who blows through the ten thousand hollows? zhuangzi
Teaching & Wisdom
Key Takeaway: The core teachings of Zuowang offer practical wisdom for life.
Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao. Described in the Zhuangzi. Described in the sixth chapter of the Zhuangzi, zuowang means letting go of body, mind, knowledge, and self. It is one of the earliest Taoist meditation forms and influenced Chan/Zen sitting practice. Key teachings include: • Who blows through the ten thousand hollows? • Scale changes everything • Every world feels complete from the inside • Uselessness is a failure of imagination • Same acorns, different story
According to the Tao Te Ching by Laozi and the Zhuangzi, the foundational texts of Taoist philosophy, who blows through the ten thousand hollows? zhuangzi (坐忘) represents a key insight in Taoism.
— Oriens
What Wisdom Cards Explore Zuowang?
The Piping of Heaven
Who blows through the ten thousand hollows?
The Bird That Was a Fish
Scale changes everything
The Cicada’s Laughter
Every world feels complete from the inside
The Gourd Too Large to Use
Uselessness is a failure of imagination
Three in the Morning
Same acorns, different story
Great Speech Is Flavorless
The truest words do not try to win
Who Dreams Whom?
The self is a passing shape
The Blade Without an Edge
Skill dissolves into something deeper
One Peck, One Drink
The marsh is better than the cage
The Tree That Was Good for Nothing
Survival is its own kind of use
Fasting of the Mind
Emptiness is not absence
The Madman at the Gate
Some warnings only fools deliver
The Man Who Lost a Foot
What you see depends on what you look for
The Man Without Feelings
What Zhuangzi meant was not what Huizi heard
The Genuine Person
True knowing begins with true being
Sitting and Forgetting
The self falls away one layer at a time
Fish in the Drying Spring
Better to forget one another in rivers and lakes
The Emperor Without Holes
Kindness can kill what it tries to complete
The Mirror Mind
Reflect everything. Hold nothing.
The Extra Finger
Nature does not count
The Tamer's Art
What is called improvement is often damage
The Great Thief
The better the lock, the more worth stealing
Letting the World Be
Governing is not the same as allowing
The Well and the Sea
Your world is not the world
The Joy of Fish
Knowing is not only possession of proof
Drumming the Bowl
Grief and transformation are not enemies
The Skull's Refusal
What if death is release, not theft?
The Cicada Catcher
When attention no longer leaks away
The Swimmer at the Gorge
What terrifies others can become native ground
Between Useful and Useless
No position stays safe for long
Dao in the Ants
What is highest is not elsewhere
The Fish Trap
Words are for crossing, not for keeping
Shadow and Penumbra
Even what follows has something it follows
Robber Zhi's Accusation
Virtue talk can serve appetite and power
The Old Fisherman
Without inward truth, expression goes hollow
Speaking Beyond the Schools
A voice can refuse the frame it surveys
Frequently Asked Questions
who blows through the ten thousand hollows? zhuangzi
The origins of Zuowang are deeply rooted in the history of Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao The concept has evolved over centuries while maintaining its core insights.
every world feels complete from the inside zhuangzi
every world feels complete from the inside zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
uselessness is a failure of imagination zhuangzi
uselessness is a failure of imagination zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
same acorns, different story zhuangzi
same acorns, different story zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
the truest words do not try to win zhuangzi
the truest words do not try to win zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
the self is a passing shape zhuangzi
the self is a passing shape zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
skill dissolves into something deeper zhuangzi
skill dissolves into something deeper zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
the marsh is better than the cage zhuangzi
the marsh is better than the cage zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
survival is its own kind of use zhuangzi
survival is its own kind of use zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
emptiness is not absence zhuangzi
emptiness is not absence zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
some warnings only fools deliver zhuangzi
some warnings only fools deliver zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
what you see depends on what you look for zhuangzi
what you see depends on what you look for zhuangzi is an important topic in Taoism. Sitting in forgetfulness — a Taoist meditation practice of emptying the mind, forgetting the self, and merging with the Tao Exploring this question reveals deeper insights into how the tradition approaches wisdom and understanding.
Learn more about Zuowang
Zuowang — Full Explanation