“What makes me liable to great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had not the body, what great calamity could come to me?”

“Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind).”

“no calamity greater than to be discontented with one's lot;”

“There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war.”

“The getting that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity):—this is what is meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared.”

“When the great Tao is forgotten,goodness and piety appear.When the body's intelligence declines,cleverness and knowledge step forth.When there is no peace in the family,filial piety begins.When the country falls into chaos,patriotism is born.”

“If I had just a little bit of wisdom I should walk the great path and fear only straying from it.”