Go to the truth beyond the mind. Love is the bridge.
Stephen LevineRead
Nothing is more natural than grief, no emotion more common to our daily experience. It's an innate response to loss in a world where everything is impermanent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Grief is a normal and universal response to loss, reflecting the transient nature of life.
This quote by Stephen Levine emphasizes that grief is an inherent and natural part of the human experience. It acknowledges that loss is a significant aspect of life, and the emotions that arise from it are experienced by everyone. In a world characterized by impermanence, recognizing and accepting grief is essential for understanding the human condition.
Themes
GriefLossEmotionImpermanenceHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about coping with loss during a memorial service.
More from Stephen Levine
All quotes βIn 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 βI love you.β 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definition of healing it is to enter with mercy and awareness those pains, mental and physical, from which we have withdrawn in judgment and dismay.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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