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
Who knows when the end is reached? Death may be the beginning of life. How do I know that love of life is not a delusion after all? How do I know that he who dreads to die is as a child who has lost the way and cannot find his way home? How do I know that the dead repent of having previously clung to life?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote explores the profound questions surrounding life, death, and the nature of existence.
Zhuangzi's words prompt us to reflect on the concepts of life and death, suggesting that death may not be the end but rather a transition to another form of existence. He questions our attachments to life and challenges the fear of death, inviting us to consider that those who fear death may be lost in their understanding of life's true purpose.
Themes
LifeDeathLoveExistencePhilosophyUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a philosophical discussion about the meaning of life and death.
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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