When the belly is empty, the body becomes spirit; and when it is full, the spirit becomes body.
SaadiRead
A friend whom you have been gaining during your whole life, you ought not to be displeased with in a moment. A stone is many years becoming a ruby - take care that you do not destroy it in an instant against another stone.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cherish your friendships, as they take time to build and can be easily damaged.
This quote by Saadi emphasizes the importance of valuing long-term friendships, suggesting that just as a stone takes years to become a precious ruby, friendships require nurturing and patience to develop. It warns against acting impulsively in moments of conflict, as this can lead to the loss of a valuable relationship that took years to cultivate.
Themes
FriendshipValueRelationshipsNurturingPatience
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a friend's wedding to emphasize the importance of lasting friendships.
More from Saadi
All quotes →The bad fortune of the good turns their faces up to heaven; the good fortune of the bad bows their heads down to the earth.
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However much you study, you cannot know without action. A donkey laden with books is neither an intellectual nor a wise man. Empty of essence, what learning has he whether upon him is firewood or book?
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Ants, fighting together, will vanquish the lion.
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An enemy to whom you show kindness becomes your friend, excepting lust, the indulgence of which increases its enmity.
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Human beings are members of a whole,_x000D_ In creation of one essence and soul._x000D_ If one member is afflicted with pain,_x000D_ Other members uneasy will remain._x000D_ If you have no sympathy for human pain,_x000D_ The name of human you cannot retain.
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And then there are my friends, and they have their own lives. While they like to talk everything through, to analyze and hypothesize, what I really need, what I'm really looking for, is not something I can articulate. It's nonverbal: I need love. I need the thing that happens when your brain shuts off and your heart turns on. And I know it's around me somewhere, but I just can't feel it.
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