Zhuangzi

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.

Either in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.

When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.

The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.

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

All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.

Where is that man who has forgotten words that I may have a word with him?

Life comes from the earth and life returns to the earth.

If one is true to one's inner self, and follows its wisdom, who is without a teacher?

The baby looks at things all day without winking; that is because his eyes are not focused on any particular object. He goes without knowing where he is going, and stops without knowing what he is doing. He merges himself within the surroundings and moves along with it. These are the principles of mental hygiene.

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.

When deeds and words are in accord, the whole world is transformed.

The torch of doubt and chaos, this is what the sage steers by.

My description of wisdom has nothing to do with benevolence and righteousness, it is to do with being wise in one's own virtue, nothing more. My description of being has nothing to do with benevolence and righteousness, it is that one should be led by one's innate nature, nothing more.

It is only when the formed learns from the unformed that there is understanding.

When affirmation and negation came into being, Tao faded. After Tao faded, then came one-sided attachments.

Life is finite, While knowledge is infinite.

The enlightened attention rejects nothing nor welcomes anything-like a mirror it responds equally to all.

Big? Sure. But, he can't catch mice! So for your big tree. No use? Then plant it in the wasteland - in emptiness. Walk idly around it and rest under it's shadow. No axe or saw prepares its end. No one will ever cut it down. Useless? You should worry!.

There are no greater adversaries than yin and yang, because nothing in Heaven or on Earth escapes them. But it is not yin and yang that do this, it is your heart that makes it so.

I cannot tell if what the world considers ‘happiness’ is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness.