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
The question and the cry 'Oh, where?' melt into tears of a thousand streams and deluge the world with the flood of the assurance 'I am!'
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the existential quest for identity and assurance of existence amidst the chaos of life.
Rabindranath Tagore's quote delves into the profound human experience of questioning one's existence and identity. The anguish of uncertainty, expressed through the metaphor of tears and floods, transforms into a powerful affirmation of self-awareness with the declaration 'I am!'. This suggests that despite the turmoil of questions and doubts, the ultimate realization of self provides a sense of clarity and connection to the world.
Themes
ExistenceIdentitySelf-AwarenessPhilosophyAssurance
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about self-discovery, one might say, 'As Tagore suggests, despite the uncertainties we face, the affirmation of 'I am!' is what grounds us.'
More from Rabindranath Tagore
All quotes βMusic 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.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
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