One who wishes to cross the ocean first builds a ship.
~ Matshona Dhliwayo
Beatings from truth are better than kisses from lies.
If a fly lands on your food, do not use a hammer to remove it.
A scholar’s pen is more valuable than a warrior’s sword.
A gardener tending to his flowers is as noble as a warrior battling his opponents.
It is not how fast a tree grows, but how well. It is not how big a fruit is, but how sweet.
One who throws stones at others has less to use to build his own house.
If you teach a wolf how to hunt, it will reward you by devouring you.
The further you venture down a river the bigger the fish.
If you fish without proper bait, you will only catch disappointment.
The elephant is the largest, but not the fiercest. The giraffe is the tallest, but not the strongest. The cheetah is the fastest, but not the wisest. The ant is the smallest, but not the gentlest.
If you swim with sharks, make sure you have the appetite of a whale.
Only fools are born wise.
Beware of befriending wolves; remember, they are only loyal to their appetite.
Be like water; soft as it is, it breaks through rocks and impenetrable surfaces.
It is in vain to try and kick the wind.
A rose does not lose sleep because it was mocked by weeds.
It is only safe to mock a crocodile when you have crossed the river.
The pen is mightier than the sword, it should never run out of ink.
Knowledge is strength, understanding is mastery, and wisdom is power.
Wisdom is intelligence set on fire.
One bright star is better than a thousand dull moons.
The greatest evidence of what is inside of a seed is its fruit.
If you touch a wound while it is healing, you will prolong it.
An ugly jar full of water is worth more than an empty beautiful one in the desert.
Because the moon is not jealous of the sun, it benefits from its light.
It is in the shade that you look up at a tree and appreciate its efforts.
The early bird gets the first worm, but the wisest bird gets the fattest one.
We all come into the world rocks, but the enlightened leave it diamonds.
If you serve two masters, either of them may punish you for serving the other.
A tree is naked, no matter how big, if it does not have leaves.
Ignorance shuts the mind’s door tight, wisdom swings it wide open.
One who never reads only goes where his feet can take him, but one who does, travels around the world.
You cannot tell a river in which direction it should flow, but you can steer your boat.
A bee, though small, can still sting you; an elephant, though calm, can still trample you; a lion, though full, can still devour you.
Pleasure is a kind servant, but a cruel master.
Light is a beautiful servant, darkness is a dangerous master.
Intelligence opens the door to the universe, but only wisdom walks through.
It is never a river’s fault that one cannot swim.
Know truth. Respect facts. Doubt opinions. Reject lies.
