1. “Rich wine, fatty meats, spicy and sweet foods don’t have true flavor. True flavor is quite bland. The sage is not an exotic superhuman. The true sage is actually quite ordinary.” (1:7)
  2. “If you love activity you are like lightning among the clouds or a lantern in the wind. If you are fond of quiet you are like dead ashes or a withered tree. Only with the spirit of a hawk soaring among tranquil clouds or a fish leaping from calm water can you personalize the Dao.” (1:22)
  3. “When a single lamp flickers like a firefly and the many rustling sounds are hushed, it is time for my quiet repose. At dawn, I rouse from my dreams. Activities of the day have not yet begun, and it is time for me to come forth from primal chaos. When I use these moments and turn to reflection, then in the light of a single thought, I realize at last with ultimate clarity that the ear, eye, mouth, and nose are all of them fetters and manacles, and emotions, desires, and preferences are no more than instruments and mechanisms.” (1:146)
  4. “‘Always leave boiled rice out for mice and keep lamps dark out of pity for moths.’ The ancients had this sort of concern, and it’s really the whole point of life, generation after generation. Without it, one can only be called a blockheaded carcass.” (1:173)
  5. “When you view mountains after the rain, the scene is fresh and inspiring. When you listen to the temple bell at night, the sound is particularly clear and far-reaching.” (2:113)

Translations I like:

  • Aitken, Robert & Kwok, Daniel W Y 2006, Vegetable Roots Discourse: Caigentan by Hong Zicheng (the translation used in this post)
  • Wilson, William S 2009, Master of the Three Ways: Reflections of a Chinese Sage on Living a Satisfying Life