--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True that life is given, And received…" description: "\"“True that life is given, And received. But truer still: The single-act of giving Makes the offerer the beggar, too— For when down on the knees The man..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/edith-l-tiempo-53304_beggar_true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but_2611949.jpg" --- # True that life is given, And received. But truer still… ![“True that life is given, And received. But truer still: The single-act of giving Makes the offerer the beggar, too— For when down on the knees The man (or god) stretches the arms In giving, It is no accident the hands Are curled like bowls or cups, For he offers self, yet Begs it back again.” quote by Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/edith-l-tiempo-53304_beggar_true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but_2611949.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/edith-l-tiempo-53304_beggar_true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but_2611949.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/edith-l-tiempo-53304_beggar_true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but_2611949.jpg) > ““True that life is given, And received. But truer still: The single-act of giving Makes the offerer the beggar, too— For when down on the knees The man (or god) stretches the arms In giving, It is no accident the hands Are curled like bowls or cups, For he offers self, yet Begs it back again.”” [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Giving selflessly makes one both giver and receiver, highlighting the paradox of generosity. **In simple terms:** Selfless giving creates a reciprocal exchange. Key Takeaway Recognize the mutual nature of generosity. Themes generosity reciprocity humility Mood thoughtful empathetic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - charity work - personal relationships - volunteering - spiritual practice Key Concepts self-sacrifice spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What limits do you set when giving? - How does receiving affect your willingness to give? A Different Perspective May lead to self-neglect if boundaries aren't set. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“True that life is given, And received. But truer still: The single-act of giving Makes the offerer the beggar, too—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but-truer-still-the-single-act/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) > [For when down on the knees The man (or god) stretches the arms In giving, It is no accident the hands Are curled like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-when-down-on-the-knees-the-man-or-god-stretches-the-arms-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's very easy to do a fundraiser and spend a lot of money on food and venue and not raise any money. You really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/it-s-very-easy-to-do-a-fundraiser-and-spend-a-lot-of-money-on-food/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) ## More by Edith L. Tiempo > [“All that I love I fold over once And once again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/all-that-i-love-i-fold-over-once-and-once-again/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) > [“Love is many and truth is just, And so we are; Both What we choose, And we refuse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/love-is-many-and-truth-is-just-and-so-we-are-both-what-we-choose-and/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) > [“True that life is given, And received. But truer still: The single-act of giving Makes the offerer the beggar, too—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/true-that-life-is-given-and-received-but-truer-still-the-single-act/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) > [“To scale all love down To a cupped hand’s size”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/to-scale-all-love-down-to-a-cupped-hand-s-size/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) > [“It’s utter sublimation, A feat, this heart’s control Moment to moment To scale all love down To a cupped hand’s size”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-l-tiempo/it-s-utter-sublimation-a-feat-this-heart-s-control-moment-to-moment/) [Edith L. Tiempo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) [Explore all 6 Edith L. Tiempo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-l-tiempo/) ## More Beggar quotes > [If some beggar steals a bridle he'll be hung by a man who's stolen a horse. There's no surer justice in the world than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peire-cardenal/if-some-beggar-steals-a-bridle-he-ll-be-hung-by-a-man-who-s-stolen-a/) Peire Cardenal > [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Why remain polite but powerless, in love but a beggar?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/why-remain-polite-but-powerless-in-love-but-a-beggar/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [Don't be doubtful to your goals or else you will end up your life as a beggar, keep faith on yourself and you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athar-azeem/don-t-be-doubtful-to-your-goals-or-else-you-will-end-up-your-life-as/) [Athar Azeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athar-azeem/) > [Poets and beggars, musicians and prophets, warriors and scoundrels, all creatures of that unbridled reality, we have had to ask but little of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/poets-and-beggars-musicians-and-prophets-warriors-and-scoundrels-all/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [Beggars fear no rebellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/beggars-fear-no-rebellion/) Proverb > [Hurrah for revolution and more cannon-shot! A beggar upon horseback lashes a beggar on foot. Hurrah for revolution and cannon come again! The beggars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/hurrah-for-revolution-and-more-cannon-shot-a-beggar-upon-horseback/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You obviously don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. It is not a fat purse and time to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/you-obviously-don-t-know-what-an-old-man-of-the-sea-great-wealth-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Make of the Silence your to-do tasks, of the compassion your wealth and of the meditation your beggar's bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/make-of-the-silence-your-to-do-tasks-of-the-compassion-your-wealth/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Nobody but a beggar chooses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/nobody-but-a-beggar-chooses-to-depend-chiefly-upon-the-benevolence-of/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [All religions have honored the beggar. For he proves that in a matter at the same time as prosaic and holy, banal and regenerative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-religions-have-honored-the-beggar-for-he-proves-that-in-a-matter/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [I'll not meddle with it. It makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-ll-not-meddle-with-it-it-makes-a-man-a-coward-a-man-cannot-steal/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A beggar through the world am I, From place to place I wander by. Fill up my pilgrim's scrip for me, For Christ's sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/a-beggar-through-the-world-am-i-from-place-to-place-i-wander-by-fill/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [The bashful beggar has an empty purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cranch-bond/the-bashful-beggar-has-an-empty-purse/) [William Cranch Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cranch-bond/) > [“A coin is examined, and only after careful deliberation, given to a beggar, whereas a child is flung out into the cosmic brutality without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/a-coin-is-examined-and-only-after-careful-deliberation-given-to-a/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) Browse all 455 Beggar quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“True that life is given, And received. 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