Wang Bi Quotes
Wang Bi was a Chinese philosopher of the Three Kingdoms period and the most important early commentator on the Daode jing and the Yijing. Although he died at twenty-three, his short life produced commentaries that decisively shaped the reading of the foundational Daoist texts for the next eighteen centuries. The quotes below are attributed to Wang Bi, organized by topic.
Wang Bi on Nature
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Attributed to Wang Bi:
“Original non-being is the foundation of all being.”
Wang Bi on Politics
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Attributed to Wang Bi:
“The sage rules without acting; the people are content without compulsion.”
Wang Bi on Truth
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Attributed to Wang Bi:
“The Dao that can be named is not the eternal Dao.”
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Attributed to Wang Bi:
“Names cannot reach what is most fundamental; only the wordless can name it.”
Wang Bi on Virtue
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Attributed to Wang Bi:
“Returning to the root is the way of the wise.”