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
To examine oneself makes good use of sight.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Self-reflection enhances understanding and insight.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-examination as a means to gain clarity and wisdom. By looking inward and reflecting on our thoughts, actions, and motivations, we become more aware of ourselves, which leads to personal growth and better decision-making.
Themes
Self-ExaminationInsightReflectionWisdomAwareness
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on personal development, one could say this quote to emphasize the importance of introspection.
More from Zhuangzi
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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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Two thoughts cannot coexist at the same time: if the clear light of mindfulness is present, there is no room for mental twilight.
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The sage knows without traveling, perceives without looking, completes without acting.
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