--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not observing, not conceptualizing, and…" description: "\"“Not observing, not conceptualizing, and not establishing the two extremes, not mentally engaging, and not being occupied with them is what is taught i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/karl-brunnholzl-4600_middle-way_not-observing-not-conceptualizing-and-no_2614913.jpg" --- # Not observing, not conceptualizing, and not establishing… ![“Not observing, not conceptualizing, and not establishing the two extremes, not mentally engaging, and not being occupied with them is what is taught in a nominal way and through the worldly seeming. Therefore, it is called "the middle way." However, ultimately, neither extremes nor middle can be…” quote by Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/karl-brunnholzl-4600_middle-way_not-observing-not-conceptualizing-and-no_2614913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/karl-brunnholzl-4600_middle-way_not-observing-not-conceptualizing-and-no_2614913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c8/karl-brunnholzl-4600_middle-way_not-observing-not-conceptualizing-and-no_2614913.jpg) > ““Not observing, not conceptualizing, and not establishing the two extremes, not mentally engaging, and not being occupied with them is what is taught in a nominal way and through the worldly seeming. Therefore, it is called "the middle way." However, ultimately, neither extremes nor middle can be observed here.”” [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The teaching of a balanced path is superficial; true insight transcends both extremes and the middle. **In simple terms:** True understanding goes beyond simple balance. Key Takeaway Seek deeper insight beyond binary views. Themes balance extremes philosophy Mood reflective calm Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts Buddhist thought cognitive science Questions to Reflect On - When is a balanced approach best? - How do you avoid extremes? A Different Perspective Middle path can be useful in practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conceptualizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceptualizing-2059633/) [Extremes Mentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes-mentally-2059636/) [Extremes Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes-middle-2059634/) [Middle Observed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-observed-2059632/) [Middle way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-way/) [Observing Conceptualizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observing-conceptualizing-2059635/) ## Related quotes > [For me, between "Reference" and "Sketching & Conceptualizing" is the "Get the Hell Out of the Studio" step. I most often NEED to shut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fisher/for-me-between-reference-and-sketching-conceptualizing-is-the-get-the/) [Jeff Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fisher/) > [I am good at conceptualizing and building institutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiv-nadar/i-am-good-at-conceptualizing-and-building-institutions/) [Shiv Nadar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiv-nadar/) > [In fact, everything I do is about the conceptualizing and realization of a piece of work, whether it's the recording or the performance side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/in-fact-everything-i-do-is-about-the-conceptualizing-and-realization/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I try to just focus on what feels right to me when I am conceiving it, conceptualizing, designing, etc. and then talk it through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-sapochnik/i-try-to-just-focus-on-what-feels-right-to-me-when-i-am-conceiving-it/) [Miguel Sapochnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-sapochnik/) > [But it is important to realize we are all trapped in mental constructs, and so we separate ourselves from reality; the whole world loses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/but-it-is-important-to-realize-we-are-all-trapped-in-mental/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [So much of what I am doing in my fiction is just trying to get into interesting places in terms of language or form,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/so-much-of-what-i-am-doing-in-my-fiction-is-just-trying-to-get-into/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I'm not actually a very keen performer. I like putting shows together. I like putting events together. In fact, everything I do is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-actually-a-very-keen-performer-i-like-putting-shows-together/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“Belief - Yang Doubt - Yin? Or the Middle Way of pure direct experience of Now prior to belief or doubt…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-lewis/belief-yang-doubt-yin-or-the-middle-way-of-pure-direct-experience-of/) [Leland Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-lewis/) > [There's many lanes on the highway of enlightenment, they don't have to be on the razor's edge like the yellow line dotted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surya-das/there-s-many-lanes-on-the-highway-of-enlightenment-they-don-t-have-to/) [Surya Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/surya-das/) > [“Whatever is dependently co-arisen That is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation Is itself the Middle Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-g-rjuna/whatever-is-dependently-co-arisen-that-is-explained-to-be-emptiness/) [Nāgārjuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-g-rjuna/) > [Life is one, said the Buddha, and the Middle Way to the end of suffering in all its forms is that which leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christmas-humphreys/life-is-one-said-the-buddha-and-the-middle-way-to-the-end-of/) [Christmas Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christmas-humphreys/) > [In a novella, a whole lot of crap can happen, and you can build momentum and suspense and leave room for a surprise or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/in-a-novella-a-whole-lot-of-crap-can-happen-and-you-can-build/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [The middle way cannot be achieved by dividing two extremes in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-middle-way-cannot-be-achieved-by-dividing-two-extremes-in-half/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [Some people will follow their minds without listening to their hearts, and others will follow their hearts without listening to their minds. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/some-people-will-follow-their-minds-without-listening-to-their-hearts/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Damn'd neuters, in their middle way of steering, Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/damn-d-neuters-in-their-middle-way-of-steering-are-neither-fish-nor/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More by Karl Brunnholzl > [“Pawo Rinpoche comments that, in Tibet, the intention of the lineage of profound view is usually explained as self-emptiness, that is, as a nonimplicative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/pawo-rinpoche-comments-that-in-tibet-the-intention-of-the-lineage-of/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“One may wonder, "What is seeing the ultimate?" It means that all phenomena are not seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/one-may-wonder-what-is-seeing-the-ultimate-it-means-that-all/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [ “Hence, \[emptiness\] is also not an object of \[something like the\] cognition of Buddhas, because they do not have \[such a thing as\] cognition.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/hence-emptiness-is-also-not-an-object-of-something-like-the-cognition/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [ “Here, master Bhavya states \[this as\] the main argument, and then he formulates four autonomous reasons as the means to prove the subject property.