--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The foundations which we would dig about…" description: "\"The foundations which we would dig about and find are within us, like the kingdom of heaven, rather than without.\" — Samuel Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg" --- # The foundations which we would dig about and find are… ![“The foundations which we would dig about and find are within us, like the kingdom of heaven, rather than without.” quote by Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg) > “The foundations which we would dig about and find are within us, like the kingdom of heaven, rather than without.” [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inner truth and spiritual insight are found within oneself, not external sources. **In simple terms:** Spiritual truth lies inside us. Key Takeaway Seek inner wisdom. Themes spirituality self‑knowledge inner truth Mood contemplative reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - personal growth - spiritual practice - self‑reflection Key Concepts philosophy inner exploration Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate inner awareness? - What external pursuits distract you from inner truth? A Different Perspective External searches may overlook inner resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Foundations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundations/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Kingdom of heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-heaven/) [Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdoms/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) ## Related quotes > [Culture, like the kingdom of heaven, lies within us, and not in foreign galleries and books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-bourne/culture-like-the-kingdom-of-heaven-lies-within-us-and-not-in-foreign/) [Randolph Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-bourne/) > [Human beings do not readily admit desperation. When they do, the kingdom of heaven draws near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/human-beings-do-not-readily-admit-desperation-when-they-do-the/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The blessed in the kingdom of heaven will see the punishments of the damned, in order that their bliss be more delightful for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/the-blessed-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven-will-see-the-punishments-of-the/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [The kingdom of heaven is like electricity. You don't see it. It is within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-like-electricity-you-don-t-see-it-it-is/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [The kingdom of heaven is comprised of the broken, the fatherless, the poor, the starving. Nothing that could create good ratings for NBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-comprised-of-the-broken-the-fatherless-the/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [The kingdom of heaven is closer than the brow above the eye but mankind does not see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-closer-than-the-brow-above-the-eye-but/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For what is Mysticism? It is not the attempt to draw near to God, not by rites or ceremonies, but by inward disposition? Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/for-what-is-mysticism-it-is-not-the-attempt-to-draw-near-to-god-not/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [When you really dive into the scriptures it says the kingdom of heaven is inside you. You can feel that because of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killah-priest/when-you-really-dive-into-the-scriptures-it-says-the-kingdom-of/) [Killah Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killah-priest/) > [He who does not see the kingdom of heaven in this life will never see it in the coming life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/he-who-does-not-see-the-kingdom-of-heaven-in-this-life-will-never-see/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [The Kingdom of Heaven is a military autocracy and there is no public opinion in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-a-military-autocracy-and-there-is-no-public/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [I believe the only way we can reach the Kingdom of Heaven is to have the Kingdom of Heaven in our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/i-believe-the-only-way-we-can-reach-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-to-have/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [i really like kingdom hearts its like the best book ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiro-amano/i-really-like-kingdom-hearts-its-like-the-best-book-ever/) [Shiro Amano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiro-amano/) > [“Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours” (Matt. 5:3) doesn’t mean, “You will go to heaven when you die.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/blessings-on-the-poor-in-spirit-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-yours-matt-5/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“I would I were in the kingdom of heaven if it be as you and Mr. Graham take it for!" said Clementina. "You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-would-i-were-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven-if-it-be-as-you-and-mr-graham/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Jesus says, “Do not look here, do not look there, for the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-conner/jesus-says-do-not-look-here-do-not-look-there-for-the-kingdom-of/) Miguel Conner ## More by Samuel Butler > [Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo not for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/is-life-worth-living-this-is-a-question-for-an-embryo-not-for-a-man/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific bigwigs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/i-am-the-enfant-terrible-of-literature-and-science-if-i-cannot-and-i/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-you-follow-reason-far-enough-it-always-leads-to-conclusions-that/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/all-animals-except-man-know-that-the-principal-business-of-life-is-to/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Opinions have vested interests just as men have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-i-die-prematurely-i-shall-be-saved-from-being-bored-to-death-at-my/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. Whether it is or is not more efficacious I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/vaccination-is-the-medical-sacrament-corresponding-to-baptism-whether/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“Having, then, once introduced an element of inconsistency into his system, he was far too consistent not to be inconsistent consistently, and he lapsed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/having-then-once-introduced-an-element-of-inconsistency-into-his/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Brigands demand your money or your life; women require both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/brigands-demand-your-money-or-your-life-women-require-both/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [A man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-man-who-lets-himself-be-bored-is-even-more-contemptible-than-the/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [It is not sufficiently considered in the hour of exultation, that all human excellence is comparative; that no man performs much but in proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/it-is-not-sufficiently-considered-in-the-hour-of-exultation-that-all/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-oldest-books-are-still-only-just-out-to-those-who-have-not-read/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) [Explore all 355 Samuel Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## More Evolution quotes > [I rap when I'm rich. I rap when I'm broke. I rap when I'm bullshit in the street. I rap about only having one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-rap-when-i-m-rich-i-rap-when-i-m-broke-i-rap-when-i-m-bullshit-in/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [If the polymer chain assumes a helicoidal conformation in the crystalline state, and if it does not contain asymmetric carbon atoms, it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-natta/if-the-polymer-chain-assumes-a-helicoidal-conformation-in-the/) Giulio Natta > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [The true nature of soul is right knowledge, right faith and right conduct. The soul, so long as it is subject to transmigration, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virchand-gandhi/the-true-nature-of-soul-is-right-knowledge-right-faith-and-right/) [Virchand Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virchand-gandhi/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) Hideaki Sena > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [The next evolution of content marketing is not more content; it's better distribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-penn/the-next-evolution-of-content-marketing-is-not-more-content-it-s/) [Chris Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-penn/) [Browse all 6,185 Evolution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The foundations which we would dig about and find are within us, like the kingdom of heaven, rather than without.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about-and-find-are-within-us-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evolution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about-and-find-are-within-us-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dd/samuel-butler-823_evolution_the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about_1973340.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The foundations which we would dig about and find are within us, like the kingdom of heaven, rather than…” — Samuel Butler", "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": "Samuel Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The foundations which we would dig...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about-and-find-are-within-us-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-foundations-which-we-would-dig-about-and-find-are-within-us-like/#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 } } ] } ```