Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
This interprets the owl and phoenix parable from Zhuangzi ‑ Autumn Floods. Huizi, fearing Zhuangzi will seize his ministerial post, is compared to an owl guarding a rotten rat, blind to the noble bird’s disdain for worldly power.
This interprets the well‑known fable from Zhuangzi ‑ Autumn Floods. The conceited River God meets the vast North‑Sea‑Ruo, learns his own smallness, illustrating perspective limits, humility and the relativity of great and small.
The gentleman – no one knows where he came from, nor his family name or given name. Beside his house there are five willow trees, so he takes that as his style. He is quiet, tranquil, and sparing of speech; he does not covet fame or profit. He loves to read, but does not…
A clear, rainless sky can suddenly change into one dominated by thunder and lightning. A sky full of blustery wind and pelting rain can suddenly change into a scene of charming moonlight.
One thousand pieces of gold will not earn a moment of true friendship, but a simple kindness like offering a meal may earn a lifetime’s gratitude.
The learned man should behave with discretion. If he fails to do so, he will make himself vulnerable to external distractions, and will be unable to engage in leisurely and untroubled pursuits.
In this dusty world of illusions, not only are rank and wealth fleeting, but our very bodies are only lent to us for a short time by the universe.
When the wind blows through a clump of scattered bamboos it makes a swishing sound. But as soon as it has passed, it leaves no sound behind, and silence reigns once more among the bamboos.
Every man has his own life experiences. With some, it is always plain sailing, while others encounter many hardships and failures.