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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the duality of life represented by yin and yang, emphasizing that our perceptions shape our experiences.
Zhuangzi's quote can be interpreted as a reminder that the fundamental oppositions in life, symbolized by yin and yang, reflect not just external realities but also the internal workings of our hearts and minds. It suggests that our emotional and psychological state influences how we perceive and interact with the world around us, thereby shaping our experiences and challenges.
Themes
YinYangHeartPerceptionDualityLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on mindfulness and self-awareness.
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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The agnostic, the skeptic, is neurotic, but this does not imply a false philosophy; it implies the discovery of facts to which he does not know how to adapt himself. The intellectual who tries to escape from neurosis by escaping from the facts is merely acting on the principle that “where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.
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Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
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The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states.
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What is the real breath of a man — the breathing out or the breathing in?
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