Don’t be too severe in criticising people’s faults;
consider how much they can bear.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Back to Beginnings
Huanchu Daoren combined taoist, Buddhist and Confucian insights to produce a thought-provoking book.
Think about food on
a full stomach, and you find you don't care about taste.
Think about lust after making love, and you find you don't care about sex.
Therefore, if people always reflect upon the regret they will feel afterward
to forestall the folly at the moment, they will be stable and not err in action.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Human feelings are
fickle; the world is full of hazards.
When at an impasse, know how to step back.
When things are going smoothly, strive to remain deferential.
(Huanchu Daoren)
As fish dart through water, they are
forgetful of the water;
as birds fly on the breeze, they are not conscious that there is a breeze.
Discern this, and you can transcend the burden of things and enjoy natural
potential.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Be open and broad-minded in this life,
so that none may bear a complaint against you.
(Huanchu Daoren)
When you are constantly hearing offensive words and always have some
irritating matter in mind,
only then do you have a whetstone for character development.
If you only hear what pleases you,
and deal only with what thrills you,
then you are burying your life in deadly poison.
(Huanchu Daoren)
People who are compulsively active are unstable,
while those who are addicted to quietude are indifferent.
One should have a lively spirit while in the midst of tranquillity:
this is the mentality of the enlightened.
(Huanchu Daoren)
The mentality of enlightened people, like the blue of the sky and the light
of the sun, is not to be concealed from others.
The talents of enlightened people, as gems to be hidden, are not to be easily made known to others.
(Huanchu Daoren)
When those who aid others calculate their own sacrifice and demand gratitude and recompense, even a great gift is small.
(Huanchu Daoren)
In matters of desire,
don’t get hastily involved because of easy availability;
once you get involved, you will sink in deeply.
In matters of principle,
don’t back off for fear of difficulty;
once you back down, you will lose your ground entirely.
(Huanchu Daoren)
There is no
greater fortune than having few concerns,
no greater misfortune than having many worries.
Only those who have suffered over their concerns know the blessing of having
few concerns.
(Huanchu Daoren)
When the road is narrow,
stop for a moment to let others pass;
when there is good food,
leave a third of your portion for others to enjoy.
This is one good way to live in the world in peace and happiness.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Rapid as the flow of the river may be,
The surroundings are always calm;
Though the flowers fall again and again,
The mood is naturally relaxed.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Late at night, when everyone is quiet, sit alone and gaze into the mind;
then you will notice illusion ending and reality appearing. You gain a great
sense of potential in this every time. Only you have noticed reality
appearing yet find that illusion is hard to escape, you also find yourself
greatly humbled.
(Huanchu Daoren)
A grub in filth is dirty, but it changes into a cicada and sips dew in
the autumn breeze. Rotting plants have no lustre, but they turn into foxfire
and glow in the summer moonlight. So we know that purity emerges from
impurity, and light is born from darkness.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Conscientious diligence is a virtue, but if it is too harsh, it does not
bring comfort and joy. Frugality and plainness are noble, but if they are
too austere, there is no way to help others.
(Huanchu Daoren)
Page created 28 September 1999