Activity Quote by Quentin S. Crisp
“If you look at the ox-herding pictures - specifically the newer set of ten pictures rather than the older set of eight - you see that after the blank circle of the void, the cycle comes back to a river flowing by the roots of a tree (both strong symbols of nature, the life-force, the unconscious) and to the wanderer returning to the market place, which is the realm of human society and activity.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Zen and the Art of the Herding, 2015
After emptiness, life returns to nature and society, showing integration of inner and outer worlds.
In simple terms: Return to nature and community after emptiness.
Key Takeaway
Seek balance between inner peace and social engagement.
Themes
spirituality
integration
nature
society
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- meditation retreats
- career transitions
- community volunteering
- creative projects
Key Concepts
Zen
psychology
symbolic journey
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconnect with community after introspection?
- What symbols resonate with your own journey?
A Different Perspective
The cycle may oversimplify complex personal growth.
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/351/quentin-s-crisp-4149_elements_this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing_83503.jpg)
![“[william] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where you are because there's nowhere to go anyway. I feel conflicted on this one.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa0/quentin-s-crisp-4149_burroughs_william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-t_122911.jpg)
![“I also remember a line from a song by Smog [Bill Callahan], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the country: "I was raised in a pit of snakes/Blink your eyes - I was raised on cake."” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/950/quentin-s-crisp-4149_bills_i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-sm_299534.jpg)
