Ten Confuscius quotes

[TER]

Confucius says …

1. “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”

2. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

3. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

4. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

5. “The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.”

6. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”

7. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”

8. “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”

9. “He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”

10. “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”



(please feel free to add more!)

[Schifference]

One who cooks carrots and peas in the same pot is unsanitary.

[Sola_Fide]

There are some people who think Christianity is the story of how Jesus came to teach us wise sayings or to give us new laws like Confucius. These people err and do not understand the gospel of imputed righteousness.

[Carson]

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason."
Jack Handey

The crows seemed to be calling his name, thought Caw.
Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey





The Cherokee Story of the Two Wolves:

An old Cherokee told his grandson: “My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.”

The boy thought about it, and asked: “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man quietly replied: “The one you feed.”

[TER]

An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.

- Confucius

[TER]

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.

- Confucius

[TER]

The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.

- Confucius

[heavenlyboy34]

Man who lives in glass house should not throw stones.

[heavenlyboy34]

Man who walk through airport door sideways is going to Bangkok.
Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.
Man who run behind car get exhausted.
Man who is jacking off into a peanut butter jar is $#@!ing nuts.
Man who drop watch in toilet bound to have $#@!ty time.
Man who go to bed with a problem in hand wakes up in the morning with a solution in hand.
He who refuses to listen is lying.
He who stands in corner with hands in pocket doesn't feel crazy, feels nuts.
He who eats too many prunes, sits on toilet many moons.
He who pull out too fast leave rubber behind.

[acptulsa]

Sure seemed like a good idea, TER.

Hope they don't do this to my Will Rogers thread...

Speaking of whom, I may have just caught my fellow Oklahoman in a spot of plagiarism:

'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.'--Confucius

'There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.'--Will Rogers

[TER]

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.

- Confucius

[July]

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
― Confucius

[TER]

At the farewell party held at the city gate, Lao Tzu said to Conficius in a soft and clear voice:

“Men of wealth give money as a gift on such an occasion while men of virtue and knowledge give advice. I had neither money nor virtue. Let me pretend as a man of knowledge only for the moment to say a few words to you, our honourable guest, Confucius. Firstly, what you are studying and teaching now is all from ancient men, who died a long time ago and even their bones have rotted away. Those written words are in fact only their footprints, neither their shoes nor their feet, let alone what was in their minds. Don’t regard their words as some sort of unbreakable dogma. Secondly, as a man of virtue and knowledge, you can have your own cart and live a luxurious life. If the time does not permit, it will be perfectly okay as long as you can manage to survive. Thirdly, once I was told of an old saying: a good merchant does not show his goods and a man of utmost virtue is always simple. It will do you good if you cut off your pride, get rid of your greed, reduce your haughtiness, throw away some of your ambitions. It will serve your family better, and it will serve your state better if you are not too stubborn no matter whenever, wherever, and whatever.”

- Lao Tzu, the teacher of Confucius

[TER]

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

- Lao Tzu

[TER]

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present

- Lao Tzu

[jmdrake]

1. “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”

Well congress fails that one....consistently.

2. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

I now know that I don't know how much I don't know.

3. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

And yet our school system is based on lecturing.

4. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

A much more profound version of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

5. “The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.”

Politicians must be inferior men then.

6. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”

Hmmm....similar to what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."

7. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”

Solomon said something similar in Proverbs 24:16. I like how the New Living Translation puts it.

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Or to quote one of my favorite gospel singer Donny McClurkin "We fall down...but we get up....for a saint is just a sinner who fell down...but got up."

8. “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”

Hmmm....I'll have to think about that one. Hopefully I'll learn something.

9. “He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”

Sounds like Abe Lincoln copied off of Confuscius. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

10. “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”

I fear that I'm not qualified to fully know my heart. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Thankfully God offers help in this area. Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

(please feel free to add more!)

Thanks for sharing this! It's good food for thought. I will add some as I read them.

[TER]

Thanks for sharing this! It's good food for thought. I will add some as I read them.

My pleasure! Please add some as you find them!

There is much wisdom in these men from ancient times, and all the more interesting for the Christian, for in the writings of Lao Tzu as well as other philosophers contemporary to his time (philosophers who lived thousands of miles away from one another and unknown to eachother!), we begin to see the gradual unveiling of God to our human race. While Heraclitus was teachings about the Logos in ancient Greece, Lao Tzu was teaching about the Tao in China. Both attempt to describe the same philosophical concept. It is as if there was indeed a spirit of the times.

Fast forward 500 years, and St. John is sitting on the island of Patmos and begins his account of the Gospel with "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. "

Read more accurately in the Greek is: "In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God".

And in the Chinese: "In the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God, and the Tao was God".

