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
Heaven does without doing through its purity, Earth does without doing through its calmness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the power of being rather than doing, highlighting the inherent qualities of heaven and earth.
Zhuangzi's quote suggests that both heaven and earth possess intrinsic qualities that allow them to exist and operate effectively without direct action. Heaven's purity and earth's calmness exemplify a state of being that contrasts with human tendencies to force actions, encouraging a philosophical perspective that values tranquility and inherent nature over exertion.
Themes
PurityCalmnessBeingNaturePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, this quote can inspire participants to embrace the power of stillness.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes →Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
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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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All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
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