Clavell Famous Quotes & Sayings
100 Clavell Famous Sayings, Quotes and Quotation.
The sun dances in her and she has an immense joy of life— James Clavell
A man's fate is a man's fate and life is but an illusion.— James Clavell
Listen, if you want peace you must learn to drink cha from an empty cup.— James Clavell
To think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If you leave your mind to itself it will spiral down into ever increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires effort. This is one of the things that discipline and training is all about.— James Clavell
Who knows what tomorrow will bring— James Clavell
Tomorrow is in the hands of God
Tomorrow will be a lovely day.
Love is a Christian word, Anjin-san. Love is a Christian thought, a Christian ideal. We have no word for 'love' as I understand you to mean it. Duty, loyalty, honor, respect, desire, those words and thoughts are what we have, all that we need.— James Clavell
How beautiful life is and how sad! How fleeting, with no past and no future, only a limitless now.— James Clavell
It's good for a man to get drunk once in a while. It releases all the evil spirits.— James Clavell
The sky— James Clavell
Scorched by the sun,
Weeps
Fecund tears.
Christianity is a religion. Not a political ideology.— James Clavell
Reminding himself to remember forever that the pen's a long arm from the grave.— James Clavell
That's the first rule of survival in enemy waters: volunteer nothing.— James Clavell
Many times Blackthorne had looked over his shoulder expecting her there, but she was never there and never would be and this did not disturb him. She was with him forever, and he knew he would love her in the good times and in the tragic times, even in the winter of his life. She was always on the edge of his dreams.— James Clavell
Damn what you like, Pieterzoon. But don't damn liquor. It's the stuff of life!— James Clavell
Patience is important for a man, vital for a leader— James Clavell
There is no need to fear. We are all in God's hands.— James Clavell
You must learn to control the filth of your tongue, my son. It will send you to hell.— James Clavell
All stories have a beginning, a middle and an ending, and if they're any good, the ending is a beginning.— James Clavell
Horses are far worse than men for treachery...— James Clavell
I send you my laughter. May Buddha bless thee and thine.— James Clavell
Of what real value is a title? The power is the only important thing— James Clavell
The subject of the chapter is not what we might expect from the title.— James Clavell
You don't know for certain about God until you're dead.— James Clavell
Isn't it only through laughter that we become one with the gods and thus can endure life and can overcome all the horror and waste and suffering here on earth? ... Isn't it only through laughter we can stay human?— James Clavell
Women don't have wisdom or knowledge in political things.— James Clavell
What you do with strangers is ignore them for. No second chance, no sorry I did it, never accept an apology, but never, ever get angry with strangers.— James Clavell
If the Truth is already clear, what is the use of meditation?' " " 'And if the Truth is hidden?' " Toranaga said. " 'It's already clear,' " Hiro-matsu answered correctly. The quotation was from the ancient Tantric Buddhist teacher, Saraha.— James Clavell
His mind docketing the important things for future transcription.— James Clavell
Sometimes full agreements, delicate agreements, should not be reduced into writing.— James Clavell
It's a saying they have, that a man has a false heart in his mouth for the world to see, another in his breast to show to his special friends and his family, and the real one, the true one, the secret one, which is never known to anyone except to himself alone, hidden only God knows where.— James Clavell
Without privacy, civilized life could not exist.— James Clavell
Why is it there is always such violence between mother-in law and daughter-in-law? Doesn't daughter-in-law, in time, become mother-in-law? Why does she then always treat her own daughter-in-law to a lashing tongue and make her life a misery, and why does that girl do the same in her turn? Doesn't anyone learn?— James Clavell
By universal custom, your enemy is never more polite than when he is planning or has planned your destruction.— James Clavell
Changi for me - of course it's easy to be wise after the event, and to discuss it cleverly after the event - was about as near as you can get to being dead and still be alive.— James Clavell
He took a deep breath of air. Once again he caught a strangeness on the wind, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither odor nor perfume - just strange, and curiously exciting. "Superintendent, what's that smell? Casey noticed it too, the moment Sven opened the door." Armstrong hesitated. Then he smiled. "That's Hong Kong's very own, Mr. Bartlett. It's money.— James Clavell
How can a man be so brave and so stupid, so gentle and so cruel, so warming and so detestable— James Clavell
all at the same time?
