Index
The Dao in Action, Inspired Tales for Life (Yang Jwing-Ming)
Quotes
“You see! Learning gongfu is the same. Looking is not as real as feeling. And feeling is still not good enough to become an expert. To be an expert, you must know how to create instead of just learning and selling. The art is alive and created from deep feeling. If the feeling of creation is shallow, the art created will also be shallow.”
“If ten fingers grab one thing, you will have it for sure. If ten fingers grab two things, you may have it. However, if ten fingers tried to grab ten things, you will lose everything.”
gongfu just means energy (gong) and time (fu). Anything that needs a lot of time, energy, and patience to do well is gongfu.
“When the goal is achieved, it is wise to retire”
One of the crucial keys to success is persistence. When you have a strong will, confidence, and persistence, you surely will be successful.
If you want a calm and peaceful life, you have to understand you get what you deserve.
The crucial key to success is not how smart you are but your level of self-discipline. Those who have discipline can accomplish any task they face.
A wise man learns from the past, proceeds carefully in the present, and thinks calmly about the future.
Many of our tasks must be accomplished slowly and gradually and require patience to finish.
“A wise man knows how to pick up and also how to drop it.”
There are many ways to experience and understand the meaning of life. This is how the spirit grows. It does not matter what you are learning and perfecting; as long as you continue to try hard and have patience, you will soon reach a high level where few can match you. Through this self-conquering process, your spirit will grow. Once you have reached spiritual enlightenment, all of the skills you have mastered will become empty. My White Crane master always said, “Your self is the biggest enemy of you. If you can conquer your self, you will conquer any difficulty in front of you.”
Often we are interested in many things, but our time is limited. If we spend all our time pursuing all the interests we have, we will not accomplish much. Everything we learn will remain shallow. Therefore, once you have chosen the one thing you are really interested in, you should stay on it and achieve the final goal you have set.
“Those who are satisfied are always happy” (知足常樂).
Sometimes we see something that bothers us and affects us deeply. Later, we may realize it was only our imagination.
Best of
The Attitude of Learning Gongfu
The Taller the Bamboo Grows, the Lower It Bows
The Mind of Wonders
Simply keep digging and digging.
A Blessing in Disguise
Two Monks and a Lady
Boiling a Pot of Water
The Buddha Crosses the River
Buying a Good Horse
Fishing with a Carrot
Carving a Buddha
Clay Image and Wooden Image
Clench the Fist Tightly
Confucius Learns the Chinese Zither
Different Paths
Good Retribution of a Kind Heart
Hear and Talk on the Way
Hou Yi Learns Archery
Learning Patience
Lost Sheep in Many Paths
The Mother of Mencius Moves Three Times
No Dregs for the Swine
No More Space
Painting Ghosts Is Easiest
Spears and Shields against Each Other
Strange Human Thinking
The Borderline of Life and Death
A Broken Porcelain Bowl
The Wisdom of a Child
The Wisdom of Another Child
The End of the Guizhou Donkey
The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s Awe
The Poison of Love
The Retribution of the Merchant
The Thief and the Bell
Two Children Discuss the Sun
Zeng Shen Kills the Pig
Zhang, San-Feng Teaches Taiji Sword
The Trick of Gold
A Master’s Answer
A Swordsman’s Revenge
Bai-Yin the Monk
The Full Cup
Heaven and Hell
Big Rocks in a Jar
Pipeline in Life
A Businessman
A Child Crosses the Street
A Cup of Poison
A Dog and a Wolf
A Driver and a Policeman
A Glass
A Happy Servant
A Hound and a Rabbit
A Prayer’s Request
An Ocean Fish Drowns in a Creek
Friend and Enemy
God’s Gift
Good Marriage
New Year’s Present
Priest’s Prayer on the Roof
Plot against Plot
Retirement of an Old Carpenter
Selling Milk
The Contented Fisherman
Three Small Devils
The Wisdom of a Wise Old Man