--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once…" description: "\"“He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg" --- # He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation… ![“He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg) > ““He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart. To find the balance you want," Ketut spoke through his translator, "this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.”” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing grounded practicality with heart-centered compassion leads to spiritual fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Ground yourself, follow your heart. Key Takeaway Live with both feet on earth and heart open. Themes spirituality balance compassion Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - meditation practice - spiritual seeking - leadership development Key Concepts embodiment heart intelligence groundedness Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay grounded while listening to your heart? - What does “four legs” symbolize for you? A Different Perspective May become rational analysis neglect emotional insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Drawn Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawn-meditation-778907/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Human Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-figure-778911/) [Ketut Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ketut-spoke-778910/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditation Androgynous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-androgynous-778908/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayer Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer-figure-778909/) [Smiling face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiling-face/) ## Related quotes > [Some people are drawn to meditation without knowing why. Their inner being realizes that they've totally fouled up their life so far, and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/some-people-are-drawn-to-meditation-without-knowing-why-their-inner/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [People who are drawn to meditation have had lots of incarnation in the world of experience, and we know the score. We know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-who-are-drawn-to-meditation-have-had-lots-of-incarnation-in/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Only the human figure exists; landscape is, and should be, no more than an accessory; the painter exclusively of landscape is nothing but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec/only-the-human-figure-exists-landscape-is-and-should-be-no-more-than/) [Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec/) > [The human face is the most deeply ingrained image in our brains. It is the two dots and a dash we connect with as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckean/the-human-face-is-the-most-deeply-ingrained-image-in-our-brains-it-is/) [Dave McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckean/) > [When sculpting the human figure in stone it is necessary to draw the whole form out of the content of the head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-steiner/when-sculpting-the-human-figure-in-stone-it-is-necessary-to-draw-the/) [Rudolf Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-steiner/) > [There are three fundamental poses of the human figure. One is standing. The other is seated, and the third is lying down... Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-moore/there-are-three-fundamental-poses-of-the-human-figure-one-is-standing/) [Henry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-moore/) > [In my opinion, long and intense study of the human figure is the necessary foundation for a sculptor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-moore/in-my-opinion-long-and-intense-study-of-the-human-figure-is-the/) [Henry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-moore/) > [Listen, my friend, all forms that exist in God's universe can be found in the human figure. A man's body and face can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/listen-my-friend-all-forms-that-exist-in-god-s-universe-can-be-found/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [The head has the most beautiful appearance, as well as the highest station, in a human figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-head-has-the-most-beautiful-appearance-as-well-as-the-highest/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [I cannot draw a human figure if I don't know the order of his bones, muscles or tendons. Same is that I cannot draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/i-cannot-draw-a-human-figure-if-i-don-t-know-the-order-of-his-bones/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape: it is the human figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/what-interests-me-most-is-neither-still-life-nor-landscape-it-is-the/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [What interests me most is neither still life nor landscape, but the human figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-matisse/what-interests-me-most-is-neither-still-life-nor-landscape-but-the/) [Henri Matisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-matisse/) > [In the Orthodox religion, you don't draw the human figure. It's against the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/in-the-orthodox-religion-you-don-t-draw-the-human-figure-it-s-against/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [The construction of the human figure, its tremendous variety of balance, of size, of rhythm, all those things make the human form much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-moore/the-construction-of-the-human-figure-its-tremendous-variety-of/) [Henry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-moore/) > [To paint a human figure you must not paint it; you must render the whole of its surrounding atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-boccioni/to-paint-a-human-figure-you-must-not-paint-it-you-must-render-the/) [Umberto Boccioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-boccioni/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? Any of us who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-taught-that-all-human-suffering-is-rooted-in-desire-don-t/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/learn-your-way-around-loneliness-make-a-map-of-it-sit-with-it-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart. To find the balance you want,\" Ketut spoke through his translator, \"this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-during-meditation-it-was-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-during-meditation-it-was-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06f/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-du_2472568.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up…” — Elizabeth Gilbert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elizabeth Gilbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He showed me a sketch he'd...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-during-meditation-it-was-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-showed-me-a-sketch-he-d-drawn-once-during-meditation-it-was-an/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```