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Stray Birds

My Summary

Highlights

IT is the tears of the earth that keep her smiles in bloom. — location: 18


WHAT you are you do not see, what you see is your shadow. — location: 53


"MOON, for what do you wait?" "To salute the sun for whom I must make way." — location: 81


THE dry river-bed finds no thanks for its past. — location: 91

The river bed was created by the river, but now the river is gone, the river bed is left alone by its creator.


THE bird wishes it were a cloud. The cloud wishes it were a bird. — location: 93


THE fish in the water is silent, the animal on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is singing, But Man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air. — location: 111


HE has made his weapons his gods. When his weapons win he is defeated himself. — location: 116


LIKE the meeting of the seagulls and the waves we meet and come near. The seagulls fly off, the waves roll away and we depart. — location: 131


THE sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of its tail. — location: 138

Simpy, the peacock posesses great beauty and thr sparrow doesnt. But thd sparrow is sorry for the peakcock for this burden, the burden of beauty. This means we should not be jealous of what others have as its not all fine and dandy as it may appear.


THANK the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience. 65 — location: 149


THE woodcutter's axe begged for its handle from the tree. The tree gave it. — location: 160


THE grass seeks her crowd in the earth. The tree seeks his solitude of the sky. — location: 172


HE who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open. — location: 181


THE artist is the lover of Nature, therefore he is her slave and her master. — location: 185


"YOU are the big drop of dew under the lotus leaf, I am the smaller one on its upper side," said the dewdrop to the lake. — location: 190


IN darkness the One appears as uniform; in the light the One appears as manifold. — location: 194


THE great earth makes herself hospitable with the help of the grass. — location: 196


THE cloud stood humbly in a corner of the sky. The morning crowned it with splendour. — location: 214


ROOTS are the branches down in the earth. Branches are roots in the air. — location: 220

This suggestes there is an entire world under the ground.


THE night kisses the fading day whispering to his ear, "I am death, your mother. I am to give you fresh birth." — location: 247


THE bird thinks it is an act of kindness to give the fish a lift in the air. — location: 255


BEES sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave. The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him. — location: 262


THE roots below the earth claim no rewards for making the branches fruitful. — location: 276


"I AM ashamed of my emptiness," said the Word to the Work. "I know how poor I am when I see you," said the Work to the Word. — location: 284


TRUTH in her dress finds facts too tight. In fiction she moves with ease. — location: 288

Can be difficult to tell thr trust but its easy to lie.


WOMAN, with the grace of your fingers you touched my things and order came out like music. — location: 294

Owing to how women often touch our lives and make them better.


"WHO is there to take up my duties?" asked the setting sun. "I shall do what I can, my Master," said the earthen lamp. — location: 315


BY plucking her petals you do not gather the beauty of the flower. — location: 318


THE cobweb pretends to catch dew-drops and catches flies. — location: 330


"THE learned say that your lights will one day be no more." said the firefly to the stars. The stars made no answer. — location: 333

The stars know they will shine longer than the firefly.


THE canal loves to think that rivers exist solely to supply it with water. — location: 340


HE who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good. — location: 375


I AM the autumn cloud, empty of rain, see my fulness in the field of ripened rice. — location: 377


A MIND all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it. — location: 391

This suggests that an entirely logical existence is not healthy. Perhaps faith has a place?


MY heart has spread its sails to the idle winds for the shadowy island of Anywhere. — location: 436


228 KICKS — location: 452


KICKS only raise dust and not crops from the earth. — location: 452


SET bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in the sky. — location: 457


THE moon has her light all over the sky, her dark spots to herself. — location: 462


LET not the sword-blade mock its handle for being blunt. — location: 493


WE live in this world when we love it. — location: 546



Created by Niall Bell (niall@niallbell.com)

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