Go to the truth beyond the mind. Love is the bridge.
Stephen LevineRead
Hell is not fire and brimstone, not a place where you are punished for lying or cheating or stealing. Hell is wanting to be something and somewhere different from where you are.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hell represents a state of discontent and longing for something different rather than a physical place of punishment.
In this quote, Stephen Levine suggests that true hell is not about the traditional images of fire and punishment, but rather the inner turmoil one experiences when desiring to be in a different situation or state of existence. It highlights the emotional and psychological suffering that arises from lack of acceptance and longing for change, implying that our own dissatisfaction can create a personal hell.
Themes
HellDiscontentLongingAcceptanceSuffering
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing your current life situation.
More from Stephen Levine
All quotes →In Chinese, the word for heart and mind is the same -- Hsin. For when the heart is open and the mind is clear they are of one substance, of one essence.
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I have seen many die, surrounded by loved ones, and their last words were ‘I love you.’ There were some who could no longer speak yet with their eyes and soft smile left behind that same healing message. I have been in rooms where those who were dying made it feel like sacred ground. (26)
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Our suffering is caused by holding on to how things might have been, should have been, could have been.
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If there is a single definition of healing it is to enter with mercy and awareness those pains, mental and physical, from which we have withdrawn in judgment and dismay. (48)
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I have seem even those who have long since abjured God die in grace. . . . Atheists don't use their drying to bargain for a better seat at the table; indeed they may not even believe supper is being served. They are not storing up 'merit.'; They just smile because their heart is ripe. They are kind for no particular reason; they just love.
Stephen LevineRead
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