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Quote by Lao Tzu

“Colours blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavours numb the taste. Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart. The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open to the sky.”

Quote by Lao Tzu

Book:Tao Te Ching
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Tao Te Ching

Composed by Laozi, this ancient Chinese classic is a collection of teachings that emphasize living in accordance with the Tao, or 'the Way', which is the essential principle underlying the universe. It offers insights into the nature of life, ethics, and the pursuit of a harmonious existence. more

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Lao Tzu

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“I don't mean that I possessed those qualities myself. I mean it in the sense that religion provides a chance at grace; not because it is real, but because it is believed to be real. You're a saint, my darling; but even a saint is lost without god of some sort or another. Equally, if you worship something ardently enough, it might as well be divine. And I was surprised to find how easy it was to create a divinity of myself.”

DesireObsession
Book:Innocents
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“She glanced at the knife with what seemed to me like longing. "Here's my breast bared to you," she said. "Plunge the knife in." I looked at her naked body which, though within my grasp, I did not possess. Sitting on the side of the bed, I bowed my head meekly. She placed her hand on my cheek and said in a tone that was not devoid of gentleness: "My sweet, you're not the kind of man that kills." I experienced a feeling of ignominy, loneliness, and loss. Suddenly I remembered my mother. I saw her face clearly in my mind's eye and heard her saying to me "It's your life and you're free to do with it as you will." I remembered that the news of my mother's death had reached me nine months ago and had found me drunk and in the arms of a woman. I don't recollect now which woman it was; I do, though, recollect that I felt bo sadness – it was as thought the matter was of absolutely no concern to me. I remembered this and wept from deep within my heart. I wept so much I thought I would never stop. I felt Jean embraceing me and saying things I couln't make out, though her voice was repellent to me and sent a shudder through my body I pushed her violently from me. "I hate you," I shouted at her. "I swear I'll kill you one day." In the throes of my sorrow the expression in her eyes did not escape me. They shone brightly and gave me a strange look. Was it surprise? Was it fear? Was it desire? Then, in a voice of simulated tenderness, she said: "I too, my sweet, hate you. I shall hate you until death.”

DesireLonelinessSorrowHatred
Book:Season of Migration to the North
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