St. John undoubtedly was familiar with the concept of the Logos according to the Greek philosophers. Whether he was familiar with the concept of Tao according to the Chinese philosophers is unknown, but probably not. Nonetheless, he is indeed talking to both in his Gospel account.

As a Christian, one can't help but admire these men who delved into certain divine truths in their understanding and according to their knowledge.

And also as a Christian, one can trace God's revelation to mankind throughout the ages until He fully reveals Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ. As St. John says few a verses into his Gospel: "And the Word(Logos/Tao) became flesh and dwelt among us."

Irrespective if one accepts this as truth, the spark of divine wisdom is nevertheless perceivable in the writings of these ancient Chinese philosophers and lends credence to the observation that truth is absolute and that morals (which are the mirror of truth and the fulfillment of them in human activity) are absolute as well.

[Sola_Fide]

My pleasure! Please add some as you find them!

There is much wisdom in these men from ancient times, and all the more interesting for the Christian, for in the writings of Lao Tzu as well as other philosophers contemporary to his time (philosophers who lived thousands of miles away from one another and unknown to eachother!), we begin to see the gradual unveiling of God to our human race. While Heraclitus was teachings about the Logos in ancient Greece, Lao Tzu was teaching about the Tao in China. Both attempt to describe the same philosophical concept. It is as if there was indeed a spirit of the times.

Wrong. There is not any wisdom in these men or in these quotes. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ:

Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Christian man must reject the world and take every thought captive to Christ:

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This wordly wisdom is all going to roll up like a scroll in the end. It means less than nothing. The Word of the Lord stands forever.

[TER]

Wrong. There is not any wisdom in these men or in these quotes. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ:

The Christian man must reject the world and take every thought captive to Christ:

This wordly wisdom is all going to roll up like a scroll in the end. It means less than nothing. The Word of the Lord stands forever.

Sola, please start a thread about it and leave this one alone. Could you do this as a favor to me?

[TER]

“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are."

- Lao Tzu

[TER]

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

- Lao Tzu

[acptulsa]

Wrong. There is not any wisdom in these men or in these quotes. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ:

Christ dwells where He chooses. If Christ is in these men, so is wisdom.

'By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.'

[Sola_Fide]

Christ dwells where He chooses. If Christ is in these men, so is wisdom.

That's the point. These men reject the God of the Bible. Christ is not in these men and the wisdom of God is not in them. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. If you think knowledge comes from some other source than Christ, you are deceived, and the truth is not in you.

[TER]

These great minds of the ancients delved into the mysteries of truth and contemplated divine wisdom, and came close to the knowledge of God, indeed, brushing upon the surface with their intuition, control of their passions, and living a simple prayerful and meditative life.

When Christ came to reveal to the world that God is Love and that the name of our Creator is Abba 'Father', He revealed to all of us (including those great persons of the ancients) the mystery all philosophers until then had yet to realize; that is, that God is Love. When Christ descended into Hades in His harrowing of hell and preached His gospel to those trapped and imprisoned there starting with Adam and Eve, there is little doubt in my mind that Lao Tzu believed as did Confusion and Heraclitus and that these men have glorified Christ in Heaven above since that time forward.

[Sola_Fide]

These great minds of the ancients delved into the mysteries of truth and contemplated divine wisdom, and came close to the knowledge of God, indeed, brushing upon the surface with their intuition, control of their passions, and living a simple prayerful and meditative life.

Wrong. These men are as lost and ignorant as any other man who rejects that in Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge comes from Christ alone. These men were self-righteous evil doers who denied the God of the Bible. Their wisdom is dung.

[TER]

These men reject the God of the Bible.

It is foolish arrogance to say these men rejected God when God had not yet fully revealed Himself yet. These men lived thousands of miles away from Jerusalem and in a vastly different era and culture and yet you sit here in judgement of them. And you think you are somehow preaching Good News?

[jmdrake]

That's the point. These men reject the God of the Bible. Christ is not in these men and the wisdom of God is not in them. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. If you think knowledge comes from some other source than Christ, you are deceived, and the truth is not in you.

Confuscious couldn't reject what he was not introduced to. He lived long before Christ and there's no evidence that he ever had any contact with David or Solomon. (They lived about the same time). The U.S. constitution was based in part on ideas from the Iroquois Confederation. I suppose that should be rejected as well.

[thoughtomator]

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

[TER]

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

- Lao Tzu

[Sola_Fide]

It is foolish arrogance to say these men rejected God when God had not yet fully revealed Himself yet. These men lived thousands of miles away from Jerusalem and in a vastly different era and culture and yet you sit here in judgement of them. And you think you are somehow preaching Good News?

God has revealed Himself to all men from the beginning, and this knowledge is enough to condemn them before God. Read this carefully:

Romans 1:18-21 NIV

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by thoeir wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Confucius is "without excuse". God's revelation of Himself in nature is enough to condemn him before God.