Recommended by Sister Lee Hae-in, Poet Na Tae-ju, and Professor Park Chan-guk of the Seoul National University Department of Philosophy!
Thomas Moore's new work, "On the Emptiness," is out now.

The wisdom of emptiness, the power of stillness
The philosophy of emptiness in an age of abundance

Thomas Moore, psychotherapist and author of Care of the Soul, beloved by millions of readers worldwide, returns with his new book, On Emptiness.
In this book, Moore delves into why modern people feel empty even as they endlessly strive to fill themselves, presenting emptiness not as a lack but as the beginning of fullness.
By weaving together Eastern and Western ideologies such as Buddhism's 'nothingness', Lao Tzu's 'inaction', and Christianity's 'kenosis', and anecdotes from everyday life, it gently reminds us of the power of silence and emptiness.
Through symbolic stories like a ringless finger, a bow without an arrow, and an empty seat, the author portrays the freedom that emptiness brings to life, leading readers on a journey of the mind that allows them to re-examine life through emptiness rather than fullness.

Just as a wheel must have an empty center to turn, the mind must have some space to flow.
Moore recommends embracing the empty spaces of everyday life, the loose gaps in time, and the silences that settle between conversations as small meditations, rather than trying to fill them.
He says that those empty spaces, gaps, and margins are the spaces where our inner breath can dwell, and the passages through which true change can seep in.
Like a lute without strings that resonates deeply even when no one hears it, “On Emptiness” is a guide that leads us to discover wisdom in the cracks of life.

Emptiness and fullness are surprisingly close together.
They are on either side of the boat.
If you want to be full, you must first start from empty.

--- p.48

In a world where we are constantly bombarded by all kinds of noise, it is essential to learn how to live quietly.
How can you truly understand yourself if you can't hear your own thoughts and the sound of your own heart?
--- p.56

Few spiritual leaders understand the paradox that the best leaders are good followers and the best teachers are good disciples.
So when you teach, always keep in mind that you enjoy learning.
When studying, follow your teacher, but remember that you will ultimately learn from yourself as well.
Teacher and student are two entities that can never be separated.
The two of them must follow the empty chariot of wisdom together.

--- p.101

Happiness is more of a mystery than a product of effort, more of a gift than an achievement.
Only when we empty ourselves of happiness can its fullness come to us.
Only by accepting misfortune as a natural and valuable part of life can we fully grasp the happiness that comes to us.

--- p.126

We want to see life grow.
I hope that our lives will flourish like plants that thrive with just water, sunlight, and enough care.
But is growth the only value? Perhaps some potential remains unfulfilled, even if it's important.
Sometimes you may need dead ends and missed opportunities.
They too can be an important part of completing our lives.

--- p.148

Our thoughts and beliefs may have become old and worn out.
Well then, it's time to let go.
Good ideas are alive, breathing, growing, and changing.
But if you hold on to it for too long, it's like carrying the moon on your back.
Watch that thought slowly decay and then quietly fall away when the time comes.
There's no need to wait until the bottom falls out.
Please let me go without any regrets.

--- p.170

Throughout our lives, we lose another piece of innocence.
We are always growing, always losing another blue bowl, another clear blue sky, and another sun.
The unavoidable rhythm of life, where light innocence and heavy loss intersect, that is the essence of life.
Life becomes more empty than full.
--- p.185

There is no need to make a sound every time you jump into the pond of life.
You can exist deeply and firmly without being noisy.

--- p.258

In fact, no matter where you reach, you haven't accomplished anything on your own.
You were created to be who you are today.
Life is a gift and an exquisite work of art.
You are the product of the accumulated wisdom of countless lives: insects, butterflies, lions, trees, grass, flowers, rain, clouds, and snow.
That wisdom is inseparable from beauty, and it has permeated your being.
You are part of the flow.
The Logos of the universe, dissolved in its great order.

--- pp.271-272

I didn't create my own life, but I am still a strong person.
My love for flow has given my life shape and purpose.
I am empty.
Thanks to that, you can even follow the path drawn by a single stream.

--- p.273

Emptiness is not something that can be achieved only by taking away unconditionally.
Sometimes it's completed by adding something else.
In fact, many people recite the Heart Sutra or devote themselves to calligraphy in order to realize 'emptiness'.
This whole process may be another ‘filling’ to achieve ‘emptiness.’

--- p.292

Just because you take something out doesn't mean it's empty.
For example, even if you live a comfortable and abundant life and have everything you want, if you cling to it and do not desire more, then you are already practicing emptiness.
Conversely, if a person who does not have something is completely consumed by lack and desire, he or she may be far from being empty.

--- pp.292-293

Emptiness is not simply a matter of adding or subtracting something.
It is not a concept that can be understood through mathematical calculations.
Emptiness is an attitude of life that comes from the depths of the mind and personality.

--- p.293

Imagine your life as a space filled with parks, beaches, and mountain trails.
Not in a literal sense, but more of a metaphor for how you spend your day.
If you make windows and doors part of your daily schedule, you won't feel trapped.

--- pp.298-299

Prepare an empty chair in your heart where you can rest comfortably.
This way, when people come to you, you will have a place where they can be warmly welcomed.
Leave some space in your head too.
This way, when new ideas come to you, you can readily accept them.
Please leave it blank.
Only then can life flow naturally.

--- p.299