Confucius Quotes

He is conventionally translated “harmony,” and we follow that rendering. The etymology of the term is culinary: harmony is the art of combining and blending two or more foodstuffs so that they come together with mutual benefit and enhancement without losing their separate and particular identities.49 Throughout the early corpus, the preparation of food is appealed to as a gloss on this sense of elegant harmony. Harmony so considered entails both the integrity of the particular ingredient and its ease of integration into some larger whole. Signatory of this harmony is the endurance of the particular ingredients and the cosmetic nature of the harmony in an order that emerges out of the collaboration of intrinsically related details to embellish the contribution of each one.

Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.

Virtuous, worthy, wise and capable people are chosen as leaders.

子曰：「學而時習之 不亦說乎 有朋自遠方來 不亦樂乎 人不知而不慍 不亦君子乎」 — 論語

There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them unable to get established in those along with us. Or if we may get so established along with them, we shall find them unable to weigh occurring events along with us.

You are what you think.

On peut obliger le peuple à obéir. On ne peut pas le forcer à comprendre.

Una voz fuerte no puede competir con una voz clara, aunque esta sea un simple murmullo.

The Master said, “A true gentleman is one who has set his heart upon the Way. A fellow who is ashamed merely of shabby clothing or modest meals is not even worth conversing with.”
(Analects 4.9)

If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.

Better light a candle than curse the darkness.

How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them.

It doesn't matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop.

Even four harnessed horses cannot bring imprudent words back into the mouth.

No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.