"If a man is crossing a river and an empty boat collides with his own skiff, even though he be a bad-tempered man, he will not get angry. But if there is someone in the other boat, he will shout at him…"

"There is no greater sorrow than to have an eye for beauty, and no greater happiness than to be blind."

"You can't discuss the ocean with a well frog—he's limited by the space he lives in. You can't discuss ice with a summer insect—he's limited by the season he lives in."

"A man is not a horse, and a horse is not a man. Why bother to distinguish?"

"Above ground, I'll be eaten by the crows and kites; below ground, I'll be eaten by the ants and molecrickets. You rob the one of them to give to the other; how come you like them so much better?"