Outside the Four Seas refers to the territory outside China, foreign lands, or remote areas. The ancient Chinese thought that China’s territory was surrounded by the Four Seas (the East, West, North, and South seas). Therefore, places outside China were outside the Four Seas. It reflected the ancient Chinese belief that the seas were the natural bo…

This means adapting one’s approach to changing conditions. The saying is from the chapter “The Five Vermin” in Hanfeizi. According to this work, many changes in social conditions occur in response to changing times, and people should adjust their approaches accordingly to keep up with new developments instead of just following past practices. Mo…

In its original meaning, dao (道) is the way or path taken by people. It has three extended meanings: 1) the general laws followed by things in different spheres, e.g. the natural order by which the sun, moon and stars move is called the way of heaven; the rules that govern human activities are the way of man; 2) the universal patterns followed by a…

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