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
Make your will one! Don't listen with your ears, listen with your mind. No, don't listen with your mind, but listen with your spirit. Listening stops with the ears, the mind stops with recognition, but spirit is empty- and waits on all things. The Way gathers in emptiness alone. Emptiness is the fasting of the mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of deep, spiritual listening beyond mere auditory perception and rational thought.
Zhuangzi's quote invites us to engage in a profound form of listening that transcends the physical and cognitive realms. He contrasts the limited capacity of the ears and mind with the deeper, more receptive nature of the spirit, suggesting that true understanding and connection occur when we embrace emptiness and openness. By valuing emptiness, we elevate our awareness, allowing a fuller experience of existence and an alignment with 'The Way.'
Themes
ListeningSpiritEmptinessMindfulnessConnection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a meditation workshop to encourage participants to listen more deeply to themselves and others.
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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