Cheng Yi Quotes
Cheng Yi, with his elder brother Cheng Hao, was one of the founders of the Neo-Confucian School of Principle that would culminate in the synthesis of Zhu Xi. He served briefly as imperial tutor and was repeatedly exiled for his uncompromising criticism of court policy. The quotes below are attributed to Cheng Yi, organized by topic.
Browse Cheng Yi by topic
Cheng Yi on Death
-
“Life is a journey; we board an express train at birth and head for the unavoidable destination of death. The scenery drifts by, and the only meaningful thing we can do is to be good and kind to our fellow passengers. (p. 13)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on God
-
“We are all human beings, the best of us a saint, but never a god. We can follow a saint's conduct and imitate his behavior, but it is unnecessary to worship him. (p. 7)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Happiness
-
“All lives deserve to be respected, and all beings need to be loved. It ought to be easy for us to feel the pain experienced by the bodies other than our own and grant happiness to those who are but strangers. (p. 3)”
Wikiquote -
“A happy person creates a happy home, and from that is able to contribute to his country and finally the world. (p. 18)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Knowledge
-
Attributed to Cheng Yi:
“Knowledge is the basis of action; action is the completion of knowledge.”
-
“To study Buddhism under me is to adopt a new way of life. (p. 20)”
Wikiquote -
“The hardest thing for people to see is themselves (p. 34)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Life
-
“Look at adversity as a stepping stone, not a hindrance in life. (p. 108)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Love
-
Attributed to Cheng Yi:
“The heart of heaven and earth is the love of life.”
-
“Love and Mercy transcends races, nationalities and geographical distance. (p. vi)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Mind
-
“The reason that people cannot be humble is because they cling to their past achievements (p. 24)”
Wikiquote -
“In handling matters, let your mind influence your heart. In dealing with people, let your heart influence your mind. (p. 44)”
Wikiquote
Cheng Yi on Nature
-
Attributed to Cheng Yi:
“Principle is the heart of all things.”
-
Attributed to Cheng Yi:
“All things have their principle, and only by investigating things can we exhaust their principles.”
Cheng Yi on Virtue
-
Attributed to Cheng Yi:
“Self-cultivation begins with reverent attention.”