Fully Empty

虚則實之，實則虚之，虛實互用

Emptiness then towards fullness, fullness then towards emptiness, emptiness and fullness using each other alternatively.




Another translation would be “False then real, real then false, false and real used alternatively.”

The alternate translation follows the non-truth principle.

The alternate translation is often seen as describing ruses and feints in fighting.

The first translation stresses on internal practice principles.

The more the mind is empty, the more vitality one has.

The more the organs are full, the more one is able to empty his/her mind.

Fullness breathing mastered, one has to look for the empty one.

A full stomach has to empty itself, an empty stomach can only refill itself.

To be linked with 滿則損，謙受益, “Full then reducing, the humble benefits”¹

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1 Such translation is the usual one, a more organ and corresponding to the “empty breathing” one would translate 謙 by lessen. This follows the traditional Feminine and Masculine principles where once one reaches an extreme, it can only go reverse. Hence if the organs are full they can only deplete but if they are lessened they can only replenish. “Empty breathing” focuses on bringing those to an apparently lessened state so that they are always in a process of replenishing themselves, another benefit of the empty or extremely flat stomach.