諺語 · a single proverb
無欲則剛
What does 無欲則剛 (wú yù zé gāng) mean?
無欲則剛 (wú yù zé gāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "no desire then strong." In use it means: Without desire, one cannot be manipulated; freedom from desire produces strength. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "no desire then strong."
The reading
The one who wants nothing cannot be bribed with anything. Desire is the handle by which a person is controlled, and the one who has released the handle stands where no lever can reach. This is not cold withdrawal from life but a different kind of warmth: the freedom of not needing what others can withhold.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lin Zexu 林則徐 couplet (Qing Dynasty statesman)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 無欲則剛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 無欲則剛 (wú yù zé gāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Lin Zexu 林則徐 couplet (Qing Dynasty statesman). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 無欲則剛?
In Mandarin it is wú yù zé gāng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 無欲則剛 aloud in Mandarin.