Poetry and painting are rooted in the same law, The work of heaven and of the first cause.

I am Emperor, my descendants will be numerous. From the second generation to the ten thousandth, my line will not end.

The reason why China suffers bitterly from endless wars is because of the existence of feudal lords and kings.

I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use.

I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top. But no one knows where the top is.

If you know peace, then you thrive; if you know contentment, then you are rich

Define the limits of your vision: Having this, you will not be poorer Than a man who rules a dukedom.

Liberating oneself from the addiction of consumerism and careerism promotes inner peace.

It is our dreams that energize us more than our abilities.

What a ruler has to rely upon is only the human heart. Human hearts are to the ruler what roots are to a tree, what oil is to a lamp, water to fish, fields to a farmer, or money to a merchant.

Acquaintances, in sort, represent a source of social power, and the more acquaintances you have the more powerful you are.

Resolve to edge in a little reading every day if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day it will make itself felt at the end of the year.

When a small child... I thought that success spelled happiness. I was wrong.

At my core, the glass isn't half-empty, it's not even what I ordered in the first place.

Do not let one's tongue outrun one's sense.

The gist of the Twist is chiefly in the hips

It's very funny. People do not want to achieve liberation or be happy. This is the basic guideline they teach you in Spiritual Training School.

The press always ends up being much nicer than I expect. A lot of times they say something snarky about you, but then you meet them in person and they couldn't be nicer.

Reading for pleasure isn’t separate from learning to read.

As material fortune is associated with the properties of the body, so honor belongs to those of the soul.

By myself, I'm a hard pill. My wife makes me look real good, because she smoothes my rough edges. That's why I say, "Take your wife everywhere. It's a good thing."