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Tao Yuanming (365–427CE) was a poet of the Eastern Jin dynasty. Also known as Tao Qian, with the courtesy name Yuanliang, he was given the posthumous private honorific title “Jingjie.” He was from Chaisang, Xunyang (in present-day southwestern Jiujiang, Jiangxi). He held several official posts, including Chief Sacrificial Wine Officer of Jiangzhou, Military Advisor…
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My humble abode is not defined by its height, but by the virtue of its inhabitant. Likewise, a body of water need not be deep to be inhabited by a dragon. This is a humble dwelling, yet my character is fragrant. Moss creeps up the steps, turning them a lush green, while the color…
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The Master said, “Firmness, resoluteness, simplicity, and cautious speech—these qualities bring one close to benevolence/humaneness.”
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The Master spoke of Gongzi Jing of Wei, saying, “He was good at managing his household. When he first had a little, he said, ‘It’s sufficient enough.’ When he had a bit more, he said, ‘It’s complete enough.’ When he became wealthy, he said, ‘It’s beautiful enough.’”
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Amidst the great classics of Chinese philosophy and literature, Cai Gen Tan (Vegetable Root Talks, Roots of Wisdom or Tending the Roots of Wisdom) occupies a unique place – it is not an epic novel, a dense philosophical treatise, or a religious scripture, but a collection of pithy, practical maxims for navigating life.
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Among the world’s most influential philosophical texts, the Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) stands out as a masterpiece of brevity and profound insight. Attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), a mysterious sage believed to have lived in the 6th century BCE during China’s Spring and Autumn Period, this small book of just 81 chapters…
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When a piece of writing reaches the acme of perfection, it is not because it contains some miraculous ingredient, but because it is written in exactly the right way.
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In stillness, a person’s thoughts are as clear as water, and his true heart can be seen to the bottom.