The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
Let it not be death but completeness. Let love melt into memory and pain into songs. Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest. Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night. Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence. I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the acceptance of life's end with grace and love, honoring memories and the journey.
Rabindranath Tagore's quote expresses a profound acceptance of death, emphasizing the beauty of life’s journey and the significance of love and memory. He suggests that rather than fear death, we should embrace completeness, cherishing the experiences and relationships we've built. The imagery of love melting into memory signifies the gentle transition from life to death, while the metaphor of a bird folding its wings alongside the notion of a gentle farewell conveys a sense of peace and closure. Tagore invites us to acknowledge the beauty in endings, offering a light to guide those we love on their final journey.
Themes
DeathLoveMemoryCompletenessJourneySacrificeGrace
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a eulogy to express love and remembrance.
More from Rabindranath Tagore
All quotes →Music fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.
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True deliverance of man is the deliverance from Avidya i.e. ignorance. It is not in destroying anything that is positive and real, for that cannot be possible, but that which is negative, which obstructs our vision of truth.
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The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
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To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
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