--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life, U May told her, is a gift full of…" description: "\"“Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one without the oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/jan-philipp-sendker-17294_happiness_life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-ri_1760108.jpg" --- # Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which… ![“Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one without the other was simply bound to fail. The monastery itself was surrounded” quote by Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/jan-philipp-sendker-17294_happiness_life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-ri_1760108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/jan-philipp-sendker-17294_happiness_life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-ri_1760108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/jan-philipp-sendker-17294_happiness_life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-ri_1760108.jpg) > ““Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one without the other was simply bound to fail. The monastery itself was surrounded”” [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life intertwines joy and pain; trying to separate them leads to failure. **In simple terms:** Joy and suffering are linked; cannot have one without the other. Key Takeaway Embrace both happiness and suffering. Themes balance interconnectedness resilience Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - spiritual practice - grief counseling - relationship building Key Concepts dualism human experience acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging pain change your view of joy? - Can you find meaning in difficult moments? A Different Perspective Ignoring suffering can cause denial and emotional imbalance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monastery/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-riddles-in-which-suffering-and/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“Life is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one without the other was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/life-is-a-gift-full-of-riddles-in-which-suffering-and-happiness-are/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold. I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told. I'm a gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/i-am-just-two-and-two-i-am-hot-i-am-cold-i-m-the-parent-of-numbers/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [My mum told me that I have a gift, but it doesn't make me better than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-talbot/my-mum-told-me-that-i-have-a-gift-but-it-doesn-t-make-me-better-than/) Connie Talbot > [I brought all the instincts of a writer with me into the monastery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-brought-all-the-instincts-of-a-writer-with-me-into-the-monastery/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To keep a faith pure, man had better retire to a monastery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/to-keep-a-faith-pure-man-had-better-retire-to-a-monastery/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [The only people who had authority within the Church to stop Brendan Smyth from having contact with children were his Abbot in the Monastery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-brady/the-only-people-who-had-authority-within-the-church-to-stop-brendan/) [Sean Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-brady/) > [You have to put yourself in a situation, a lifestyle, that makes you do the work. Even if it's a monastery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-have-to-put-yourself-in-a-situation-a-lifestyle-that-makes-you-do/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [Running is just such a monastery- a retreat, a place to commune with God and yourself, a place for psychological and spiritual renewal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-sheehan/running-is-just-such-a-monastery-a-retreat-a-place-to-commune-with/) [George A. Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-sheehan/) > [“I remembered something Father Michael said to me a the monastery. 'The human soul is meant to expand. Things that once captured your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-e-isaacs/i-remembered-something-father-michael-said-to-me-a-the-monastery-the/) [Susan E. Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-e-isaacs/) > [I love the idea of a university as away from capitalist values, where people can do things that don't immediately have to pay their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/i-love-the-idea-of-a-university-as-away-from-capitalist-values-where/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“You have two things of value: your monastery and your people. Translate the book for me, and I'll let you keep one. Which will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-erin-hicks/you-have-two-things-of-value-your-monastery-and-your-people-translate/) [Faith Erin Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-erin-hicks/) > [“I heard you’d gone into a monastery.’ Tony nodded. ‘I did, only I didn’t stay long. I couldn’t be doing with all the praying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-martin/i-heard-you-d-gone-into-a-monastery-tony-nodded-i-did-only-i-didn-t/) [Wilkie Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-martin/) > [To retire to the monastery, or the woods, or the sea, is to escape from the sharp suggestions that spur on ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-horton-cooley/to-retire-to-the-monastery-or-the-woods-or-the-sea-is-to-escape-from/) [Charles Horton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-horton-cooley/) > [I turned into a monk when my mother went to learn Buddhism in Burma. While she learnt at the monastery, I used to roam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-bedi/i-turned-into-a-monk-when-my-mother-went-to-learn-buddhism-in-burma/) [Kabir Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-bedi/) ## More by Jan-Philipp Sendker > [“Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Any attempt to have one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/life-u-may-told-her-is-a-gift-full-of-riddles-in-which-suffering-and/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“Death is not the end of life, but a stage thereof.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/death-is-not-the-end-of-life-but-a-stage-thereof/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“What do violent individuals fear most? Violence? I should say not! By what do the cruel and selfish feel most threatened? All of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/what-do-violent-individuals-fear-most-violence-i-should-say-not-by/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“I’m talking about the organ within us for which we have no name. Let us call it the compass of the heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/i-m-talking-about-the-organ-within-us-for-which-we-have-no-name-let/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“I'm not sure I would put it that way. When we get over something, we move on, we put it behind us. Do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/i-m-not-sure-i-would-put-it-that-way-when-we-get-over-something-we/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [ “\[He taught her\] that life is interwoven with suffering. That in every life, without exception, illnesses are unavoidable. That we will age, and that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/he-taught-her-that-life-is-interwoven-with-suffering-that-in-every/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“Only a few days earlier he had explained to her that he did not merely read books but traveled with them, that they took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/only-a-few-days-earlier-he-had-explained-to-her-that-he-did-not/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“That in every life, without exception, illnesses are unavoidable. That we will age, and that we cannot elude death. These are the laws and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/that-in-every-life-without-exception-illnesses-are-unavoidable-that/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“To forgive, one must love and be loved. Only those who forgive can be free. Whoever forgives is a prisoner no more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/to-forgive-one-must-love-and-be-loved-only-those-who-forgive-can-be/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“We wish to be loved as we ourselves would love. Any other way makes as uncomfortable. We respond with doubt and suspicion. We misinterpret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/we-wish-to-be-loved-as-we-ourselves-would-love-any-other-way-makes-as/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“Not all truths are explicable, Julia," he said. "And not all explicable things are true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/not-all-truths-are-explicable-julia-he-said-and-not-all-explicable/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“Who are you? What’s your name?” “Mi Mi.” “Do you hear that thumping noise?” “No.” “It must be here somewhere.” Tin Win knelt down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/who-are-you-what-s-your-name-mi-mi-do-you-hear-that-thumping-noise-no/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“He expected nothing more from life. Not because he was disappointed or embittered. He expected nothing because there was nothing of importance that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/he-expected-nothing-more-from-life-not-because-he-was-disappointed-or/) [jan-philipp sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“How many times must we be loved in order to be happy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/how-many-times-must-we-be-loved-in-order-to-be-happy/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“THE FIRST TIME she left the house with her sleeping son in her arms, still unsteady on her legs, gripping the railing tightly, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/the-first-time-she-left-the-house-with-her-sleeping-son-in-her-arms/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) [Explore all 34 Jan-Philipp Sendker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [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/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life, U May told her, is a gift full of riddles in which suffering and happiness are inextricably intertwined. 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