Monday, March 29, 2010
Chinese Proverbs
A person without a smiling face should not open a shop.
Clumsy birds have need of early flight.
An old broom has its value.
In a crisis people grow wisdom.
Intelligence is endowed, but wisdom learned.
Spilt water cannot be retrieved.
One foot cannot stand on two boats
Beware the person with a Buddha's mouth and a snake's heart.
Good medicine is bitter to the taste.
Good heart, good reward
Solitude is enjoyed only when one is at peace with oneself.
One merits should not be a hindrance to one's progress
Review past lessons to discover anew.
Without experiece we will not gain full knowledge.
To accommodate all things, enlarge your heart
One who does not like to read is equal to one who cannot read.
A night without moon or stars is like an ignorant mind.
Common sense goes further than a lot of learning.
A great general need not blow his own trumpet.
Better to make a net than to yearn for fish at the edge of a pond
Ants can move even a mighty mountain.
What is scare is valued, what is plentiful is not.
Patience is the wisdom of waiting.
Rats know the way of rats.
If there are no clouds, there will be no rain
Patience is a tree with bitter roots that bears sweet fruits
Genuine gold fears no fire.
Order moves slowly but surely disorder always in a hurry.
What is good for the hive is good for the bee.
Unless there is opposing wind, a kite cannot rise
A single spark can set a prairie on fire.
Water can both sustain and sink a ship.
Count not what is lost, but what is left.
If there is a strong general there will be no weak soldiers.
To extend your life by a year take one less bite each meal.
Peace only comes when reason rules.
Even the tallest tower started form the ground.
Eloquence provides only persuasion, but truth buys loyalty.
Wisdom is attained by learning when to hold one's tongue.
A single tree cannot make a forest
If one eats less one will taste more.
One hand alone cannot clap, it takes two to quarrel.
It does not matter if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.
Cowards have dreams, brave men have visions
Learning is like the horizon; there is no limit.
The old horse will know the way
A good friend shields you from the storm
Change the skin, wash the heart
Sow melon, reap melon; sow beans, reap beans.
One sings, all follow.
Fortune has a fickle heart and a short memory.
Harsh words and poor reasoning never settle anything.
Dangerous enemies will meet again in narrow streets.
Better to bend in the wind than to break.
Do not kill the hen for her eggs.
First attain skill; creativity comes later.
Make the cap fit the head.
A single beam cannot support a great house.
Do not be concerned with things outside your door.
Wise men may not be learned; learned men may not be wise.
Crows are black the world over.
Do not lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot
Kill the chicken to frigthen the monkey
Wait long, strike fast.
Do not wait until you're thirsty to dig a well
One who would pick the roses must bear with thorns
Failure is the mother of success.
Do not climb a tree to look for a fish
Only time and effort brings proficiency
Distance tests the endurance of a horse; time reveals a man's character.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Heaven has a road, but no one travels it, hell has no gate but men will dig to get there.
Preserve the old, but know the new.
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
A closed mind is like a closed book, just a block of wood.
To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
It is not necessary to light a candle to the sun.
Tell me, I'll forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.
Talk doesn't cook rice.
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
He who asks is a fool for 5 minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.
Men in the game are blind, men outside see clearly.
Man proposes and God disposes
Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.
It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
Man fools himself. He prays for a long life and he fears old age.
A really great man never puts away the simplicity of a child.
Only joy scatters a hundred griefs.
Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it.
o read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time, is to meet an old one.
Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long time, you learn about the character of your friend.
A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.
Only he that has traveled the road knows where the holes are deep.
Honest advice is unpleasant to the ear.
An open book benefits your mind.
Experience is the mother of wisdom.
Clumsy birds have need of early flight.
An old broom has its value.
In a crisis people grow wisdom.
Intelligence is endowed, but wisdom learned.
Spilt water cannot be retrieved.
One foot cannot stand on two boats
Beware the person with a Buddha's mouth and a snake's heart.
Good medicine is bitter to the taste.
Good heart, good reward
Solitude is enjoyed only when one is at peace with oneself.
One merits should not be a hindrance to one's progress
Review past lessons to discover anew.
Without experiece we will not gain full knowledge.
To accommodate all things, enlarge your heart
One who does not like to read is equal to one who cannot read.
A night without moon or stars is like an ignorant mind.
Common sense goes further than a lot of learning.
A great general need not blow his own trumpet.
Better to make a net than to yearn for fish at the edge of a pond
Ants can move even a mighty mountain.
What is scare is valued, what is plentiful is not.
Patience is the wisdom of waiting.
Rats know the way of rats.
If there are no clouds, there will be no rain
Patience is a tree with bitter roots that bears sweet fruits
Genuine gold fears no fire.
