《毛主席语录》是在对毛泽东的个人崇拜从兴起到达到顶峰的历史时期编选、出版的，因此它的发行量和影响面都达到了中国出版史上的极限。据不完全统计，1966年下半年，全国各省、市、自治区发动了二、三百家印刷厂印制《毛主席语录》，在中共‘九大’召开前形成高潮，绝大多数省市都按人口数量印刷，以至几乎达到了全国人手一册。从1966年10月中宣部批准出口到1967年5月，仅八个月时间,中国国际书店已向全世界117个国家和地区发行了英、法、西班牙、日、俄、德、意、尼泊尔、越南、印度尼西亚、阿拉伯、缅甸、斯尼希里、波斯等十四种文字的《语录》共80多万册。更有研究者推算，仅“文革”几年之内，国内外就出版了用50多种文字印成的500多种版本,总印数为 50余亿册，被称为“二十世纪世界上最流行的书”。 (来源：英语学习门户网站EnglishCN.com)

《毛主席语录》是毛泽东著作中名言警句的选编本。因为最流行的版本用红色封面包装，又是红色领袖的经典言论，所以文化大革命中被普遍称为“红宝书”。 (看来这才是真正的“红宝书”）

现在，作为一种对以前时光的怀念，也常常有人收集《毛主席语录》。

《毛主席语录》
Quotations from
Chairman Mao Tse-tung

Study Chairman Mao"s writings, follow his teachings and act according to his instructions

Lin Piao

FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION

Comrade Mao Tse-tung is the greatest Marxist-Leninist of our era. He has inherited, defended and developed Marxism-Leninism with genius, creatively and comprehensively and has brought it to a higher and completely new stage.
Mao Tse-tung"s thought is Marxism-Leninism of the era in which imperialism is heading for total collapse and socialism is advancing to world-wide victory. It is a powerful ideological weapon for opposing imperialism and for opposing revisionism and dogmatism. Mao Tse-tung"s thought is the guiding principle for all the work of the Party, the army and the country.

Therefore, the most fundamental task in our Party"s political and ideological work is at all times to hold high the great red banner of Mao Tse-tung"s thought, to arm the minds of the people throughout the country with it and to persist in using it to command every field of activity. The broad masses of the workers, peasants and soldiers and the broad ranks of the revolutionary cadres and the intellectuals should rcally master Mao Tse-tung"s thought; they should all study Chairman Mao"s writings, follow his teachings, act according to his instructions and be his good fighters.

In studying the works of Chairman Mao, one should have specific problems in mind, study and apply his works in a creative way, combine study with application, first study what must be urgently applied so as to get quick results, and strive hard to apply what one is studying. In order really to master Mao Tse-tung"s thought, it is essential to study many of Chairman Mao"s basic concepts over and over again, and it is best to memorize important statements and study and apply them repeatedly. The newspapers should regularly carry quotations from Chairman Mao relevant to current issues for readers to study and apply.

The experience of the broad masses in their creative study and application of Chairman Mao"s works in the last few years has proved that to study selected quotations from Chairman Mao with specific problems in mind is a good way to learn Mao Tse-tung"s thought, a method conducive to quick results.

We have compiled Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung  in order to help the broad masses learn Mao Tse-tung"s thought more effectively. In organizing their study, units should select passages that are relevant to the situation, their tasks, the current thinking of their personnel, and the state of their work.

In our great motherland, a new era is emerging in which the workers, peasants and soldiers are grasping Marxism-Leninism, Mao Tse-tung"s thought. Once Mao Tse-tung"s thought is grasped by the broad masses, it becomes an inexhaustible source of strength and a spiritual atom bomb of infinite power. The large-scale publication of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung  is a vital measure for enabling the broad masses to grasp Mao Tse-tung"s thought and for promoting the revolutionization of our people"s thinking. It is our hope that all comrades will learn earnestly and diligently, bring about a new nation-wide high tide in the creative study and application of Chairman Mao"s works and, under the great red banner of Mao Tse-tung"s thought, strive to build our country into a great socialist state with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern science and culture and modern national defence!

Lin Piao

December 16, 1966

毛泽东同志是当代最伟大的马克思列宁主义者。毛泽东同志天才地、创造性地、全面地
继承、捍卫和发展了马克思列宁主义，把马克思列宁主义提高到一个崭新的阶段。
    毛泽东思想是在帝国主义走向全面崩溃，社会主义走向全世界胜利的时代的马克思列宁
主义。毛泽东思想是反对帝国主义的强大的思想武器，是反对修正主义和教条主义的强大的
思想武器。毛泽东思想是全党、全军和全国一切工作的指导方针。
    因此，永远高举毛泽东思想伟大红旗，用毛泽东思想武装全国人民的头脑，坚持在一切
工作中用毛泽东思想挂帅，是我党政治思想工作最根本的任务。广大工农兵群众、广大革命
干部和广大知识分子，都必须把毛泽东思想真正学到手，做到人人读毛主席的书，听毛主席
的话，照毛主席的指示办事，做毛主席的好战士。
    学习毛主席著作要带着问题学，活学活用，学用结合，急用先学，立杆见影，在“用”
字上狠下功夫。为了把毛泽东思想真正学到手，要反复学习毛主席的许多基本观点，有些警
句最好要背熟，反复学习，反复运用。在报纸上，要经常结合实际，刊登毛主席的语录，供
大家学习和运用。几年来广大群众活学活用毛主席著作的经验，证明带着问题选学毛主席的
语录，是一种学习毛泽东思想的好方法，容易收到立竿见影的效果。
    为了帮助广大群众更好地学习毛泽东思想，我们选编了这本《毛主席语录》。各单位在
组织学习的时候，应当结合形势、人物、群众的思想情况和工作情况，选学有关的内容。
    现在我们伟大的祖国，正在出现一个工农兵掌握马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想的新时
代。毛泽东思想为广大人民所掌握，就会变成无穷无尽的力量，变成威力无比的精神原子
弹。《毛主席语录》的大量出版，对广大群众掌握毛泽东思想，推动我国人民思想革命化，
是一个极为重要的措施。希望每个同志认真地、刻苦地学习，在全国范围内，掀起活学活用
毛主席著作的新高潮，在毛泽东思想的伟大红旗下，为把我国建设成为一个具有现代农业，
现代工业，现代科学文化和现代国防的伟大社会主义国家而奋斗！