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
Yet the stupid believe they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this man ruler, that one herdsman – how dense! Confucius and you are both dreaming! And when I say you are dreaming, I am dreaming, too. Words like these will be labeled the Supreme Swindle.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the illusion of understanding and the subjective nature of reality.
In this quote, Zhuangzi illustrates the concept that many people believe they possess knowledge and clarity, while in reality, they are merely caught in a dream-like state, misinterpreting the true nature of existence. He critiques not only the superficial understanding of others but also acknowledges that his own perspective may also be flawed or dreamlike, suggesting a deeper exploration of consciousness and knowledge.
Themes
IllusionUnderstandingRealityDreamKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of reality, this quote can highlight the limits of human understanding.
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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