--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Call themselves?\" asked Yama. \"You are…" description: "\"“Call themselves?\" asked Yama. \"You are wrong, Sam, Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being im..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/roger-zelazny-1604_1967_call-themselves-asked-yama-you-are-wrong_651929.jpg" --- # Call themselves?" asked Yama. "You are wrong, Sam, Godhood… ![“Call themselves?" asked Yama. "You are wrong, Sam, Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being immortal, for even the lowliest laborer in the fields may achieve continuity of existence. Is it then the conditioning of an Aspect? No. Any competent…” quote by Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/roger-zelazny-1604_1967_call-themselves-asked-yama-you-are-wrong_651929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/roger-zelazny-1604_1967_call-themselves-asked-yama-you-are-wrong_651929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/458/roger-zelazny-1604_1967_call-themselves-asked-yama-you-are-wrong_651929.jpg) > ““Call themselves?" asked Yama. "You are wrong, Sam, Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being immortal, for even the lowliest laborer in the fields may achieve continuity of existence. Is it then the conditioning of an Aspect? No. Any competent hypnotist can play games with the self-image. Is it the raising up of an Attribute? Of course not. I can design machines more powerful and more accurate than any faculty a man may cultivate. Being a god is the quality of being able to be yourself to such an extent that your passions correspond with the forces of the universe, so that those who look upon you know this without hearing your name spoken. Some ancient poet said that the world is full of echoes and correspondences. Another wrote a long poem of an inferno, wherein each man suffered a torture which coincided in nature with those forces which had ruled his life. Being a god is being able to recognize within one's self these things that are important, and then to strike the single note that brings them into alignment with everything else that exists. Then, beyond morals or logic or esthetics, one is wind or fire, the sea, the mountains, rain, the sun or the stars, the flight of an arrow, the end of a day, the clasp of love. One rules through one's ruling passions. Those who look upon gods then say, without even knowing their names, 'He is Fire. She is Dance. He is Destruction. She is Love.' So, to reply to your statement, they do not call themselves gods. Everyone else does, though, everyone who beholds them." "So they play that on their fascist banjos, eh?" "You choose the wrong adjective." "You've already used up all the others.”” [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine power is aligning one's deepest passions with universal forces, transcending name and status. **In simple terms:** Godhood is living in harmony with the cosmos through authentic passion. Key Takeaway Align personal purpose with universal flow. Themes identity power alignment transcendence Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical literary motivational When to use this quote - creative work - leadership - spiritual practice - conflict resolution - artistic expression Key Concepts self-actualization cosmic harmony authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What inner passions can you align with larger goals? - How does recognizing universal patterns affect your decisions? A Different Perspective Achieving such alignment may be idealistic; external constraints can limit personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End Of A Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-a-day/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [“First, a man may in some ways be superior to his fellows and still serve them, if together they serve a common cause which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/first-a-man-may-in-some-ways-be-superior-to-his-fellows-and-still/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Who are you, man?" "I? I am nothing," replied the other. "A leaf caught in a whirlpool. A feather in the wind..." "Too bad,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/who-are-you-man-i-i-am-nothing-replied-the-other-a-leaf-caught-in-a/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I do not live for what the world thinks of me, but for what I think of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-do-not-live-for-what-the-world-thinks-of-me-but-for-what-i-think-of/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [“Take heart and remember that it is in our darkest moments of despair... that we are most like God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-rahal/take-heart-and-remember-that-it-is-in-our-darkest-moments-of-despair/) Eliot Rahal > [“Know, child, that the One God—He is so vast that He cannot be moved, else the Universe falls. Nor can He answer, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/know-child-that-the-one-god-he-is-so-vast-that-he-cannot-be-moved/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [As if I can find where either hell or heaven is I'll tell you which these either you will go because I'm Yama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tivea/as-if-i-can-find-where-either-hell-or-heaven-is-i-ll-tell-you-which/) [Tivea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tivea/) > [“Let us see rather that like Janus—or better, like Yama, the Brahmin god of death—religion has two faces, one very friendly, one very gloomy...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/let-us-see-rather-that-like-janus-or-better-like-yama-the-brahmin-god/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [I wish that 'Yama Pasham' will be a bigger hit than 'Krishnagaadi Veera Prema Gaadha.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nani/i-wish-that-yama-pasham-will-be-a-bigger-hit-than-krishnagaadi-veera/) [Nani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nani/) > [I tell you, lad, that men will believe is one says, "The Gods say..." They will believe if one says, "I had a Vision..."