Order moves slowly but surely disorder always in a hurry.
What is good for the hive is good for the bee.
Unless there is opposing wind, a kite cannot rise
A single spark can set a prairie on fire.
Water can both sustain and sink a ship.
Count not what is lost, but what is left.
If there is a strong general there will be no weak soldiers.
To extend your life by a year take one less bite each meal.
Peace only comes when reason rules.
Even the tallest tower started form the ground.
Eloquence provides only persuasion, but truth buys loyalty.
Wisdom is attained by learning when to hold one's tongue.
A single tree cannot make a forest
If one eats less one will taste more.
One hand alone cannot clap, it takes two to quarrel.
It does not matter if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice.
Cowards have dreams, brave men have visions
Learning is like the horizon; there is no limit.
The old horse will know the way
A good friend shields you from the storm
Change the skin, wash the heart
Sow melon, reap melon; sow beans, reap beans.
One sings, all follow.
Fortune has a fickle heart and a short memory.
Harsh words and poor reasoning never settle anything.
Dangerous enemies will meet again in narrow streets.
Better to bend in the wind than to break.
Do not kill the hen for her eggs.
First attain skill; creativity comes later.
Make the cap fit the head.
A single beam cannot support a great house.
Do not be concerned with things outside your door.
Wise men may not be learned; learned men may not be wise.
Crows are black the world over.
Do not lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot
Kill the chicken to frigthen the monkey
Wait long, strike fast.
Do not wait until you're thirsty to dig a well
One who would pick the roses must bear with thorns
Failure is the mother of success.
Do not climb a tree to look for a fish
Only time and effort brings proficiency
Distance tests the endurance of a horse; time reveals a man's character.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Heaven has a road, but no one travels it, hell has no gate but men will dig to get there.
Preserve the old, but know the new.
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
A closed mind is like a closed book, just a block of wood.
To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
It is not necessary to light a candle to the sun.
Tell me, I'll forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.
Talk doesn't cook rice.
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
He who asks is a fool for 5 minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.
Men in the game are blind, men outside see clearly.
Man proposes and God disposes
Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.
It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
Man fools himself. He prays for a long life and he fears old age.
A really great man never puts away the simplicity of a child.
Only joy scatters a hundred griefs.
Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it.
o read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time, is to meet an old one.
Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long time, you learn about the character of your friend.
A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.
Only he that has traveled the road knows where the holes are deep.
Honest advice is unpleasant to the ear.
An open book benefits your mind.
Experience is the mother of wisdom.
Proverbs from Tibet
On Appearances
Both flowers and jewelry are lovely if just a few. (One should be modest and not wear all of one’s finery at once nor all of the time.)
On Business and Affairs
Affairs cannot be handled with a two-pointed mind. Sewing cannot be done with a two pointed needle.
Double –minded men cannot handle affairs. With many tasks nothing is ever finished. (Too many irons in the fire)
On Boasting
A braggart has no courage, muddy water has no depth.
If the hand can not catch the flea.Let not the mouth slay the tiger.
Though one’s tongue can talk to other persons.To see one self there must be a mirror. (One ought not to boast but look at oneself in a mirror.)
If one eat much honey, it makes the liver sick.If one talk much, the words are like blowing a goat’s horn.
Kill five men, wound ten and capture twenty.
On Comparison
Wood is light on water. And stones seem light on wood.
Clouds are the mistress of the sky. Flesh is the softness of the bones.
On Example
When the blind escort the blind, both fall into the river.
Although the lamp is in his hand, the blind man cannot see his way.
On Evil
The evil mouth of men, breaks the rod of iron. (Gossip will kill the best reputation.)
Snake fears man. Man fears snake. (Two evil fear each other when they meet)
When fire burns over the great mountain, poison is cast in the great sea. (Evil comes to those who spread evil.)
On Food
In the beginning eat your meal, afterwards cut down the fir tree. (Eat first to have strength for the work).
On Glory
Nothing more brilliant than sun and moon, nothing more numerous than the stars.
On Friends and Enemies
As to friends we like the old; As to clothes we like the new.
Brothers may become as enemies. Yet their family ties are golden.
The magpie goes east, the raven goes west.
A neighbor is one hundred times better, than a relative a long distance off.
On Harmony in Life and Nature
Teeth come in at eight months,crawling is at nine months. (Everything must be in natural order.)
A hoe digs, a broom sweeps. (Everything has its proper use)
On Heaven and Hell
When a man bows, heaven forgives.
On Hypocrisy
Like fine satin on the outside, like barley bag on the inside.
Empty in the heart, lovely in the mouth.
One mouth, two tongues. (Two-faced)
After calling a dog, one ought not to beat him.
