Liu Bowen’s Ten Sentences

Liu Bowen's ten mantras:

1. Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. 2. White clouds are in the blue sky, just out of reach. 3. All the heroes from ancient times have returned to the mountains. 4. Those with great ambitions must choose their job; those with great ambitions must choose their job. 5. It is better to have no regrets than to have no teeth if you regret three times. 6. Those who are able to be full but unable to be humble will lose everything even if they succeed; those who know but do not know how to stop will lose even if they gain.

7. Life is not a hundred years old, so what if it is a hundred years old? 8. People with one eye can see accurately, and stones with five poisons can cause ulcers. 9. If the three armies are united, the sword pavilion can be conquered; if the four horses are in full force, the Mengmen can drive long distances. 10. If you are wise but can be foolish, then there will be no more wisdom in the world.

Introduction to Liu Bowen

Liu Ji (July 1, 1311 - May 16, 1375), courtesy name Bowen, was a native of Qingtian, Zhejiang. A statesman and writer in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, he was the founder of the Ming Dynasty. Liu Bowen was proficient in astronomy, art of war, mathematics, etc., and was especially good at poetry. The poems are simple and majestic, and there are many works that criticize the corrupt rulers and sympathize with the suffering of the people.

Liu Bowen's Confucian thought had a direct impact on the academic style of the early Ming Dynasty. Liu Bowen integrated various schools of Neo-Confucianism, which reflected the characteristics of the early Ming Dynasty's thought and influenced the trend of academic thought in the early Ming Dynasty. Liu Bowen's view of Li Qi is the "original energy theory" at the philosophical level in terms of the theory of cosmogenesis and philosophical ontology from the perspective of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.