Chinese wisdom

A wise man does not judge a person for his words, but at the same time does not neglect another person s words, even when these words are pronounced by an unworthy person.

The first rule of achieving goodness is this: think only about self-perfection, and do so without thought to being praised by others.

Be strict to yourself, and forgive others, and then you will have no enemies.

If you live alone, think about your own sins; if you are in society, forget about the sins of others.

Truly kind people forget the good things they have done in the past. They are so involved in the things they do now that they forget the things they have done before.

A person will understand his place in the world only when he understands his soul.

Every bird always knows where to make her nest. And if she knows how and where to make her nest, this means that she knows her purpose in life. And why does man, who is the wisest among all creatures, not know that which any bird knows, that is, his purpose in life?

You should treat your thoughts the way you treat your self, and treat your wishes the way you treat your children.

The following words were carved on the bathroom of the king Jinx-Hang: “Renew yourself completely every day, and starting afresh, from the beginning.”

If you wish to do no evil then there is not a single good deed which you cannot do.

The first condition to bringing religion into your life is manifesting love and pity toward all living creatures.

The person who speaks much will seldom fulfill all his words in his actions. A wise person is always wary lest his words surpass his actions.

Be strict in judging yourself and gentle in judging others, and you will have no enemies.

I will never seek or accept merely my own personal salvation, I do not want to receive satisfaction by myself; always and everywhere I live and work, I will hope and strive for the universal salvation of all people and all creatures in the world. Until all have been saved and freed, I will not abandon this world of sin, sadness, and strife.

A Wiseman was asked, “Is there a single word which you can follow throughout all your life?” And the wise man answered, “There is such a word. This is shu.” And the meaning of this word is, “If we do not want certain things to be done to us, we should not do such things to others.”

The quality of a really virtuous person is to be unknown, to people, or to be misunderstood by people, but not to be disappointed by this.

A wise man sets requirements only for himself; an unwise man makes requirements for others.

I know that the sky knows everything, and that its laws are constant. I know that it sees everything, it gets into everything, and it is present in everything. The heavens can get into the depths of all human hearts in the same way that the daylight can lighten a dark room. We should try to reflect this heavenly light.

If you see a holy man, think: how could I become like him? If you see a dissipated man, think: don’t I have the same vices?

One of the major responsibilities of a person is to make that intellectual spark which you have received from heaven illuminate the world around you.

Intellect can be enlightened only in a kind person. A person can be kind only when he has an enlightened intellect. One helps the other.