Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take; Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make; The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; The chariot course, and the wild...
If a man would hasten towards the good, he should keep his thought away from evil; if a man does what is good slothfully, his mind delights in evil
(The Tao) produces (all things) and nourishes them; it produces them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does not boast of it; it presides over all, and yet do...
But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted to him for a time travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger, and enters a host without h...
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech
The Bhikshu who acts with kindness, who is calm in the doctrine of Buddha, will reach the quiet place (Nirvana), cessation of natural desires, and happiness
How do I know that it is so? By these facts:--In the kingdom the multiplication of prohibitive enactments increases the poverty of the people; the more implements to add to their p...
The thirst of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper; he runs from life to life, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest. Whomsoever this fierce poisonous thirst overcomes, in th...
There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhe...
All things are produced by the Tao, and nourished by its outflowing operation They receive their forms according to the nature of each, and are completed according to the circumsta...
He who drinks in the law lives happily with a serene mind: the sage rejoices always in the law, as preached by the elect (Ariyas)
Those three methods (of government) Thought olden ways in elegance did fail And made these names their want of worth to veil; But simple views, and courses plain and true Would sel...
As many kinds of wreaths can be made from a heap of flowers, so many good things may be achieved by a mortal when once he is born
He who inflicts pain on innocent and harmless persons, will soon come to one of these ten states:
The report of that fulfilment is the regular, unchanging rule To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent; not to know it leads to wild movements and evil issues The knowledg...
The Twin-Verses
For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation
Cut off the five (senses), leave the five, rise above the five A Bhikshu, who has escaped from the five fetters, he is called Oghatinna, `saved from the flood'
Him I call indeed a Brahmana who does not offend by body, word, or thought, and is controlled on these three points
All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching) Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior If it we...
"One is the road that leads to wealth, another the road that leads to Nirvana;" if the Bhikshu, the disciple of Buddha, has learnt this, he will not yearn for honour, he will striv...
Who can (make) the muddy water (clear)? Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear Who can secure the condition of rest? Let movement go on, and the condition of rest will...
On occasions of festivity to be on the left hand is the prized position; on occasions of mourning, the right hand The second in command of the army has his place on the left; the g...
The follower of the law, even if he can recite only a small portion (of the law), but, having forsaken passion and hatred and foolishness, possesses true knowledge and serenity of...
Let a man overcome anger by love, let him overcome evil by good; let him overcome the greedy by liberality, the liar by truth!
From love comes grief, from love comes fear; he who is free from love knows neither grief nor fear
As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold back
The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by passion: therefore a gift bestowed on the passionless brings great reward
If an intelligent man be associated for one minute only with a wise man, he will soon perceive the truth, as the tongue perceives the taste of soup
Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them