Let love lead your soul. Make it a place to retire to, a kind of monastery cave, a retreat for the deepest core of your being.
The ocean can be yours; why should you stop_x000D_ Beguiled by dreams of evanescent dew?_x000D_ The secrets of the sun are yours, but you_x000D_ Content yourself with motes trapped in beams.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote encourages us to pursue our dreams and explore the vast opportunities in life rather than settling for small, fleeting pleasures.
Farid Al-Din Attar's quote speaks to the potential and possibilities that life offers to each individual. It highlights the idea that while many are distracted by trivial pursuits, there is a vast ocean of knowledge, experiences, and dreams available to those who dare to reach for them. The imagery of the ocean represents endless opportunities, while the evanescent dew symbolizes fleeting moments that can easily be overlooked. Ultimately, the quote urges us to strive for a greater understanding and pursuit of our true desires rather than being complacent with surface-level distractions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a motivational speech to inspire others to chase their goals.
More from Farid Al-Din Attar
All quotes →A man whose eyes love opens risks his soul - His dancing breaks beyond the mind's control.
The home we seek is in eternity; The Truth we seek is like a shoreless sea, Of which your paradise is but a drop. This ocean can be yours; why should you stop Beguiled by dreams of evanescent dew? The secrets of the sun are yours, but you Content yourself with motes trapped in its beams. Turn to what truly lives, reject what seems -- Which matters more, the body or the soul? Be whole: desire and journey to the Whole.
Similar quotes
If people buy my books for vanity, I consider it a tax on idiocy.
You are not a helpless victim of your own thoughts, but rather a master of your own mind.
I love revisions...We can't go back and revise our lives, but being allowed to go back and revise what we have written comes closest.
Wisdom is knowing when you can't be wise.
If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
There are a million 'oughts' in the world. There's a million ways in which I ought to be serving the world. But the ways I'm gifted to serve and the opportunities that come to me to serve are not a million.