Quotes About Wisdom

The Gnostic's passionate adoration of Sophia was known as philosophia – the love of Sophia – a mystical communication with divine feminine wisdom, having little to do with the strictly intellectual, most often masculine, pursuit currently labeled "philosophy.

To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago."

Once a Buddha, always a Buddha.

It takes a lifetime of practice to achieve a spiritually sound state of imperfection.

Before enlightenment — chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment — chop wood, carry water.

The Truth is realized in an instant; the Act is practiced step by step.

Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day.

Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.

Learning Zen is a phenomenon of gold and dung. Before you understand it, it's like gold; after you understand it, it's like dung.

The reason we have two ears and only one mouth, is that we may hear more and speak less.

We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.

Cherish that which is within you, and shut off that which is without for much knowledge is a curse.

The wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world.

Only he who has no use for the empire is fit to be entrusted with it.

The Perfect Man uses his mind like a mirror - going after nothing, welcoming nothing, responding but not storing.

Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious.

You have only to rest in inaction and things will transform themselves. Smash your form and body, spit out hearing and eyesight, forget you are a thing among other things, and you may join in great unity with the deep and boundless.

Your life has a limit, but knowledge has none. If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger.

Yet the stupid believe they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this man ruler, that one herdsman – how dense! Confucius and you are both dreaming! And when I say you are dreaming, I am dreaming, too. Words like these will be labeled the Supreme Swindle.

Let your mind wander in simplicity, blend your spirit with the vastness, follow along with things the way they are, and make no room for personal views - then the world will be governed.

I have heard that he who knows what is enough will not let himself be entangled by thoughts of gain; that he who really understands how to find satisfaction will not be afraid of other kinds of loss; and that he who practices the cultivation of what is within him will not be ashamed because he holds no position in society.

Not to understand is profound; to understand is shallow. Not to understand is to be on the inside; to understand is to be on the outside.

The sage is still not because he takes stillness to be good and therefore is still. The ten thousand things are insufficient to distract his mind - that is the reason he is still.

The True Man of ancient times knew nothing of loving life, knew nothing of hating death. He emerged without delight; he went back in without a fuss. He came briskly, he went briskly, and that was all. He didn't forget where he began; he didn't try to find out where he would end. He received something and took pleasure in it; he forgot about it and handed it back again.