Zhuangzi Quotes


If a man is crossing the river and an empty boat collides with his skiff, even though he is a bad tempered man he will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the other boat he will scream and shout and curse at the man to steer clear. If you can empty your own boat crossing the river of the world, no one will oppose you, no one will seek to harm you. Thus is the perfect man - his boat is empty.


Citations

Zhuangzi. The Way of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Thomas Merton, New Directions, 1965, p. 114.

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Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi
  • Born:
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Profession: Philosopher

Zhuang Zhou, commonly known as Zhuangzi (also rendered as Chuang Tzu), was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States period, a period corresponding to the summit of Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought. He is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of the foundational texts of Taoism.