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Across planes of consciousness, we have to live with the paradox that opposite things can be simultaneously true.
Ram Dass
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that conflicting ideas can coexist in our understanding of reality.

Ram Dass's quote reflects the complexity of human consciousness and the way we perceive truth. It highlights the idea that seemingly opposing concepts can both hold validity, urging us to embrace the paradoxes that define our experiences and thoughts. By acknowledging that different perspectives can coexist, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of life and the multifaceted nature of existence.

Themes

TruthParadoxConsciousnessUnderstandingPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about philosophy classes to illustrate how complex our understanding of reality can be.

More from Ram Dass

Maharajji told me, 'Give up anger and I'll help you.' I found _x000D_ that love freed me back into the ocean of love and my righteous anger didn't do that. And I would rather be free than right.
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The heart surrenders everything to the moment. The mind judges and holds back. _x000D_ _x000D_ In most of our human relationships, we spend much of our time reassuring one another that our costumes of identity are on straight. _x000D_ _x000D_ When we see the Beloved in each person, it's like walking through a garden, watching flowers bloom all around us.
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When I look at relationships, my own and others, I see a wide range of reasons for people to be together and ways in which they are together. I see ways in which a relationship - which means something that exists between two or more people - for the most part reinforces people's separateness as individual entities.
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