Xin 心

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Xin 心 (Chinese).

Readings In Classical Chinese Philosophy. This beautiful, insightful book offers an expansive selection of the wonderful works of Kongzi (Confucius), Mengzi (Mencius), Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) & Xunzi (Hsun Tzu). Simple & concise introductions that shed an incredible light on the most important figures, periods, texts & ideas in Chinese thought.

The collection surveys the principal schools of classical Chinese philosophy. We can learn about the key concepts of Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism & Legalism. A brilliant & valuable resource for an understanding of the early Chinese intellectual history.

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Xin (心)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Xin 心 (Chinese).

The Chinese concept of Xin (心) is one of the richest ideas in Chinese philosophy. Xin is best translated as heart-mind or mind-heart. No English word fully captures its meaning. In classical Chinese thought, Xin is the integrated center of our thought, emotion, intention & awareness. Rather than separating thinking & feeling, Chinese philosophy views xin as the place where they beautifully merge together.

Xin is the perfect balance of our intellect (thinking or reasoning), emotions (joy or grief), intentions (motivations) & conscience (inner compass). It’s the heart that thinks & the mind that feels! This reflects a holistic view of our spirit, unlike the usual distinction between the heart (emotion) & the mind (reason). The eyes may see. The ears may hear. The hands may act. But, Xin decides what truly matters. Our heart-mind becomes the world we live in.

Confucius shared that cultivating the heart-mind is the foundation of becoming a valuable or virtuous person. Mencius argued that humans are born with an inherently good heart-mind, with four innate sprouts of virtue – compassion, righteousness, respect & wisdom. The goal is to nurture these qualities through reflection, learning & ethical living. “When the Xin is at peace, we are at peace. When the heart is calm, wisdom naturally appears.”

Laozi emphasised on quieting the xin rather than filling it with judgments, expectations or desires. A Daoist ideal is letting go of excessive thoughts, releasing attachment to fixed ways of living & becoming receptive to the natural flow of life. A calm xin allows spontaneous & effortless action (wu wei). Sometimes, growth is less about becoming someone new, than about re-discovering who we really are. In Chinese Buddhism, enlightenment involves observing the movements of the xin, letting go of negative attachments or fears, realising xin’s naturally clear & awakened nature.

The philosophy of xin suggests that wisdom isn’t just about intelligence or emotion alone. It’s about nurturing clear thinking, emotional balance, moral integrity, compassion toward others, creativity & inner peace. Instead of asking – “what does my mind think or what does my heart feel?, the concept of xin asks – what does my whole heart-mind know to be true?

Xin is our authentic inner compass. A precious place where reason, emotion, character & purpose work together. When our xin is peaceful & aligned, our decisions tend to be wiser, our relationships deeper or our actions more consistent with our values. This is why Xin remains one of the most profound & enduring concepts in philosophy. It describes not just how we think or how we feel, but who we truly are at our core.

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Joie de vivre (French)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – joie de vivre (French).

The French Art Of Living Well: Finding Joie de Vivre In The Everyday World. A delightful look at the French culture, from literature or cuisine to humour & more, sharing how the French have captured that magic elixir known as joie de vivre. What is joie de vivre? Why is it a fundamentally French concept? In search of those ineffable qualities that make up the joy of living, we go on a voyage to France through forays into art or history.

How does art contribute to daily life? Why is cuisine such a central part of French existence? How do French attitudes toward time speak volumes about their sense of pleasure or celebration? Finally, to what extent is this zest for life exportable? These intriguing questions give way to a dynamic sketch of the French way of living. We uncover some of the secrets of the celebrated French art of living well. Yandell crafts an honest, heartfelt & a profound appraisal of the French philosophy of joie de vivre. Fascinating.

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Joie de vivre (French)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – joie de vivre (French).

Not every dawn arrives with trumpets
Nor every joy wears gold
Sometimes, it is the kettle’s quiet song
The cool side of a pillow
A breeze that remembers our name.

It is the courage to greet an ordinary morning
As though it were a rare invitation
To gather light from cracked pavements
And fun from the unfinished days.

Joy is not blind to sorrow
It walks beside it
Offering a wildflower to the rain
Teaching heavy hearts
The patient value of love.

Dance when the music is distant
Smile before the reasons appear
Let wonder interrupt our plans
And let the gratitude linger.

Let our spirit wander, bright and free
Collecting miracles too small to name
The art of living blooms most gently
A grateful heart sets every hour aflame.

We choose delight not because the days are kind
But, because light is stubborn in the dark
It lingers in the corners of the mind
A soulful, faithful little spark.

For life is not measured
By the storms we survive alone
But, by the moments we dare to savour
The shared bread, the open sky
The hand that reaches sweetly for ours.

