The Master angled,—but did not use a net. He shot,—but not at birds perching.
子釣而不綱、弋不射宿。
Analects 7.27
The same idea in other traditions
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent, so let a sage dwell in his village.
"He who thoroughly knows living beings, whether they move or not, and does not injure them in any of the three ways, him we call a Brâhmana.
O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.
ALL this, whatsoever moves on earth, is to be hidden in the Lord (the Self). When thou hast surrendered all this, then thou mayest enjoy. Do not covet the wealth of any man!
He may enjoy all sorts of corrupt pleasures, but he is still not satisfied; he indulges again and again, wearing himself out, until he dies. Without contentment, no one is satisfied.
Eat in proportion to thy hunger; how can he give praises who scarce can breathe by reason of his gluttony? He whose stomach is full is void of wisdom. The prey is entrapped in the snare because of its greed. …
If any one should wish to get the kingdom for himself, and to effect this by what he does, I see that he will not succeed. The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing. He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it. … Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence.