The whole life lies in the verb seeing.
Pierre Teilhard De ChardinRead
Matter is spirit moving slowly enough to be seen.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that the physical world is a manifestation of spiritual energy that has slowed down to become tangible.
Pierre Teilhard De Chardin's quote implies that what we perceive as solid matter is fundamentally spiritual in nature, just vibrating at a lower frequency that allows us to see and interact with it. This perspective encourages us to consider the interconnectedness of material and spiritual realms, suggesting that behind every tangible object lies a deeper essence that transcends mere physicality.
In practice
In a discussion about the nature of existence during a philosophy class.
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.
Vanity is a static thing. It puts it faith in what it has, and is easily wounded. Pride is active, and satisfied only with what it can do, hence accustomed not to feel small stings.
Last year, Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas. Clean water for the whole world, including every poor person on the planet would cost about $20 billion. Let's just call that what it is: A material blasphemy of the Christmas season.
Down through the ages, there has always been the spiritual path. It's been passed on - it always will be - and if anybody ever wants it in any age, it's always there.
In a crowd, on a journey, at a banquet even, a line of thought can itself provide its own seclusion.
No advantages in this world are pure and unmixed.
I've seen attack ships on fire on the shoulder of Orion, I've seen moon beams glisten at the Ten hauser gate, all those memories, lost like tears in the rain.
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