And, when evening folds the day away
May our spirit still whisper
Not that the world was perfect
But, that it was beautifully, gloriously alive
And that we were alive within it.

Deeply cherish the ordinary moments:

The first sip of morning coffee
A dog’s unrestrained welcome
The chorus of birds
That ask for nothing in return.

Raise our glass to missed trains that led to unforgettable destinations.

To a giggle that arrived in the middle of tears.

Raise it to the impossible strength
Of beginning again, to the certainty
That tomorrow has never once
Arrived without peace or possibility.

Count the times our breath caught the mountain’s mist.

Count the strangers, who became stories.

Live graciously that our memories outnumber our regrets.

And our heartfelt laughter
Becomes the language
Others remember us by.

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Joie de vivre (French)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – joie de vivre (French).

Read The Book Of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay. The winner of the National Book Critics Award for Poetry offers a spirited collection of short lyrical essays, reminding us of the purpose, the pleasure, the value of praising, extolling & celebrating simple ordinary moments or wonders.

The Book Of Delights is a beautiful record of the small joys we often overlook in our busy lives. More than anything else, Gay celebrates the beauty of the natural world – a garden, the flowers peeking out of the sidewalk or the hypnotic movements of a praying mantis. The Book Of Delights is about our precious, shared bonds & the priceless rewards that come from a life closely observed. These remarkable pieces of poems serve as a powerful & inspiring reminder that we can always carve out a space in our lives for wholehearted joy, love, appreciation, innocence or delight.

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Joie de vivre (French)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – joie de vivre (French).

Joie de vivre (French) literally means the joy of living. More than a phrase, it’s a philosophy of approaching life with appreciation, curiosity, compassion & enthusiasm, even when life isn’t perfect. It’s about choosing to find delight, freedom, abundance & meaning in everyday life. A heart that delights in little things never runs out of reasons to smile. “The purpose of life is to live it, to experience wholeheartedly, to express freely, to create curiously, without the fear of new horizons” – Eleanor Roosevelt. Every ordinary day hides an extraordinary moment. “The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper” – W. Yeats. “Stuff your eyes with wonder, see the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream” – Ray Bradbury.

A simple way to express the philosophy is to live fully, to notice deeply, to give generously. In essence, joie de vivre is the art of embracing life, not because it is always easy, but because it is so finite & precious. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back & realise that they were the big things” – Robert Brault. Joy is the simplest form of gratitude, joy is in the journey. “Joie de vivre is about loving life, loving people, loving to be alive & truly feeling alive. It is about smiling, being in our heart & being grateful for all the beautiful things in our world” – Jamie Callan.

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Dolce far niente (Italian)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Dolce far niente (Italian).

DOLCE FAR NIENTE: A Comprehensive Guide To Embracing The Sweetness Of Doing Nothing. Are we constantly on the go, feeling the pressure to always be productive? Do we long for a sense of peace, compassion & balance in our hectic life? The sweetness of doing nothing gives us a chance to re-discover the joy & meaning of relaxation.

A refreshing perspective on the worth & value of leisure. Beautifully crafted to inspire us to break free from relentless pursuits, to find creativity & serenity in the moments of idleness. Whether we’re overwhelmed by work, stressed by daily responsibilities or simply seeking a more fulfilling lifestyle, there’s mindful guidance to achieve happiness, harmony & well-being. Motivational.

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Dolce far niente (Italian)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Dolce far niente (Italian).

The world keeps perfect time with clocks
With lists that bloom & fade by noon
Yet somewhere, in a slower light
The afternoon forgets the moon.

To do nothing is not to waste
Nor lose the measure of the day
It is to find the hidden pulse
That hurried footsteps chase away.

So, let ambition rest awhile
Its sharpened edges laid aside
For joy is sometimes simply this
To watch the turning of the tide.

And when the evening folds the sky
In amber, lavender & blue
We count among life’s richest hours
The ones that quietly slipped through.

For dolce far niente is no escape
But, wisdom dressed in humble flows
To know that being is enough
To bloom like every wildflower grows.

Perhaps, paradise is not a place
We arrive at, but an hour with nowhere else to be.

That existence itself is sometimes
Its own fulfilment.

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Dolce far niente (Italian)

The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Dolce far niente (Italian).

Il Dolce Far Niente: The Italian Way Of Summer. A gorgeous, photographic ode to the magic of southern coastal Italy in the summer by the renowned travel, fashion & lifestyle photographer Lucy Laucht. A languorous July afternoon. That brilliant light & those impossible Mediterranean blues. Everywhere, the sounds of laughter & light-hearted conversations. Captured by the photographer Lucy Laucht are incredibly lyrical scenes of Naples, Ischia, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Puglia, Sicily, the Aeolian & Egadi Islands. A captivating, creative ode to the Italian way of summer & that distinctly Italian art of sweet idleness. Fascinating.

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