This commentary on Zhuangzi ‑ Wai Wu retells Ren Gongzi’s giant fishing parable. Contrasting grand, patient preparation against petty pursuits, it teaches that great attainment demands broad vision, huge investment and long‑term waiting.
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 坐山观虎斗Pinyin: zuò shān guān hǔ dòuLiteral Meaning: Sit on the mountain and watch two tigers fight.Figurative Meaning: To stand by and watch others struggle, waiting until both sides are weakened or defeated before stepping in to seize benefits for oneself. Cultural Background This idiom reflects a classic strategic mindset in…
This article tells Zhang Liang’s legendary encounter with the Yellow‑Stone Elder. After a failed assassination on Qin Shi Huang, Zhang met the old man on a bridge, who tested his patience and rewarded him with Taigong’s Art of War. This wisdom shaped him into a key strategist for the Han Dynasty.
The Master said, “Clever words corrupt virtue; lacking patience in small matters disrupts great plans.”
Zixia, serving as magistrate of Jufu, asked Confucius about governance. The Master said, “Do not seek speed; do not pursue small gains. If you rush, you will not succeed; if you focus on petty profits, you will never accomplish great things.”
When a family member makes a mistake, one must not fly into a rage; nor should one gloss over the mistake as if nothing had happened.
A schoolboy was playing truant in the street when he saw an old woman grinding an iron pestle on a stone.