The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. The hearing of the understanding is another. But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty to the ear, or to the mind.
ZhuangziRead
All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Both fish and humans find fulfillment by immersing themselves in their natural environments.
This quote by Zhuangzi suggests that just as a fish thrives in water, humans find their true essence and purpose by immersing themselves in the 'Tao' or the natural way of life. It emphasizes the importance of being in tune with the fundamental nature of existence, indicating that true satisfaction comes from aligning one's life with the fundamental truths of the universe.
Themes
TaoNatureFulfillmentPhilosophyExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about mindfulness, one might state this quote to emphasize living in the moment.
More from Zhuangzi
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When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
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The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
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The mind remains undetermined in the great Void. Here the highest knowledge is unbounded. That which gives things their thusness cannot be delimited by things. So when we speak of 'limits', we remain confined to limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.' The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness.' Tao is the source of both. But it is itself neither fullness nor emptiness
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Where is that man who has forgotten words that I may have a word with him?
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