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An irascible person is like a raging fire; whatever he encounters he wants to burn it up.
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The force that binds the universe is unpredictable. Sometimes it makes man struggle against adversity, and sometimes it grants him favourable circumstances.
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If a man does a bad thing and fears that others will find out, it shows that, despite his wickedness, he still has a conscience.
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People know that fame and rank make men happy. But they do not know that the happiest men are those without fame and rank.
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If a man’s thoughts are bright and clear, then even if he is in a dark place his heart will be as shiny as daylight.
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A man who has not uprooted his hankering for fame and fortune, even if he disdains enormous wealth and delights in plain living, will in the end descend to the level of the vulgar world.
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The qi vessel tips over when it is filled with water. The moneybox stays whole only so long as it is not filled up with money.
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The truly honest man, because he never angles for fame, does not have the reputation of being an honest man; only the greedy are eager for such a reputation.