Confucius for Today: A Century of Chinese Proverbs

It is better to light the candle than to curse the darkness. He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes; he who asks no questions stays a fool for ever.  Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. With such wisdom and truth as to be eternally relevant, Chinese proverbs have found their ways through the centuries and into many cultures. Coming face to face with the monumental wisdom of the legendary Master Kung—better known by his Latinized name of Confucius—and others is a revealing and humbling experience. The Master's influence is to be found in the greater part of all proverbs that emanate from China. Confucius encouraged in his followers a careful study of the outside world, and a process of deep thought through which to consider and judge their observations. As Confucius said, "As one lamp serves to dispel a thousand years of darkness, so one flash of wisdom destroys ten thousand years of ignorance."