The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
There is a point where in the mystery of existence contradictions meet; where movement is not all movement and stillness is not all stillness; where the idea and the form, the within and the without, are united; where infinite becomes finite, yet not losing its infinity. If this meeting is dissolved, then things become unreal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the complexity of existence and the unity of opposites.
Rabindranath Tagore's quote delves into the intricate nature of reality, suggesting that life encompasses a blend of contradictions such as motion and stillness. It emphasizes that the harmony between these dualities is essential for true understanding, as losing this balance can lead to a distorted perception of reality.
Themes
ExistenceContradictionsUnityRealityPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion on the nature of reality, this quote can illustrate the complexity of existence.
More from Rabindranath Tagore
All quotes →Music fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.
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True deliverance of man is the deliverance from Avidya i.e. ignorance. It is not in destroying anything that is positive and real, for that cannot be possible, but that which is negative, which obstructs our vision of truth.
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The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
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To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
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