Confucius (551–479 BCE) was a Chinese philosopher and politician. His principles of filial piety and the “Golden Rule” have had profound cultural and political impact throughout history, spreading from China around the world.
CLEAR ALL
Stay a verb—don’t become a noun.
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Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will.
3
If you bring forth what is within you it will save you. If you do not, it will destroy you.
1
The inner revolution will not be televised or sold on the Internet. It must take place within one’s own mind and heart.
It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for a bird to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
Since in order to speak, one must first listen, learn to speak by listening.
2
Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into an idea, then into more tangible action.
. . . it is almost always the case that whatever has wounded you will also be instrumental in your healing.
Respect the fact that all you do and are now has evolved for a good reason and serves an important purpose.
It is only the mature person—the man or woman who is not conditioned by compulsive likes and dislikes, habits and opinions—who is really free in life. Such people are truly spontaneous.