Money means nothing to a real man.— James Clavell
I write short stories. They may appear big in size, but when you consider it, they're four or five novels in one ... In return for picking up one of my books, I'm trying to give them value for their money ... the goal of writing any book is to create the illusion that what you are reading is reality and you're part of it.— James Clavell
The search for the truth is the most important work in the whole world, and the most dangerous.— James Clavell
My captain will help you be very quick. Within three sticks. The unit of time was the time it took for a standard stick of incense to smolder away, approximately one hour for one stick.— James Clavell
We have a saying that time has no single measure, that time can be like frost or lightning or a tear or siege or storm or sunset, or even like a rock.— James Clavell
You're a cruel, cold-gutted, heartless bastard but you've got majesty, no doubt about that.— James Clavell
Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now.— James Clavell
It's always important to take time to study men— James Clavell
important men. Friends and enemies.
The earth's round, like an orange, but this map is like its skin, cut off in ovals, north to south, laid flat and stretched a bit at the top and bottom. A Dutchman called Mercator invented the way to do this accurately twenty years ago. It's the first accurate world map.— James Clavell
When a man's pride is injured, death is a small price to repay the insult.— James Clavell
I was heavily influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, C. S. Friedman, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, R. A. Salvatore, and James Clavell to name a few, but of course every book I've ever read, whether I liked it or not, has had an influence ... I think I am constantly evolving as a writer, but not to mimic anyone else or mainstream trends.— Peter V. Brett
So easy now that Elder Sister has explained to her what all young girls in houses are taught - that with care and meticulous acting and tears of pretended pain and fear, and the final modest telltale stains cautiously placed, a girl can, if necessary, be virgin ten times for ten different men.— James Clavell
Only merchants have money to waste, and what are they but parasites who create nothing, grow nothing, make nothing but feed off another's labor?— James Clavell
It's only Christian to be chivalrous to your enemies.— James Clavell
Anger is one of the most intimate of emotions and to expose it to strangers is one of the most stupid and sickening things to do. Never get angry with strangers because they are strangers.— James Clavell
God gives us intelligence to uncover the wonders of nature. Without the gift, nothing is possible.— James Clavell
Let's piss on the bargain.— James Clavell
You need a good James Clavell novel, I think, to make a good miniseries.— Noah Hawley
quarreling avails nothing.— James Clavell
Be thou of Zen. Remember, in tranquillity, that the Absolute, the Tao, is within thee, that no priest or cult or dogma or book or saying or teaching or teacher stands between Thou and It. Know that Good and Evil are irrelevant, I and Thou irrelevant, Inside and Outside irrelevant as are Life and Death. Enter into the Sphere where there is no fear of death nor hope of afterlife, where thou art free of the impediments of life or the needs of salvation. Thou art thyself the Tao. Be thou, now, a rock against which the waves of life rush in vain.— James Clavell
There is no dignity for either the sufferer or the torturer— James Clavell
The more I know, the more sure I am I know so little. The eternal paradox.— James Clavell
He remembered the pride-filled glow that had swamped Gyoko's face and he wondered again at the bewildering gullibility of people. How baffling it was that even the most cunning and clever people would frequently see only what they wanted to see, and would rarely look beyond the thinnest of facades. Or they would ignore reality, dismissing it as the facade. And then, when their whole world fell to pieces and they were on their knees slitting their bellies or cutting their throats, or cast out into the freezing world, they would tear their topknots or rend their clothes and bewail their karma, blaming gods or kami or luck or their lords or husbands or vassals— James Clavell
anything or anything
but never themselves.
