莊子重視「虛靜心靈及其觀照、超越等作用」之「吾」，視之為人的真君，強調生活及修養要擺脫形軀感官之我及心理情識之我的牽執，以挺顯虛靜心靈之吾的主體性之地位。陶淵明有比莊子更進一步的觀解；他認為，心靈領域也可以顯發出三層靈性面的自我：一是感性心靈，引領著形軀感官，統合之則為感性我；展現生命情調之真。二是知性心靈，導約著心理情識，統合之而為知性我；展現建構德、智生命之善。三是虛靜心靈，專司審美及創作，並在創作中傳衍心靈創造之火，展現藝術性格及文化慧命之根體。

Zhuangzi greatly values the Self of the Vacant Mind, the functions of which are contemplation and transcendence, and regards it as the True Master in each human being. He accordingly demands that one be freed from the shackles of both the Self of bodily sensation and the Self of psychological emotions to manifest the subjectivity of the Self of the Vacant Mind. Tao Qian goes further than Zuangzi in his analysis of the Vacant Mind. In Tao Qian’s view, the Vacant Mind itself displays a threefold structure. At first, it is the Mind of Sensibility, which is in charge of bodily sensations. The Mind of Sensibility integrated with bodily sensation is the Self of Sensibility, which is able to reveal the truth in the affective life. Secondly, it is the Mind of Intelligence, which is responsible for mental discernment. The Mind of Intelligence integrated with mental discernment is the Self of Intelligence, which can reveal the goodness of both the moral and the intellectual achievements in life. Thirdly, it is the Vacant Mind, which presides over aesthetic contemplation and creation. By means of its creating, it disseminates the flame of spiritual creativity, expresses its artistic character and reveals the root of the cultural tradition.