--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once upon a time, [the guru] said, when…" description: "\"“Once upon a time, [the guru] said, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind Him for man a piece of His own divinity, a spark ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/dorothy-gilman-19428_god_once-upon-a-time-the-guru-said-when-god_1164708.jpg" --- # Once upon a time, \[the guru\] said, when God had finished… ![“Once upon a time, [the guru] said, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind Him for man a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this Godhead because, he explained, what man…” quote by Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/dorothy-gilman-19428_god_once-upon-a-time-the-guru-said-when-god_1164708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/dorothy-gilman-19428_god_once-upon-a-time-the-guru-said-when-god_1164708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/dorothy-gilman-19428_god_once-upon-a-time-the-guru-said-when-god_1164708.jpg) > ““Once upon a time, \[the guru\] said, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind Him for man a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this Godhead because, he explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him. "Then you must hide the Godhead on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of His councilors. God shook His head. "No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks." "Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth!" "I think not," said God, "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth." "In the middle of the ocean then, Master?" God shook His head. "I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans." "Where then, Master?" cried His councilors. God smiled. "I'll hide it in the most inaccessible place of all, and the one place that man will never think to look for it. I'll hide it deep inside of man himself.”” [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The story illustrates that divine potential is hidden within humanity, not in external places, urging inner discovery. **In simple terms:** Divine spark is inside us, not outside. Key Takeaway Seek inner growth. Themes spirituality self‑discovery human potential mythic narrative Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical mythic When to use this quote - personal development - spiritual practice - education - self‑reflection Key Concepts theology inner potential metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture your inner spark? - What external pursuits distract from inner growth? A Different Perspective Finding inner meaning can be harder than external quests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [A man said to me, "You talk to your dead guru?" And I said, "Yeah." He said, "That's in your imagination." And I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/a-man-said-to-me-you-talk-to-your-dead-guru-and-i-said-yeah-he-said/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [My guru said that when he suffers, it brings him closer to God. I have found this, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/my-guru-said-that-when-he-suffers-it-brings-him-closer-to-god-i-have/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“Sometimes we just have two sides to us, Noah. One that we're willing to let the world see, and then the other that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/sometimes-we-just-have-two-sides-to-us-noah-one-that-we-re-willing-to/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-cara/your-fear-seems-to-hide-deep-inside-your-mind/) [Irene Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-cara/) > [“But Don you're still a human being, you still want to live, you crave connection and society, you know intellectually that you're no less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/but-don-you-re-still-a-human-being-you-still-want-to-live-you-crave/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [When we see through the lens of God's truth, revealed primarily in his Word, everything comes into sharper focus. Suddenly, we'll see that everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-boa/when-we-see-through-the-lens-of-god-s-truth-revealed-primarily-in-his/) [Kenneth Boa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-boa/) > [No more is your master a god, Nobility, but he wants offerings from all. When Black God claims us, who will be punished for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/no-more-is-your-master-a-god-nobility-but-he-wants-offerings-from-all/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [“I now own your body, your mind, your soul," he whispered. "You are mine to do as I please. I am your master, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marita-a-hansen/i-now-own-your-body-your-mind-your-soul-he-whispered-you-are-mine-to/) [Marita A. Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marita-a-hansen/) > [“I must serve the Great Master, God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/i-must-serve-the-great-master-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Ah! my friend, for whomever is alone, without a god and without a master, the weight of time is terrible. One must then choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/ah-my-friend-for-whomever-is-alone-without-a-god-and-without-a-master/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Smartass Disciple: Master, why God let human did sins in the beginning? Master of Stupidity: If the saviour must come, why should He prevent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/smartass-disciple-master-why-god-let-human-did-sins-in-the-beginning/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I would say that during the time that I was 14 and pregnant - I didn't even know what pregnancy was when I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-would-say-that-during-the-time-that-i-was-14-and-pregnant-i-didn-t/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [When he went back to the fire he knelt and smoothed her hair as she slept and he said if he were God he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-he-went-back-to-the-fire-he-knelt-and-smoothed-her-hair-as-she/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“What does it say?" asked my lord. "It says, 'Good-night, God keep you all the night!'--just what she used to say when we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/what-does-it-say-asked-my-lord-it-says-good-night-god-keep-you-all/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [I disobeyed Ra's wishes, and so he ordered my onw father, Shu-" "Hang on," I said. "Shoe?" "S-h-u," she said. "The god of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-disobeyed-ra-s-wishes-and-so-he-ordered-my-onw-father-shu-hang-on-i/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Dorothy Gilman > [“I wasn't offering her pity," Mrs. Caswell said impatiently. "Tragedies don't interest me, tragedies and heartbreaks are all alike, what matters is how a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/i-wasn-t-offering-her-pity-mrs-caswell-said-impatiently-tragedies-don/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [It's compassion that makes gods of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/it-s-compassion-that-makes-gods-of-us/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [The best things arrive on time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/the-best-things-arrive-on-time/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [People need dreams, there's as much nourishment in 'em as food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/people-need-dreams-there-s-as-much-nourishment-in-em-as-food/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [“Do you like Magda too?” His gaze left the gate to sweep the courtyard. “She seems pleasant enough when she’s not drugged. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/do-you-like-magda-too-his-gaze-left-the-gate-to-sweep-the-courtyard/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [“If life was like a body of water, she had asked that she be allowed to walk again in its shallows; instead she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/if-life-was-like-a-body-of-water-she-had-asked-that-she-be-allowed-to/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [will anything but fanaticism make for change? Wisdom and compromise come later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/will-anything-but-fanaticism-make-for-change-wisdom-and-compromise/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [“the problems changed, but people were the same”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/the-problems-changed-but-people-were-the-same/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [“...why doesn't anything end happily?" "Because," said Mrs. Pollifax slowly, "there are no happy endings, Jenny, there are only happy people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/why-doesn-t-anything-end-happily-because-said-mrs-pollifax-slowly/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [It's when we're given choice that we sit with the gods and design ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/it-s-when-we-re-given-choice-that-we-sit-with-the-gods-and-design/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [“evil is, after all, only a deficiency of goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/evil-is-after-all-only-a-deficiency-of-goodness/) [dorothy gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [... people misunderstood death, they died not of too little life but of too much life, that as the skin withered and the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/people-misunderstood-death-they-died-not-of-too-little-life-but-of/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [A man from hell is not afraid of hot ashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/a-man-from-hell-is-not-afraid-of-hot-ashes/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [People need dreams, there's as much nourishment in them as food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/people-need-dreams-there-s-as-much-nourishment-in-them-as-food/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) > [When we live with a memory we live with a corpse; the impact of the experience has changed us once but can never change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-gilman/when-we-live-with-a-memory-we-live-with-a-corpse-the-impact-of-the/) [Dorothy Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) [Explore all 32 Dorothy Gilman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-gilman/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Once upon a time, [the guru] said, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind Him for man a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this Godhead because, he explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him. \"Then you must hide the Godhead on the highest mountain peak on earth,\" said one of His councilors. God shook His head. \"No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks.\" \"Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth!\" \"I think not,\" said God, \"for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth.\" \"In the middle of the ocean then, Master?\" God shook His head. \"I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans.\" \"Where then, Master?\" cried His councilors. God smiled. \"I'll hide it in the most inaccessible place of all, and the one place that man will never think to look for it. 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