Beloved Quote by Gary Snyder
““The other side of the "sacred" is the sight of your beloved in the underworld, dripping with maggots.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Wild Bunch", 1974
The sacred is juxtaposed with decay, suggesting that even the holy can be tainted by death and decay.
In simple terms: Sacred meets decay.
Key Takeaway
Accept impermanence in all things.
Themes
spirituality
death
beauty
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- rituals
- grief counseling
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
sacredness
mortality
transformation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does decay affect your view of the sacred?
- Can loss deepen appreciation?
A Different Perspective
Finding beauty in decay can be unsettling.
![“HAMLET [...] we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table; that's the end. CLAUDIUS Alas, alas. HAMLET A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/28d/william-shakespeare-4_beggar_hamlet-we-fat-all-creatures-else-to-fat_188869.jpg)
![“But if you do know what is taught by plants and weather, you are in on the gossip and can feel truly at home. The sum of a field's forces [become] what we call very loosely the 'spirit of the place.' To know the spirit of a place is to realize that you are a part of a part and that the whole is…” quote by Gary Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af3/gary-snyder-4502_feels_but-if-you-do-know-what-is-taught-by-pla_256516.jpg)
