Zhou Dunyi Quotes
Zhou Dunyi was a Chinese Confucian philosopher of the Northern Song dynasty and one of the founding figures of the Neo-Confucian tradition that would culminate in Zhu Xi. His Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate, a brief but profoundly influential text, presented a cosmogonic account in which the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to yin and yang, the five elements, and the myriad things, while the sage realizes the unity of the cosmos through sincerity. The quotes below are attributed to Zhou Dunyi, organized by topic.
Zhou Dunyi on Mind
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Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:
“Without desire, the mind is at rest.”
Zhou Dunyi on Nature
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Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:
“The Supreme Ultimate gives rise to yin and yang, and from these the myriad things proceed.”
Zhou Dunyi on Virtue
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Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:
“Sincerity is the foundation of sagehood.”
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Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:
“The sage takes heaven and earth as his model.”
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Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:
“The way of the gentleman lies in being sincere with himself.”