龍可豢 非眞龍 虎可搏 非眞虎
故 爵祿可餌榮進之輩 必不可籠淡然無欲之人
鼎鑊可及寵利之流 必不可加飄然引之士
— 菜根譚 四. 閒適篇 一
The dragon that may be penned in is no true dragon.
The tiger that may be bound is no true tiger.
Therefore, though positions and riches may make underlings out of the ambitious,
such bait can never cage a person of simple tastes free of greed.
Punishment and tortures may reach those who wish for fame and fortune,
but can never affect those who are free as the wind.
— Words from Lean Times1 Part 4: A Composed Life, 1.
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A self-help book from the Ming dynasty of China combining elements of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism ↩︎