Proverbs on Philosophies
All proverbs contain philosophies. “Proverbs on Philosophies” reflect people’s basic way of thinking and experiences, and represent the unfocused, unoriented and universal philosophies through abstract generalization and integration of diverse phenomena.
Some of proverbs convey explicit ideas, such as “With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step”. Whereas some of them signify implicit ideas such as “If there is an entrance, there must be an exit.”
“The Niangguo dukou canoes (a kind of canoe on Yariung Zangbo River) are made of wood, and the canoe maker knows the exact amount of wood a canoe needs.”—- Tibetan Proverb
“Shadow puppets can’t move on its own and there are puppeteers behind the curtain.”—- Hubei Proverb
“High as the clouds are, they are always behind the sun.”—- Guangdong Proverb
Proverbs on Self-Cultivation
This kind of proverbs reflect the basic experience and ways of self-cultivaition among different classes in the society and cover a lot of aspects, such as the cultivation of wills, virtues, wisdoms and behaviors, etc..
For instance, “One can see the bottom of an ocean when it runs dry , but can never see clearly a man’s heart when he dies.” Yielding to others does not mean weakness; self- possession outweighs others’ strength.”
“If you want to have people’s mind changed, the best way is to go and have a visit at Zhurong (Chinese fire god) Mountains.”—- Hunan Proverb
Proverbs on Sociality
This kind of proverbs reflect the basic experience and ways of communications among communities and individuals from all walks of life and cover a wide range of areas, such as making friends, ways of handling different matters, ways of speaking and conversing and abilities to handle emergencies.
For instance, “short accounts make long friendship.” “Kind words make one feel warm even in harsh winter, while unpleasant talking makes one feel cold in midsummer.”
“Great trees are good for shade.”—- Guangdong Proverb
Proverbs on Politics
This kind of proverbs reflect basic political experience and laws, and cover a lot of aspects, such as states, nations, politics, laws, and armies, wealth, poverty, enemies, friends and social practices.
For instance, “Subjects will support a just and fair country and people will be easy under the leadership of incorruptible rulers.”
“Strengthening the military overawes the public and wiping out the evil consolidates a country. ”
“Without a leader, a flock of wild geese cannot fly in a line.”—-Fujian Proverb
“The people are the foundation of the state; the state will be stable if the foundation is firm.”
“A family without family rules will break up, while a state without state laws will be in chaos. ”
（Source: chinaculture.org）
