“An over sharpened sword cannot last long. ”

“If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.”

“Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can a man!”

“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.”

“They shall wear elegant and ornamented robes, carry a sharp sword at their girdle, pamper themselves in eating and drinking, and have a superabundance of property and wealth;—such (princes) may be called robbers and boasters.”

“A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day.”

“Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long.”