1572 – 1620. A Chinese philosopher. The author of the Qingyang (literally “pure sayings”) aphorisms.
Quotes:
1. In teaching it is important to be focused but sometimes one has to be careless. If you always deny all joys and consolations, you will appear like the dead breath of autumn to others. How then would you get along with the life of things?
2. Learning to find joy in life is the best way to bring about happiness.
3. Look at others cold-headed. Listen to others cold-headed. Reflect cold-headed. Endure cold-headed.
4. If you are haunted by failures, think of those who are even less lucky, and your grievances will dissipate. If your heart gets infuriated, think of those who have succeeded more than you, and you will be back to your spirits.
5. Drive anger away – that is the best way to stay out of trouble.
6. Imagination is the feet of the mind. If not reined in, it will drive the mind out of the right way.
7. In teaching, the main thing is be right to the intent and go straight along. If, by cultivating virtue, you do not give up the thoughts of merit and glory, you will never achieve the goal. If you think about showing off your learning as you read books, there will be no peace of the mind.
8. If you fail to stay remove yourself from worldly affairs a little bit, you’ll be like a moth flying into fire or a ram bucking at gate. How then will you find peace and happiness?
9. When you live in noise and fuss, you forget even what is not hard to remember.
10. When thoughts are scattered, you have to know how to put them together. When thoughts converge at one point, you have to know how to disperse them. If you are not able to do this, even if you overcome the obscuration, anxiety will settle in your heart.
