ETERNITY
THE HEAVEN ENDURES FOREVER AND THE EARTH IS ETERNAL. WHY ARE HEAVEN AND EARTH ENDURING AND ETERNAL? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LIVE FOR THEMSELVES ... THEREFORE THEY CAN LIVE FOREVER.
THE WISE MAN DESIRES TO BE FORGOTTEN, BUT HE IS REMEMBERED. HE DESIRES TO BE FREE OF LIFE, BUT HE RETAINS IT. HE DESIRES NOTHING FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE FINDS EVERYTHING HE WANTS. [The Way of Virtue]
THE WAY OF THE WAY
IF YOU FOLLOW THE WAY, YOU MAY TRAVEL ALL OVER THE EMPIRE WITHOUT HARM. YOU WILL FIND PEACE AND YOU WILL FIND QUIETNESS.
PERHAPS YOU WILL PAUSE FOR MUSIC AND STRANGE FOODS ... NO HARM TO ENJOY THEM.
BUT THE WAY ITSELF HAS NO FLAVOR, THE WAY ITSELF HAS NO SOUND, THE WAY ITSELF CANNOT BE SEEN ... BUT USE IT: IT IS NEVER ENDING. [The Way of Virtue]
AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS
AWAY WITH PHILOSOPHERS, AWAY WITH SAGES. PEOPLE WILL BE A HUNDREDFOLD WISER.... AWAY WITH CHARITY, AWAY WITH VIRTUE. PEOPLE WILL RETURN TO GOODNESS AND KINDNESS.... AWAY WITH PROFITS, AWAY WITH SKILLS. PEOPLE WILL BE FREE OF ROBBERS AND THIEVES.
IF THESE THREE REFORMS ARE NOT ENOUGH, THEN LET ALL MEN SIMPLY GAZE ON PLAINNESS, CHERISH UNCARVED BLOCKS OF STONE, FORGO THE “I,” AND FREE THEMSELVES FROM ALL DESIRE. [The Way of Virtue]