Master Kan quotes from Kung Fu

Master, do we seek victory in contention?

Master Kan

Seek rather not to contend.

Caine

But shall we not then be defeated?

Master Kan

We know that where there is no contention, there is neither defeat nor victory. The supple willow does not contend against the storm, yet it survives.

Master Kan

Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced.

Master, our bodies are prey to many needs: hunger, thirst, the need for love.

Master Kan

In one lifetime, a man knows many pleasures: a mother's smile in waking hours, a young woman's intimate, searing touch, and the laughter of grandchildren in the twilight years. To deny these in ourselves is to deny that which makes us one with nature.

Caine

Shall we then seek to satisfy these needs?

Master Kan

Only acknowledge them and satisfaction will follow. To suppress a truth is to give it force beyond endurance.

Caine

Master, what is the best way to meet the loss of one we love?

Master Kan

By knowing that when we truly love it is never lost. It is only after death that the depth of the bond is truly felt and our loved one becomes more a part of us than was possible in life.

Caine

Are we only able to feel this toward those whom we have known and loved a long time?

Master Kan

Sometimes a stranger known to us for moments can spark our souls to kinship for eternity.

Caine

How can strangers take on such importance to our souls?

Master Kan

Because our soul does not keep time; it merely records growth.