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

Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.

Heaven is like an egg, and the earth is like the yolk of the egg.

Water becomes clear and transparent when in a quiescent stage. How much the more wonderful will be the mind of a sage when poised in quiescence! It is the mirror of heaven and earth, reflecting the ten thousand things.

If a man is crossing the river and an empty boat collides with his skiff, even though he is a bad tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the other boat he will scream and shout and curse at the man to steer clear. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you. Thus is the perfect man - his boat is empty.

Transmit the established facts; do not transmit words of exaggeration. If you do that, you will probably come out all right.

Luck implies an absolute absence of any principle.