1001Philosophers

Zhou Dunyi Quotes on Virtue

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. This page collects quotes attributed to Zhou Dunyi on the topic of virtue, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:

    “Sincerity is the foundation of sagehood.”

  • Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:

    “Without desire, the mind is at rest.”

  • Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:

    “The sage takes heaven and earth as his model.”

  • Attributed to Zhou Dunyi:

    “The way of the gentleman lies in being sincere with himself.”