Quotes from Zhuangzi

Life comes from the earth and life returns to the earth.

I know the joy of fishes in the river through my own joy, as I go walking along the same river.

The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.

Verily God does not reward man for what he does, but for what he is.

The men of old breathed clear down to their heels.

All men know the utility of useful things; but they do not know the utility of futility.

The sound of water says what I think.

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.

Only the intelligent knows how to identify all things as one. . . . When one is at ease with himself, one is near Tao. This is to let Nature take its own course.

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.

Horses have hoofs to carry them over frost and snow; hair, to protect them from wind and cold. They eat grass and drink water, and fling up their heels.... Such is the real nature of horses.

There is no bandit so powerful as Nature. The interaction of the positive and the negative principles, which produces the visible universe. In the whole universe there is no escape from it.

Can a man cling to the positive without any negative in contrast to which it is seen to be positive? If he claims to do so he is a rouge or a madman.

Good fortune is as light as a feather, but nobody knows how to pick it up. Misfortune is as heavy as earth, but nobody knows how to stay out of it's way.

Running around accusing others is not as good as laughing. And enjoying a good laugh is not as good as going along with things.

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

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

Sound intelligence promises victory in every battle.

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.

Great knowledge is universal. Small knowledge is limited. Great words are inspiring; small words are chatter.

He who knows the activities of Nature lives according to Nature.

The man who has some respect for his person keeps his carcass out of sight, hides himself as perfectly as he can.

Cherish that which is within you, and shut off that which is without for much knowledge is a curse.

To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.