--- title: "3 Hands together Quotes By Barry Hughart" description: "3 Hands together quotes by Barry Hughart. Plus more from Barry Hughart and more Hands together sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/barry-hughart-19013_age_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_408665.png" --- > [I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of tax collectors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow-to-the-corners-of-the-world/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/barry-hughart-19013_age_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_408665.png) > [“Alas, great is my sorrow. Your name is Ah Chen, and when you were born I was not truly pleased. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/alas-great-is-my-sorrow-your-name-is-ah-chen-and-when-you-were-born-i/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/barry-hughart-19013_hands-together_alas-great-is-my-sorrow-your-name-is-ah_2802044.png) > [“I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow-to-the-corners-of-the-world-2/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/barry-hughart-19013_hands-together_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_2869693.png) ## More by Barry Hughart > [“The mind is a miser," he said. "Nothing is ever thrown away, and it's amazing what you can find if you dig deep enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-mind-is-a-miser-he-said-nothing-is-ever-thrown-away-and-it-s/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [I have never been able to understand why perfectly sensible people waste time being wittily obscure instead of just saying what they want and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-have-never-been-able-to-understand-why-perfectly-sensible-people/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Master Li turned bright red while he scorched the air with the Sixty Sequential Sacrileges with which he had won the all-China Freestyle Blasphemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/master-li-turned-bright-red-while-he-scorched-the-air-with-the-sixty/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow-to-the-corners-of-the-world/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Occasionally a moderately intelligent thought misses a turn and accidentally enters my mind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/occasionally-a-moderately-intelligent-thought-misses-a-turn-and/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Ox, at an early age a Chinese genius gazes at the path that lies ahead and reaches for a wine jar," Master Li said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/ox-at-an-early-age-a-chinese-genius-gazes-at-the-path-that-lies-ahead/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“everybody knows that the soul of a cat is formed from the composite souls of nine debauched nuns who failed in their vows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/everybody-knows-that-the-soul-of-a-cat-is-formed-from-the-composite/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Ox, what occupation is most closely linked to insanity?' 'Emperor,' I said promptly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/ox-what-occupation-is-most-closely-linked-to-insanity-emperor-i-said/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Nothing on the face of this earth - and I do mean nothing - is half so dangerous as a children's story that happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/nothing-on-the-face-of-this-earth-and-i-do-mean-nothing-is-half-so/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Mystery and terror are the bulwarks of tyranny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/mystery-and-terror-are-the-bulwarks-of-tyranny/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [Blessed are the idiots, for they are happiest people on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/blessed-are-the-idiots-for-they-are-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [ “The problem with 'the crown jewel of Chinese literature' \[Dream of the Red Chamber\] is that it has two thousand pages and an equal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-problem-with-the-crown-jewel-of-chinese-literature-dream-of-the/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“...the problem with poetic justice is that it never knows when to stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/the-problem-with-poetic-justice-is-that-it-never-knows-when-to-stop/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > ['Immortality is only for the gods,' he whispered. 'I wonder how they can stand it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/immortality-is-only-for-the-gods-he-whispered-i-wonder-how-they-can/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) > [“Boy, just look at the soul shining through my eyes! It’s like a goddamned flower!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/boy-just-look-at-the-soul-shining-through-my-eyes-it-s-like-a/) [Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hughart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-together/barry-hughart/#itemlist", "name": "3 Hands together Quotes By Barry Hughart", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may your sons be many and ugly and strong and willing workers, and may your daughters be few and beautiful and excellent providers of love gifts from eminent families that live very far away, and may your lives be blessed by the beauty that has touched mine. Farewell.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barry Hughart" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hughart/i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow-to-the-corners-of-the-world/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/barry-hughart-19013_age_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_408665.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/barry-hughart-19013_age_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_408665.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/barry-hughart-19013_age_i-shall-clasp-my-hands-together-and-bow_408665.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world. May your villages remain ignorant of…” — Barry Hughart", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Alas, great is my sorrow. Your name is Ah Chen, and when you were born I was not truly pleased. I am a farmer, and a farmer needs strong sons to help with his work, but before a year had passed you had stolen my heart. You grew more teeth, and you grew daily in wisdom, and you said 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' and your pronunciation was perfect. When you were three you would knock at the door and then you would run back and ask, 'Who is it?' When you were four your uncle came to visit and you played the host. Lifting your cup, you said, 'Ching!' and we roared with laughter and you blushed and covered your face with your hands, but I know that you thought yourself very clever. Now they tell me that I must try to forget you, but it is hard to forget you. \"You carried a toy basket. You sat at a low stool to eat porridge. You repeated the Great Learning and bowed to Buddha. You played at guessing games, and romped around the house. You were very brave, and when you fell and cut your knee you did not cry because you did not think it was right. When you picked up fruit or rice, you always looked at people's faces to see if it was all right before putting it in your mouth, and you were careful not to tear your clothes. \"Ah Chen, do you remember how worried we were when the flood broke our dikes and the sickness killed our pigs? Then the Duke of Ch'in raised our taxes and I was sent to plead with him, and I made him believe that we could not pay out taxes. Peasants who cannot pay taxes are useless to dukes, so he sent his soldiers to destroy our village, and thus it was the foolishness of your father that led to your death. Now you have gone to Hell to be judged, and I know that you must be very frightened, but you must try not to cry or make loud noises because it is not like being at home with your own people. \"Ah Chen, do you remember Auntie Yang, the midwife? She was also killed, and she was very fond of you. She had no little girls of her own, so it is alright for you to try and find her, and to offer her your hand and ask her to take care of you. When you come before the Yama Kings, you should clasp your hands together and plead to them: 'I am young and I am innocent. I was born in a poor family, and I was content with scanty meals. I was never wilfully careless of my shoes and my clothing, and I never wasted a grain of rice. If evil spirits bully me, may thou protect me.' You should put it just that way, and I am sure that the Yama Kings will protect you. \"Ah Chen, I have soup for you and I will burn paper money for you to use, and the priest is writing down this prayer that I will send to you. If you hear my prayer, will you come to see me in your dreams? If fate so wills that you must yet lead an earthly life, I pray that you will come again to your mother's womb. Meanwhile I will cry, 'Ah Chen, your father is here!' 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