Sima Qian (citing Yan An)

Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE)

"To incite troubles and leave them unsolved, to disband the armies only to call them up again, bringing sorrow and hardship to those near at hand and alarm to distant lands--this is no way to insure the continuance of the dynasty."

• Quote from an essay attributed to Yan An in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji, 112) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Look at more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Glance through more ancient quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE. 

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"By raising the straight and putting them on top of the crooked, he can make the crooked straight."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XII, section 22) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (c. 6th-5th century BCE)

"The way begets one; one begets two; two begets three;
three begets the myriad creatures."

• From Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (Book Two, XLII), translated by D. C. Lau (Penguin Classics, 1963).

Check out more Lao Tzu quote pictures, HERE.

Take a look at other Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE.

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"Only one who bursts with eagerness do I instruct; only one who bubbles with excitement, do I enlighten. If I hold up one corner and a man cannot come back to me with the other three, I do not continue the lesson."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book VII, section 8) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"When everyone dislikes a man, enquiry is necessary; when everyone likes a man, enquiry is necessary."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XV, section 27) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (c. 6th-5th century BCE)

"There is no crime greater than having too many
     desires;
There is no greater disaster than not being content."

• From Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (Book Two, XLVI), translated by D. C. Lau (Penguin Classics, 1963)

Check out more Lao Tzu quote pictures, HERE.

Take a look at other Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE. 

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (145-90 BCE)

"When a thing has reached its height it must begin to decay, and when an age has gone to one extreme it must turn again in the opposite direction; therefore we find periods of rude simplicity and periods of refinement alternating with each other endlessly."

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji 130) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Look at more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Glance through more ancient quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE.

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"Be loyal and true to your every word, serious and careful in all you do; and you will get on well enough, even though you find yourself among barbarians."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XV, section 5) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (c. 6th-5th century BCE)

"Governing a large state is like boiling a small fish."

• From Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (Book Two, LX), translated by D. C. Lau (Penguin Classics, 1963).

Check out more Lao Tzu quote pictures, HERE.

Take a look at other Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE.

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE)

"Those who attempt to vent their anger on innocent persons can never hope to live for long."

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji 107) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Look at more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Glance through more ancient quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE. 

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (c. 6th-5th century BCE)

"The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his
subjects...
When his task is accomplished and his work done
The people all say, 'It happened to us naturally.'"

• From Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching (Book One, XVII), translated by D. C. Lau (Penguin Classics, 1963).

Check out more Lao Tzu quote pictures, HERE.

Take a look at other Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE.  

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XIV, section 29) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.  

Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu (sayings recorded between 6th-3rd century BCE)

"Weakness
     Stems from
     Preparing against attack.

Strength
     Stems from
     Obliging the enemy
     To prepare against an attack."

• Sun Tzu's The Art of War (Chapter Six), translated by John Minford (Penguin Classics edition, 2009).

Read our biography about Sun Tzu, HERE.

Check out other quote pictures from Sun Tzu, HERE.

Take a look at more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"In official speeches all that matters is to get one's meaning through."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XV, section 40) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (145-90 BCE)

"The wise ruler is primarily concerned in perceiving the sources from which all changes arise, in understanding the keys to safety and peril, and in incorporating this knowledge in his governing of the nation, in order to forestall danger before it has taken form."

• Quote from an essay attributed to Xu Yue in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji, 112) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Look at more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Glance through more ancient quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE. 

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE)

"Thus the shifts of success and failure are entwined like the strands of a rope."

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji 113) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).

Look at more Sima Qian quotes, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Glance through more ancient quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote pictures home page, HERE.

Mo Tzu

Mo Tzu (c. 5th century BCE)

"Now let us try sounding the great bells, striking the rolling drums, strumming the zithers, blowing the pipes, and waving the shields and axes in the war dance. Does this do anything to rescue the world from chaos and restore it to order? I hardly think so."

• From the Basic Writings of Mo Tzu (Against Music, part I, section 32), translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1963).

Read our short biography of Mo Tzu, HERE.

Take a look at other Mo Tzu quote pictures, HERE.

Check out other philosophy Quotes, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE. 

Confucius

Confucius (c. 551-479 BCE)

"Learn as if you were following someone whom you could not catch up, as though it were someone you were frightened of losing."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book VIII, section 17) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE. 

Mencius

Mencius (c. 372-289 BCE)

"If the services of the common people were used with a view to sparing them hardship, they would not complain even when hard driven."

• From The Mencius (Book VII, Part A, section 12) by Mencius, translated by D. C. Lau (Penguin Classics, 2003).

Take a look at more quote pictures from Mencius, HERE.

Check out more Chinese quote pictures, HERE.

Browse through more philosophy quote pictures, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.

Confucius

Confucius (551-479 BCE)

"In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people."

• The Analects of Confucius (Book XIV, section 25) translated by Arthur Waley (Vintage Books, 1989).

Check out more wise quotes from Confucius, HERE.

Glance through other Chinese quotes, HERE.

Take a look at more philosophy quotes, HERE.

Return to the quote picture home page, HERE.