three quotes from The Essential Huainanzi, Chapter One

25 Apr, 2026

A collection of quotes from Chapter One: Originating In The Way of “The Essential Huainanzi” by Liu An.

• What we call “no deliberate action” is to not anticipate the activity of things.
  What we call “nothing left undone” means to adapt to what things have [already] done.
  What we call “to not govern” means to not change how things are naturally so.
  What we call “nothing left ungoverned” means to adapt to how things are mutually so.

• When the mind is inalterably expansive, it achieves the perfection of tranquillity.
  When lusts and desires do not burden the mind, it achieves the perfection of emptiness.
  When the mind is without likes and dislikes, it achieves the perfection of equanimity.
  When the mind is not tangled up in things, it achieves the perfection of purity.

• Therefore if you do not realize it [your intrinsic nature] in your own mind and still want to control the entire world, this is like having no ears yet wanting to tune bells and drums and like having no eyes and wanting to enjoy patterns and ornaments.”