心斋 Xin Zhai

Artist: Huang Bo 黄波

Media: Chinese Calligraphy on Rice Paper

Size: 23 x 27 in (58 x 69 cm).

心斋 Xin Zhai（甲骨文 Oracle Bone Script）

《易经.系辞》洗心曰斋，防患曰戒。《庄子.人世间》仲尼曰颜回曰：敢问心斋？仲尼曰：若一志，无听之以耳，而听之以心；无听之以心，而听之以气。听止于耳，心止于符。气也者，虚而待物者，唯道集虚，虚者心斋也。”

In the Book of Changes (Yi Jing, Appendix to the Xi Ci): Purifying the heart is called fasting; guarding against dangers is called vigilance.

In the Zhuangzi (Chapter "In the World of Man"): Confucius said to Yan Hui: "May I ask what is fasting of the mind?" Confucius replied: "It means to unify one's will, not listening with the ears but with the mind; not listening with the mind but with the qi. Listening stops at the ears, the mind stops at symbols. Qi is empty and waits for things; only the Tao gathers emptiness, emptiness is the fasting of the mind.