Believe Quote by Rene Descartes
“Just as we believe by faith that the greatest happiness of the next life consists simply in the contemplation of this divine majesty, likewise we experience that we derive the greatest joy of which we are capable in this life from the same contemplation, even though it is much less perfect.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641
Contemplating divine greatness brings profound joy now and promises greater bliss after death.
In simple terms: Thinking of God's majesty gives deep happiness in life and hope for afterlife.
Key Takeaway
Seek divine contemplation for lasting joy.
Themes
spirituality
philosophy
joy
faith
eternity
Mood
reverent
hopeful
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal meditation
- prayer
- art appreciation
- nature walks
Key Concepts
Divine contemplation
transcendence
theodicy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does divine contemplation affect your daily mood?
- Can secular experiences provide similar joy?
A Different Perspective
Contemplation may be inaccessible to those without religious framework.
![“The greatest joy is joy in God. This is plain from Psalm 16:11: "You [God] will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Fullness of joy and eternal joy cannot be improved. Nothing is fuller than full, and nothing is…” quote by John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/16f/john-piper-255_eternity_the-greatest-joy-is-joy-in-god-this-is-p_278551.jpg)
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
![“And what more am I? I look for aid to the imagination. [But how mistakenly!] I am not that assemblage of limbs we call the human body; I am not a subtle penetrating air distributed throughout all these members; I am not a wind, a fire, a vapor, a breath or anything at all that I can image. I am…” quote by René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/207/ren-descartes-1376_human-body_and-what-more-am-i-i-look-for-aid-to-the_115493.jpg)
