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
Life comes from the earth and life returns to the earth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is a cycle of existence, originating from and ultimately returning to the earth.
This quote by Zhuangzi emphasizes the cyclical nature of life, suggesting that all living beings come from the earth and will eventually return to it. It reflects a philosophical understanding of existence, advocating for a deep connection with nature and the inevitability of life and death as natural processes.
Themes
LifeEarthCycleNatureExistence
In practice
Example use cases
In a eulogy, one might reference this quote to highlight the return of a loved one to nature.
More from Zhuangzi
All quotes βEither in conflict with others or in harmony with them, we go through life like a runaway horse, unable to stop.
ZhuangziRead
When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore, this is known as ignorance.
ZhuangziRead
The true man of the past waited upon Heaven when dealing with people and did not wait upon people when dealing with Heaven.
ZhuangziRead
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
ZhuangziRead
All the fish needs is to get lost in the water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
ZhuangziRead
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