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/i-tell-you-lad-that-men-will-believe-is-one-says-the-gods-say-they/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [It's hard to explain," said Brutha. "But I think it's got something to do with how people should behave... you should do things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-hard-to-explain-said-brutha-but-i-think-it-s-got-something-to-do/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [By taking these three steps you will get closer to the Gods: First, Say the Truth. Second: Don't let you get Angry. Third: Give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/by-taking-these-three-steps-you-will-get-closer-to-the-gods-first-say/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“We may hop when the gods say 'frog,' but we still get to choose how fast and how high.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-lampe/we-may-hop-when-the-gods-say-frog-but-we-still-get-to-choose-how-fast/) [Katherine Lampe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-lampe/) > [Men have left GOD not for other gods, they say, but for no God; and this has never happened before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/men-have-left-god-not-for-other-gods-they-say-but-for-no-god-and-this/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“The gods say that a man is made the way he is for a purpose, and to seek to alter that is -" "Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-madson/the-gods-say-that-a-man-is-made-the-way-he-is-for-a-purpose-and-to/) Devin Madson > [“Look at me. This is nobility in a man: to bear what falls from the gods and not say No.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/look-at-me-this-is-nobility-in-a-man-to-bear-what-falls-from-the-gods/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) ## More by Roger Zelazny > [“I was willing to die fighting, but it was senseless for all these men to go down with me. Perhaps my blood was tainted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-was-willing-to-die-fighting-but-it-was-senseless-for-all-these-men/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-know-too-that-death-is-the-only-god-who-comes-when-you-call/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [There's no such thing as civilization. The word just means the art of living in cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/there-s-no-such-thing-as-civilization-the-word-just-means-the-art-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Time, too, is a function of Shadow, and even Dworkin did not know all of its ins and outs. Or perhaps he did. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/time-too-is-a-function-of-shadow-and-even-dworkin-did-not-know-all-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I've always been impulsive. My thinking is usually pretty good, but I always seem to do it after I do my talking — by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-ve-always-been-impulsive-my-thinking-is-usually-pretty-good-but-i/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“And again, damn. Of troubles I considered myself amply possessed. But those who have do seem to get. Some spiritual form of compound interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/and-again-damn-of-troubles-i-considered-myself-amply-possessed-but/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Far below, the ocean was a bluegray rug being pulled out from beneath us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/far-below-the-ocean-was-a-bluegray-rug-being-pulled-out-from-beneath/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [A powerful flight of the imagination . . . an entirely enjoyable reading experience, wrought by a pair of writers noted for excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/a-powerful-flight-of-the-imagination-an-entirely-enjoyable-reading/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [The function of criticism should not be confused with the function of reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/the-function-of-criticism-should-not-be-confused-with-the-function-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I always wanted to write, ever since I was a kid. I started writing at the age of 11. All I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-always-wanted-to-write-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-i-started-writing-at/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/while-i-had-often-said-that-i-wanted-to-die-in-bed-what-i-really/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“That was the first time in my life that I knew the meaning of despair. I read, I worked, I drank, I whored, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/that-was-the-first-time-in-my-life-that-i-knew-the-meaning-of-despair/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“I watched until the sizzlecloud drew its legs up into itself, hung like a burning cocoon, then died like an ember retreating into ash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-until-the-sizzlecloud-drew-its-legs-up-into-itself-hung/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [To waste! You are unknown and unwanted, save by me. This, because you are fairly adept at the various embalming arts and you occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/to-waste-you-are-unknown-and-unwanted-save-by-me-this-because-you-are/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I watched the spinning stars, grateful, sad and proud, as only a man who has outlived his destiny and realizes he might yet forge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-the-spinning-stars-grateful-sad-and-proud-as-only-a-man-who/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) [Explore all 220 Roger Zelazny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## More 1967 quotes > [“Totalitarian politics—far from being simply antisemitic or racist or imperialist or communist—use and abuse their own ideological and political elements until