The word "empty and quiet" was originally decomposed in Laozi's Tao Te Ching: "Be empty, be quiet and believe. Everything is done together, I will turn back. " Studying this chapter carefully, we should know that emptiness and stillness are two different states, and these two states are closely related: one is emptiness, and emptiness is the only way to stillness. In other words, to be quiet, we must start with "emptiness". Second, only when "emptiness" reaches the extreme can we be truly calm, and then we can reach the realm of "no body is not in danger". It is in this sense that Lao Tzu came up with the theory of "virtual quietness".

In Laozi's Tao Te Ching, the kung fu of "emptiness" is mostly carried out in the way of "not seeing why it is" and "getting rid of desire". Laozi talks about emptiness-because emptiness can accommodate and cover everything. The so-called "getting rid of desire" is actually a process of "getting rid of distractions". The core of Laozi's philosophy is "Taoism is natural, and inaction governs". However, the more you reach the realm of inaction, you must "empty" all kinds of desires. In Laozi's vision, "emptiness" is an important link to achieve "reality", "being" and even "being or not" Therefore, Lao Tzu said, "Therefore, knowing enough is not humiliating, and contentment is not dangerous and can last for a long time." In his view, real perfection is like emptiness, because emptiness can accommodate everything and last for a long time.

If Laozi's "emptiness" is mostly metaphysical, mostly from the perspective of managing the world, then Zhuangzi's "emptiness" focuses on life experience and is developed from the level of getting rid of external constraints. Zhuangzi's ideal state is "carefree travel", and the key to carefree travel lies in "emptiness", that is, "emptiness" loses everything, and it is not sticky or persistent.

So, how did Zhuangzi enter the "virtual" state? To put it simply, Zhuangzi's "emptiness" of foreign things is realized through his "forgetting" attitude: the reason why Zhongnan Guozi in Lun Heng can be integrated with the avenue lies in the word "forgetting things or even forgetting himself"; In The Grandmaster, Zhuangzi opened a road to the world through the mouth of Yan Hui: "Sit and forget".

In fact, this road of "forgetting" runs through Zhuangzi. It is "emptiness" to get rid of external constraints by "forgetting things" and "emptiness", while Xu Ruoda is "quiet" when he reaches the extreme and gradually forgets himself.

Zhuangzi emphasized that only by entering the virtual static state of "no self" can we return to the true life of nature and roam freely in the universe without any obstacles-naturally, this freedom is the freedom of spirit and the free flow of spiritual will. "emptiness" and "nothingness" do not stick to things; "Quiet" and "no self" are not limited to "I". Without me, there is nothing, so I can put everything in my mind and not dwell on "things", so I can get rid of it; If you don't cling to yourself, you can be happy. "Nothing" and "no self" are both avenues.

Zi likes to use the metaphor of "water". "Tian Zi Road" said: "When the water is still, beards and eyebrows can be clearly seen, and the water level also meets the measurement standards, which can be used by great craftsmen. Water will be bright when it is still, not to mention human spirit! The peace of mind of a saint can be a mirror of heaven and earth, a mirror of everything. " Zhuangzi pointed out that "the nature of water must be clear but not miscellaneous, static but not stirring, blocking but not flowing, and it must be unclear;" This is a phenomenon endowed by nature. So: pure but not miscellaneous, single-minded, indifferent and try your best, and let nature take its course when doing things; This is the way to keep your spirit. " This is the secret of "virtual quietness" emphasized in Zhuangzi's philosophy!

Zhuangzi has a famous saying: "When you are safe, you will get along." When it comes to health care, we just don't have so many taboos, don't set so many rules and regulations for ourselves, don't deliberately force ourselves to do difficult things, stay cheerful, optimistic and open-minded, eat and sleep, try to solve problems and overcome difficulties. Calm down and keep your heart calm, and health and longevity will naturally come.