On Learning
It is easy to do work in a small house, It is easy to deceive those of little mind.
On Master and Servants
The goat sends the kid, the kid sends its tail. (Everyone wants to boss someone else; and each tries to pass the job on down to one of lower rank.)
On Poverty
Long arms, short sleeves.(A person has great ambition but is poverty stricken.)
On Quarrelling
When the yak plows, the ox’s neck bends. (Out of sympathy; when two men quarrel others join in)
On Rulers
An unclean kingdom is filthier than a great swamp.
When a righteous king has crooked ministers.He falls under the rule of his ministers.
On Sincerity
If water is clear. The fish can be seen (We will know in time the truth or falsity of talk.
Both flowers and jewelry are lovely if just a few. (One should be modest and not wear all of one’s finery at once nor all of the time.)
On Business and Affairs
Affairs cannot be handled with a two-pointed mind. Sewing cannot be done with a two pointed needle.
Double –minded men cannot handle affairs. With many tasks nothing is ever finished. (Too many irons in the fire)
On Boasting
A braggart has no courage, muddy water has no depth.
If the hand can not catch the flea.Let not the mouth slay the tiger.
Though one’s tongue can talk to other persons.To see one self there must be a mirror. (One ought not to boast but look at oneself in a mirror.)
If one eat much honey, it makes the liver sick.If one talk much, the words are like blowing a goat’s horn.
Kill five men, wound ten and capture twenty.
On Comparison
Wood is light on water. And stones seem light on wood.
Clouds are the mistress of the sky. Flesh is the softness of the bones.
On Example
When the blind escort the blind, both fall into the river.
Although the lamp is in his hand, the blind man cannot see his way.
On Evil
The evil mouth of men, breaks the rod of iron. (Gossip will kill the best reputation.)
Snake fears man. Man fears snake. (Two evil fear each other when they meet)
When fire burns over the great mountain, poison is cast in the great sea. (Evil comes to those who spread evil.)
On Food
In the beginning eat your meal, afterwards cut down the fir tree. (Eat first to have strength for the work).
On Glory
Nothing more brilliant than sun and moon, nothing more numerous than the stars.
On Friends and Enemies
As to friends we like the old; As to clothes we like the new.
Brothers may become as enemies. Yet their family ties are golden.
The magpie goes east, the raven goes west.
A neighbor is one hundred times better, than a relative a long distance off.
On Harmony in Life and Nature
Teeth come in at eight months,crawling is at nine months. (Everything must be in natural order.)
A hoe digs, a broom sweeps. (Everything has its proper use)
On Heaven and Hell
When a man bows, heaven forgives.
On Hypocrisy
Like fine satin on the outside, like barley bag on the inside.
Empty in the heart, lovely in the mouth.
One mouth, two tongues. (Two-faced)
After calling a dog, one ought not to beat him.
On Learning
It is easy to do work in a small house, It is easy to deceive those of little mind.
On Master and Servants
The goat sends the kid, the kid sends its tail. (Everyone wants to boss someone else; and each tries to pass the job on down to one of lower rank.)
On Poverty
Long arms, short sleeves.(A person has great ambition but is poverty stricken.)
On Quarrelling
When the yak plows, the ox’s neck bends. (Out of sympathy; when two men quarrel others join in)
On Rulers
An unclean kingdom is filthier than a great swamp.
When a righteous king has crooked ministers.He falls under the rule of his ministers.
On Sincerity
If water is clear. The fish can be seen (We will know in time the truth or falsity of talk.
Words of Wisdom from Confucius
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
When you say something, say what you know. When you don't know something, say you don't know. That is knowledge.
Study the past if you would define the future.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Forget injuries never forget kindness.
Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?
Study without thought is vain: thought without study is dangerous.
To be fond of learning is near to wisdom.
The gentleman is calm and peaceful; the small man is always emotional.
If one acts with a view to profit, there will be much resentment.
Clever words and a plausible appearance have seldom turned out to be humane.
One who can bring about the practice of five things everywhere under Heavens has achieved humaneness . . .Courtesy, tolerance,good faith diligence and kindness.
When you say something, say what you know. When you don't know something, say you don't know. That is knowledge.
Study the past if you would define the future.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Forget injuries never forget kindness.
Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?
Study without thought is vain: thought without study is dangerous.
To be fond of learning is near to wisdom.
The gentleman is calm and peaceful; the small man is always emotional.
If one acts with a view to profit, there will be much resentment.
Clever words and a plausible appearance have seldom turned out to be humane.
One who can bring about the practice of five things everywhere under Heavens has achieved humaneness . . .Courtesy, tolerance,good faith diligence and kindness.
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