1001Philosophers

Zhang Zai Quotes on Nature

Zhang Zai was a Chinese Northern Song Confucian philosopher and one of the founding figures of the Neo-Confucian renaissance. This page collects quotes attributed to Zhang Zai on the topic of nature, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Zhang Zai:

    “Heaven is my father, Earth is my mother, and I, this small creature, find an intimate place in their midst.”

  • Attributed to Zhang Zai:

    “All people are my brothers and sisters; all things are my companions.”

  • Attributed to Zhang Zai:

    “Compassion follows from the recognition that one is one with all things.”

  • Attributed to Zhang Zai:

    “The Great Vacuity is identical with qi.”