My sole recreations consist in dancing English hornpipes and cutting capers. Italy is a land of sleep; I am always drowsy here.
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartRead
I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the idea that understanding death can lead to a deeper appreciation of true happiness.
Mozart's quote suggests that the awareness of mortality can profoundly influence one's perspective on life. By recognizing death as a key element that unlocks access to genuine happiness, he implies that embracing impermanence enables individuals to appreciate life more fully and prioritize what truly matters to them.
In practice
During a meditation retreat, I shared this quote to encourage participants to reflect on their own lives.
My sole recreations consist in dancing English hornpipes and cutting capers. Italy is a land of sleep; I am always drowsy here.
My dear sister! Iβm amazed to discover that you can compose so delightfully. In a word, your Lied is beautiful. You must compose more often.
I hope never to marry in this way; I wish to make my wife happy, but not to become rich by her means, so I will let things alone and enjoy my golden freedom till I am so well off that I can support both wife and children.
I am one of those who will go on doing till all doings are at an end.
My Constanze is the virtuous, honourable, discreet, and faithful darling of her honest and kindly-disposed Mozart.
I cannot write in verse, for I am no poet. I cannot arrange the parts of speech with such art as to produce effects of light and shade, for I am no painter. Even by signs and gestures I cannot express my thoughts and feelings, for I am no dancer. But I can do so by means of sounds, for I am a musician.
People think dreams aren't real just because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes.
The half is greater than the whole.
What I learned in jail is that I can't change. I can't live a different lifestyle - this is it. This is the life that they gave and this is the life that I made.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication-- Steve Jobs turned this into the slogan behind an early Mac advertising campaign. Which doesn't make it less true.
Whenever I think of God I can only conceive of Him as a Being infinitely great and infinitely good. This last quality of the divine nature inspires me with such confidence and joy that I could have written even a miserere in tempo allegro.
Growing up on our estate, we were all different colours, but we were all really poor. I never really realised that black was a problem for some people.
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