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/here-master-bhavya-states-this-as-the-main-argument-and-then-he/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“In general, every negation must depend on the rejection of an affirmation or proposition, which means that emptiness as a nonimplicative negation is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/in-general-every-negation-must-depend-on-the-rejection-of-an/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“Therefore, everything is the illusory magical display of one's own mind. It is appearing yet delusive, and delusive while appearing. Thus, all of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/therefore-everything-is-the-illusory-magical-display-of-one-s-own/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“In brief, the very quintessence of all meditative concentrations of both the sutras and the tantras of the great vehicle is to see, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/in-brief-the-very-quintessence-of-all-meditative-concentrations-of/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“The Ornament of Sturas says: Therefore, liberation is only the exhaustion of mistakenness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/the-ornament-of-sturas-says-therefore-liberation-is-only-the/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“Not only can nobody deny the appearance of mere consciousness whose nature is other-dependent and not affected by the flaw of conceptions of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/not-only-can-nobody-deny-the-appearance-of-mere-consciousness-whose/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“And so-in what amounts to a deeply ironic twist of fate-Candrakirti was posthumously awarded highest honors from an orthodox scholarly tradition that could sustain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/and-so-in-what-amounts-to-a-deeply-ironic-twist-of-fate-candrakirti/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“As for the notion of Buddha nature, there is no reifying interpretation of it in any of the texts of the lineage of vast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/as-for-the-notion-of-buddha-nature-there-is-no-reifying/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“Whether on the level of no analysis or with analysis, it is never justified that mind exists whereas form does not exist. Under analysis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/whether-on-the-level-of-no-analysis-or-with-analysis-it-is-never/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“To reiterate, no such divisions existed in India. Some Tibetans, such as Mikyo Dorje and Pawo Rinpoche, refused to follow either of these later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/to-reiterate-no-such-divisions-existed-in-india-some-tibetans-such-as/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“If the mere nonexistence of attention and mental engagement is taken to be "nonattention" and "mental nonengagement," it is to be analyzed in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/if-the-mere-nonexistence-of-attention-and-mental-engagement-is-taken/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) > [“However, neither victory nor defeat comes about through the words of the other party alone. This means that if we speak the truth without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-brunnholzl/however-neither-victory-nor-defeat-comes-about-through-the-words-of/) [Karl Brunnholzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) [Explore all 108 Karl Brunnholzl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-brunnholzl/) ## More Middle way quotes > [Damn'd neuters, in their middle way of steering, Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/damn-d-neuters-in-their-middle-way-of-steering-are-neither-fish-nor/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Some people will follow their minds without listening to their hearts, and others will follow their hearts without listening to their minds. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/some-people-will-follow-their-minds-without-listening-to-their-hearts/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [The middle way cannot be achieved by dividing two extremes in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/the-middle-way-cannot-be-achieved-by-dividing-two-extremes-in-half/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [In a novella, a whole lot of crap can happen, and you can build momentum and suspense and leave room for a surprise or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/in-a-novella-a-whole-lot-of-crap-can-happen-and-you-can-build/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Life is one, said the Buddha, and the Middle Way to the end of suffering in all its forms is that which leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christmas-humphreys/life-is-one-said-the-buddha-and-the-middle-way-to-the-end-of/) [Christmas Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christmas-humphreys/) > [“Whatever is dependently co-arisen That is explained to be emptiness. That, being a dependent designation Is itself the Middle Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-g-rjuna/whatever-is-dependently-co-arisen-that-is-explained-to-be-emptiness/) [Nāgārjuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-g-rjuna/) > [There's many lanes on the highway of enlightenment, they don't have to be on the razor's edge like the yellow line dotted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/surya-das/there-s-many-lanes-on-the-highway-of-enlightenment-they-don-t-have-to/) [Surya Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/surya-das/) > [“Belief - Yang Doubt - Yin? Or the Middle Way of pure direct experience of Now prior to belief or doubt…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-lewis/belief-yang-doubt-yin-or-the-middle-way-of-pure-direct-experience-of/) [Leland Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-lewis/) > [The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-key-to-finding-a-happy-balance-in-modern-lives-is-simplicity/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [There is no middle way. We cannot compromise on cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-stratford-tony-banks/there-is-no-middle-way-we-cannot-compromise-on-cruelty/) [Baron Stratford Tony Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-stratford-tony-banks/) > [I've been broke more than I've been rich. I like being in the middle way better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reagan-gomez-preston/i-ve-been-broke-more-than-i-ve-been-rich-i-like-being-in-the-middle/) [Reagan Gomez-Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reagan-gomez-preston/) > [Harmonizing opposites by going back to their source is the distinctive quality of the Zen attitude, the Middle Way: embracing contradictions, making a synthesis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taisen-deshimaru/harmonizing-opposites-by-going-back-to-their-source-is-the/) [Taisen Deshimaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taisen-deshimaru/) > [“So it is with the mind, Nandini. Allow it to be in balance. Avoid extremes: the middle way is better. Neither force the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kumar/so-it-is-with-the-mind-nandini-allow-it-to-be-in-balance-avoid/) [Satish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kumar/) > [In our calling, we have to choose; we must make our fortune either in this world or in the next, there is no middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/in-our-calling-we-have-to-choose-we-must-make-our-fortune-either-in/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [“You will go most safely by the middle way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/you-will-go-most-safely-by-the-middle-way/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) [Browse all 55 Middle way quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-way/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Not observing, not conceptualizing, and not establishing the two extremes, not mentally engaging, and not being occupied with them is what is taught in a nominal way and through the worldly seeming. 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