---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a…"
description: "\"“Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from different worlds, as they were in life, and in different worlds they will forever stay”\" — Neil..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg"
---

#  Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from…

![“Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from different worlds, as they were in life, and in different worlds they will forever stay” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg)

> ““Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from different worlds, as they were in life, and in different worlds they will forever stay””

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It expresses that even in death and dreams, beings remain separated by their nature, never truly uniting.

**In simple terms:** Differences persist beyond life.

Key Takeaway

Accept inherent separations.

Themes

existence spirituality duality

Mood

melancholy contemplative

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- grief counseling
- spiritual reflection
- creative writing
- philosophical debate

Key Concepts

Afterlife dreams metaphysics

Questions to Reflect On

- Can true connection transcend inherent differences?
- What does this say about acceptance?

A Different Perspective

May overlook possibilities of transcendence or unity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-monk-4049907/) [Different world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-world/) [Different worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-worlds/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Dreams Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-death-1744627/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monk Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk-fox-4049906/) [Worlds Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worlds-forever-394785/)

## Related quotes

> [O Mariner-soul, Thy quest is but begun, There are new worlds Forever to be won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-larcom/o-mariner-soul-thy-quest-is-but-begun-there-are-new-worlds-forever-to/)

[Lucy Larcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-larcom/)

> [When I was young I was a fool. So wrap me up in dreams and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-i-was-young-i-was-a-fool-so-wrap-me-up-in-dreams-and-death/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you've never been. Once you've visited other worlds, like those who ate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/fiction-can-show-you-a-different-world-it-can-take-you-somewhere-you/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Death is giving up on your dreams. Death is allowing your job own you like a slave. Death is fading away before you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-giving-up-on-your-dreams-death-is-allowing-your-job-own-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Eyes I dare not meet in dreams In death's dream kingdom”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/eyes-i-dare-not-meet-in-dreams-in-death-s-dream-kingdom/)

[T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/)

> [“And yet suddenly, terribly, he wanted it again, the way it used to be, arms linked together, all drunk and singing beautifully into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shaara/and-yet-suddenly-terribly-he-wanted-it-again-the-way-it-used-to-be/)

[Michael Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shaara/)

> [“When Eternity dreams of Death, each Moment sweats Bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bishop-harber/when-eternity-dreams-of-death-each-moment-sweats-bullets/)

[Bishop Harber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bishop-harber/)

> [Waking was the most reliable part of a dream, as built into dreams as death is to life. You dream, you wake: you live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-garland/waking-was-the-most-reliable-part-of-a-dream-as-built-into-dreams-as/)

[Alex Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-garland/)

> [Rene Char wrote somewhere, apropos poetry, that there are those who create and those who discover; they are too completely different worlds. Photograph also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/rene-char-wrote-somewhere-apropos-poetry-that-there-are-those-who/)

[Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/)

> [It's hard for two people to love each other when they live in two different worlds. But when these two worlds collide and become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-for-two-people-to-love-each-other-when-they-live-in-two/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's a different world for those of us who are doing this for a living. Certainly a lot different than my dad had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/it-s-a-different-world-for-those-of-us-who-are-doing-this-for-a/)

[Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/)

> [Two entirely different people. They were from two different worlds. Somehow, somewhere.. They crated their own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanae-el-kherchi/two-entirely-different-people-they-were-from-two-different-worlds/)

[Hanae El Kherchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanae-el-kherchi/)

> [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/)

[Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/)

> [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

## More by Neil Gaiman

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/)

[neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

[Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“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/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

[J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/)

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

[Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/)

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from different worlds, as they were in life, and in different worlds they will forever stay”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Gaiman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a-fox-are-from-different/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a-fox-are-from-different/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe3/neil-gaiman-29_death_even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a_2078938.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even in dreams and in death, a monk and a fox are from different worlds, as they were in life, and in…” — Neil Gaiman",
                "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": "Neil Gaiman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Even in dreams and in death,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a-fox-are-from-different/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/even-in-dreams-and-in-death-a-monk-and-a-fox-are-from-different/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