Gods are like people. They believe anything if you tell them right way.— James Clavell
It is simple to catch a man, all you need to know is the right bait.— James Clavell
Karma is the beginning of knowledge. Next is patience. Patience is very important. The strong are the patient ones, Anjin-san. patience means holding back your inclination to the seven emotions: hate, adoration, joy, anxiety, anger, grief, fear. If you don't give way to the seven, you're patient, then you'll soon understand all manner of things and be in harmony with Eternity.— James Clavell
Secrets never leave you in peace, however much you wish or pray.— James Clavell
A man has a false heart in his mouth for all the world to see, another in his breast to show all his special friends and his family, and the real one, the true one, the secret one, which is not known to anyone except himself alone.— James Clavell
Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you're here and nothing you do will change that. Today you are alive and here and honored and blessed with good fortune. Look at this suset, it's beautiful, neh? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity. Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature and do not worry about karma, yours, mine, or that of the village.— James Clavell
Did. But he was glad her head was deep in his shoulder greatcoat. Again he craned around and caught sight of it, slightly aft and lying flat in the water, now seeming to— James Clavell
Men don't apologize to ladies. Whatever they do is correct.— James Clavell
Isn't man but a blossom taken by wind, and only the mountains and the sea and the stars and this land of the gods everlasting?— James Clavell
And damned nomads in Mesopotamia have again cut the telegraph - another expeditionary force is being organized to deal with them once and for all!— James Clavell
What are clouds, but an excuse for the sky? What is life, but an escape from death?— James Clavell
Three big islands, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu? And thousands of little ones. There's another island far to the north - some say it's the mainland - called Hokkaido, but only hairy natives— James Clavell
I'll thank you to remember that not so many years ago men were burned at the stake just for saying the earth went round the sun!— James Clavell
What is pain to a man? A privilege!— James Clavell
Patience means restraining yourself. There are seven emotions, Joy, anger, anxiety, adoration, grief, fear, and hate. If a man doesn't give way to these, he's patient. I'm not as strong as I might be but I'm patient.— James Clavell
Blackthorne, beside the gates, was still turmoiled by his boundless joy at her reprieve and he remembered how his own will had been stretched that night of his near-seppuku, when he had had to get up as a man and walk home as a man unsupported, and became samurai. And he watched her, despising the need for this courage, yet understanding it, even honoring it.— James Clavell
If you're a sailor, best not know how to swim. Swimming only prolongs the inevitable - if the sea wants you and your time has come.— James Clavell
In war and in peace, a good enemy can be more valuable than a good ally.— James Clavell
It is bad manners to say that you will piss on anyone. Very bad. It is bad manners and very stupid to say that you will piss on anyone when you are unarmed. It is very bad manners and even more stupid to say that you will piss on anyone when you are unarmed, powerless, and not prepared to allow your friends and family or whomever to perish first.— James Clavell
It's unseemly to criticize without knowledge.— James Clavell
So much of "normal, civilized" life is bull that you can't imagine ... What frightens you, doesn't frighten me, what frightens me, you'd laugh at.— James Clavell
The law may upset reason but reason may never upset the law, or our whole society will shred like an old tatami. The law may be used to confound reason, reason must certainly not be used to overthrow the law.— James Clavell
The scarcity of years does not necessitate lack of wisdom.— James Clavell
Perhaps that is why we love life so much, Anjin-san. You see, we have to. Death is part of our air and sea and earth. You should know, Anjin-san, in this Land of Tears, death is our heritage.— James Clavell
A wise man prepares for treachery.— James Clavell
Why is she afraid?" he asked. "She's not Anjin-san. Just a little nervous. Please excuse her. She's never seen a foreigner close to before." "Tell her when the moon's full, barbarians sprout horns and fire comes out of our mouths like dragons.— James Clavell
For a woman, old age is never pretty.— James Clavell
And Adam ruled, for he was the King. Until the day his will to be King deserted him. Then he died, food for a stronger. And the strongest was always the King, not by strength alone, but King by cunning and luck and strength together. Among the rats.— James Clavell
The word of God surpasses earthly orders.— James Clavell
Life and death are the same ... Leave karma to karma.— James Clavell
Only by living at the edge of death can you understand the indescribable joy of life.— James Clavell
You can find friends in manure, sometimes, my son.— James Clavell
What can I do to help thee?" he asked.— James Clavell
"Believe there is a tomorrow.
You never know ... that's what makes life interesting.— James Clavell
Changi became my university instead of my prison ... Among the inmates there were experts in all walks of life - the high and the low roads. I studied and absorbed everything I could from physics to counterfeiting, but most of all I learned the art of surviving.— James Clavell
The point is we both know life and understand death - and both believe treatment in hell and everywhere else depends on money.— James Clavell
Wars are fought by teenagers, you realize that. They really ought to be fought by the politicians and old people who start these wars. (Interview with Don Swaim of CBS Radio-1986)— James Clavell
First the priests arrive. Then the conquistadores.— James Clavell
Always remember, child ... that to think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If you leave your mind to itself it will spiral you down into ever increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires effort. This is one onf the things that discipline - training - is about.— James Clavell
Isn't man but a blossom taken by the wind, and only the mountains and the sea and the stars and this Land of the Gods real and everlasting?— James Clavell
Isn't it only laughter we can stay human?— James Clavell
