Buddhism Quote by Sylvia Plath
““Paralytic It happens. Will it go on? ---- My mind a rock, No fingers to grip, no tongue, My god the iron lung That loves me, pumps My two Dust bags in and out, Will not Let me relapse While the day outside glides by like ticker tape. The night brings violets, Tapestries of eyes, Lights, The soft anonymous Talkers: 'You all right?' The starched, inaccessible breast. Dead egg, I lie Whole On a whole world I cannot touch, At the white, tight Drum of my sleeping couch Photographs visit me ---- My wife, dead and flat, in 1920 furs, Mouth full of pearls, Two girls As flat as she, who whisper 'We're your daughters.' The still waters Wrap my lips, Eyes, nose and ears, A clear Cellophane I cannot crack. On my bare back I smile, a buddha, all Wants, desire Falling from me like rings Hugging their lights. The claw Of the magnolia, Drunk on its own scents, Asks nothing of life.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Unpublished manuscript, 1962
A fragmented meditation on illness, isolation, and the yearning for connection amid physical decay.
In simple terms: Illness isolates but the mind still seeks comfort and meaning.
Key Takeaway
Find moments of beauty even in suffering.
Themes
suffering
isolation
longing
identity
mortality
Mood
melancholic
reflective
hopeful
Type
poetic
confessional
lypective
When to use this quote
- hospital stay
- chronic illness
- grief processing
- creative writing
- therapy
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychological introspection
imagery
Questions to Reflect On
- How does physical confinement shape inner dialogue?
- What small comforts can anchor us in pain?
A Different Perspective
The poem’s abstract style may obscure practical coping strategies for readers.
![“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted through other Tibetan Buddhist lineages. For example [...] Chöd practices gradually merged with pre-existing models of deity yoga, such…” quote by Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b05/michelle-sorensen-60370_2013_the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d_4303.jpg)