the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/totalitarian-politics-far-from-being-simply-antisemitic-or-racist-or/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The society whose modernisation has reached the stage of integrated spectacle is characterised by the combined effect of five principal factors: incessant technological renewal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-debord/the-society-whose-modernisation-has-reached-the-stage-of-integrated/) [Guy Debord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-debord/) > [“Then every man would be as a god, you see. The result of this, of course, would be that there would no longer be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/then-every-man-would-be-as-a-god-you-see-the-result-of-this-of-course/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“I will be glad to go. There is no poetry here. It is as I have always set forth: joy comes of its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/i-will-be-glad-to-go-there-is-no-poetry-here-it-is-as-i-have-always/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [“This new situation, in which "humanity" has in effect assumed the role formerly ascribed to nature or history, would mean in this context that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/this-new-situation-in-which-humanity-has-in-effect-assumed-the-role/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“If it will give you any satisfaction in the end, I still care for you. Either there is no such thing as love, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/if-it-will-give-you-any-satisfaction-in-the-end-i-still-care-for-you/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“That concentration camps were ultimately provided for the same groups in all countries, even though there were considerable differences in the treatment of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/that-concentration-camps-were-ultimately-provided-for-the-same-groups/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Rule by decree has conspicuous advantages for the domination of far-flung territories with heterogeneous populations and for a policy of oppression. Its efficiency is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/rule-by-decree-has-conspicuous-advantages-for-the-domination-of-far/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Darwinism met with such overwhelming success because it provided, on the basis of inheritance, the ideological weapons for race and well as class rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/darwinism-met-with-such-overwhelming-success-because-it-provided-on/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Naturalization, on the other hand, also proved to be a failure. The whole naturalization system of European countries fell apart when it was confronted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/naturalization-on-the-other-hand-also-proved-to-be-a-failure-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Only the unlimited accumulation of power could bring about the unlimited accumulation of capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/only-the-unlimited-accumulation-of-power-could-bring-about-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [You are a fool to speak of last great battles...for the last great battle is always the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/you-are-a-fool-to-speak-of-last-great-battles-for-the-last-great/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Slavery's fundamental offense against human rights was not that it took liberty away (which can happen in many other situations), but that it excluded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/slavery-s-fundamental-offense-against-human-rights-was-not-that-it/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Which one is the right way?" "Huh? You're asking me that ? How should I know?" "Mortals call you Buddha." "That is only because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/which-one-is-the-right-way-huh-you-re-asking-me-that-how-should-i/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Israel's demonstration of its military prowess in 1967 confirmed its status as a 'strategic asset,' as did its moves to prevent Syrian intervention in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/israel-s-demonstration-of-its-military-prowess-in-1967-confirmed-its/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) Browse all 30 1967 quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Call themselves?\" asked Yama. \"You are wrong, Sam, Godhood is more than a name. It is a condition of being. One does not achieve it merely by being immortal, for even the lowliest laborer in the fields may achieve continuity of existence. Is it then the conditioning of an Aspect? No. Any competent hypnotist can play games with the self-image. Is it the raising up of an Attribute? Of course not. I can design machines more powerful and more accurate than any faculty a man may cultivate. Being a god is the quality of being able to be yourself to such an extent that your passions correspond with the forces of the universe, so that those who look upon you know this without hearing your name spoken. Some ancient poet said that the world is full of echoes and correspondences. Another wrote a long poem of an inferno, wherein each man suffered a torture which coincided in nature with those forces which had ruled his life. Being a god is being able to recognize within one's self these things that are important, and then to strike the single note that brings them into alignment with everything else that exists. Then, beyond morals or logic or esthetics, one is wind or fire, the sea, the mountains, rain, the sun or the stars, the flight of an arrow, the end of a day, the clasp of love. One rules through one's ruling passions. Those who look upon gods then say, without even knowing their names, 'He is Fire. She is Dance. He is Destruction. She is Love.' So, to reply to your statement, they do not call themselves gods. 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