The whole life lies in the verb seeing.
Pierre Teilhard De ChardinRead
I have finally decided to write my book on the spiritual life. I mean to put down as simply as possible the sort of ascetical or mystical teaching that I have been living and preaching so long. I call it 'Le Milieu Divin,' but I am being careful to include nothing esoteric and the minimum of explicit philosophy.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the intention behind writing a book on spiritual teachings while keeping it accessible and straightforward.
Pierre Teilhard De Chardin expresses his commitment to documenting his insights on the spiritual life in a book he titles 'Le Milieu Divin.' He aims to present these teachings in a simple manner, avoiding complex philosophical jargon and esoteric concepts, making spirituality approachable for all readers who seek understanding.
In practice
In a book club discussion on spirituality, this quote can inspire readers to explore their own understanding of the spiritual life.
The whole life lies in the verb seeing.
Religion and science are the two conjugated faces or phases of one and the same complete act of knowledge - the only one which can embrace the past and future of evolution and so contemplate, measure and fulfil them.
The mineral world is a much more supple and mobile world than could be imagined by the science of the ancients. Vaguely analogous to the metamorphoses of living creatures, there occurs in the most solid rocks, as we now know, perpetual transformation of a mineral species.
We may, perhaps, imagine that the creation was finished long ago. But that would be quite wrong. It continues still more magnificently, and at the highest levels of the world.
Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves. All we need is to imagine our ability to love developing until it embraces the totality of men and the earth.
If there is one thing I fear less than everything else, it is, I believe, persecution for my opinions. There are a good many points about which I may be diffident, but when it comes to questions of Truth and intellectual independence, there is no holding me - I can envisage no finer end than to sacrifice oneself for a conviction.
Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.
When individuals and nations have once got in their heads the abstract concept of full-blown liberty, there is nothing like it in its uncontrollable strength.
God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and He's even put a 'No Fishing' sign over the spot.
It is to the credit of human nature that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates.
Contemplate the extent and stability of the heavens, and then at last cease to admire worthless things.
I have no religious belief myself, but I don't think we should fight about it. In particular, I think that we should not rubbish moderate religious leaders like the Archbishop of Canterbury because I think we all agree that extreme fundamentalism is a threat, and we need all the allies we can muster against it.
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