諺語 · a single proverb
知足者樂
What does 知足者樂 (zhī zú zhě lè) mean?
知足者樂 (zhī zú zhě lè) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "those who know sufficiency are joyful." In use it means: Those who know when they have enough are truly happy; contentment is the source of joy. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "those who know sufficiency are joyful."
The reading
Joy is not a reward for having enough but a result of recognizing that what you have is enough. The recognition is the thing, not the quantity. What looks like poverty from outside can be experienced as plenitude from within when the one inside has learned the art of the satisfied gaze. This is not resignation but arrival.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經·第三十三章 (Chapter 33)
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知足者樂 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知足者樂 (zhī zú zhě lè) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經·第三十三章 (Chapter 33). 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 知足者樂?
In Mandarin it is zhī zú zhě lè. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知足者樂 aloud in Mandarin.