True wealth is the absence of desire."
Freedom
"The butterfly's wings are real, the dream is real; which is more true?"
"Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know."
Wisdom
"The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao."
Truth
"In the space between yes and no, there lives all wisdom."
"The small person tries to be virtuous; the great person simply is."
"Let your inner light guide you; do not follow the lamp of another."
"Death and life are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides."
Death
"The greatest perfection is imperfection."
"To understand others is intelligence; to understand yourself is true wisdom."
"The skillful craftsman leaves no marks upon his work."
"Longing for rest is itself unrest; seeking peace destroys peace."