--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we could turn around and stand back…" description: "\"If we could turn around and stand back, then we would see the whole complete pattern. And therefore what we have to do in this lifetime is to perfect t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/tenzin-palmo-1431_beautiful_if-we-could-turn-around-and-stand-back-t_1998660.jpg" --- # If we could turn around and stand back, then we would see… ![“If we could turn around and stand back, then we would see the whole complete pattern. And therefore what we have to do in this lifetime is to perfect this pattern, so that it will continue a most beautiful pattern next time and next time and next time and next time because we vowed until samsara…” quote by Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/tenzin-palmo-1431_beautiful_if-we-could-turn-around-and-stand-back-t_1998660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/tenzin-palmo-1431_beautiful_if-we-could-turn-around-and-stand-back-t_1998660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/tenzin-palmo-1431_beautiful_if-we-could-turn-around-and-stand-back-t_1998660.jpg) > “If we could turn around and stand back, then we would see the whole complete pattern. And therefore what we have to do in this lifetime is to perfect this pattern, so that it will continue a most beautiful pattern next time and next time and next time and next time because we vowed until samsara is empty! Now, that's going to be a long time, so you'd better get prepared for the long haul, and the best way to do that is to really prepare yourself as much as possible in this lifetime, and not waste your opportunities so that we can genuinely benefit beings, endlessly, endlessly, endlessly.” [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We must perfect our spiritual practice across lifetimes, preparing diligently to benefit all beings endlessly. **In simple terms:** Perfect practice over many lives to help others. Key Takeaway Commit to long‑term spiritual growth. Themes spirituality karma longevity Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily meditation - ethical living - study of teachings - service projects Key Concepts Buddhist practice emptiness samsara Questions to Reflect On - How will you sustain practice over decades? - What small steps can you take now? A Different Perspective Samsara may never end, making perfection seem impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Long haul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-haul/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Samsara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/samsara/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [Just be prepared for a long and often uncertain journey. The good stuff doesn't come easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-westergren/just-be-prepared-for-a-long-and-often-uncertain-journey-the-good/) [Tim Westergren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-westergren/) > [If you want to make a difference in America, you need to be prepared for a very long, very frustrating slog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-you-want-to-make-a-difference-in-america-you-need-to-be-prepared/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [I am magnificently prepared for the long littleness of life. There is diddley-squat for me to look forward to. Zilch, zero, zip-all, sweet lipperty-pipperty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-am-magnificently-prepared-for-the-long-littleness-of-life-there-is/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Yes, times are not good, but when were times good? This is samsara.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/yes-times-are-not-good-but-when-were-times-good-this-is-samsara/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The problem is that our inherent ignorance keeps us in samsara and unable to benefit ourselves and others on a really deep level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-problem-is-that-our-inherent-ignorance-keeps-us-in-samsara-and/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The Buddha said that samsara by its nature is painful. He didn't say it was a joyride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-buddha-said-that-samsara-by-its-nature-is-painful-he-didn-t-say/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Celebrity Apprentice' was something where you don't know what you're going to do the next day. Every two days, somebody goes home, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-jon/celebrity-apprentice-was-something-where-you-don-t-know-what-you-re/) [Lil Jon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-jon/) > [I don't really prepare for roles. I just kind of do them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-matarazzo/i-don-t-really-prepare-for-roles-i-just-kind-of-do-them/) [Heather Matarazzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-matarazzo/) > [You don't really prepare for a kissing scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/you-don-t-really-prepare-for-a-kissing-scene/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [With any novel that you begin, you can't foresee how difficult or easy it's going to be, and you can't really prepare yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/with-any-novel-that-you-begin-you-can-t-foresee-how-difficult-or-easy/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [I don't really prepare for each role the same way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-caviezel/i-don-t-really-prepare-for-each-role-the-same-way/) [Jim Caviezel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-caviezel/) > [Well, obviously, as soon as I'd finished the script I read a lot of books on Winston Churchill, and started to gain weight and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/well-obviously-as-soon-as-i-d-finished-the-script-i-read-a-lot-of/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [You really can't prepare for anything in life. The second you know what's going to happen, there's always a curve ball, so I'm just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/you-really-can-t-prepare-for-anything-in-life-the-second-you-know/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [I don't really prepare things necessarily. I have some ideas that I want to make sure I get across to our guys. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-boone/i-don-t-really-prepare-things-necessarily-i-have-some-ideas-that-i/) [Aaron Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-boone/) > [I don't think you can ever really prepare yourself for something to hit like Bridgerton' did, because there's not many things that hit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-dynevor/i-don-t-think-you-can-ever-really-prepare-yourself-for-something-to/) [Phoebe Dynevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-dynevor/) ## More by Tenzin Palmo > [All of us are playing roles, and there's nothing wrong with playing roles because we have to live in this world - the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/all-of-us-are-playing-roles-and-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-playing/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I really don't know what I could teach and don't really plan to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-really-don-t-know-what-i-could-teach-and-don-t-really-plan-to-teach/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [For any practice to work, the mind which is meditating on the object must merge. Often they are facing each other. One has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/for-any-practice-to-work-the-mind-which-is-meditating-on-the-object/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I've often said that the seventh paramita should be a sense of humor, so we don't take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-ve-often-said-that-the-seventh-paramita-should-be-a-sense-of-humor/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you take the time to study how to be a doctor and how to use your scalpel and your medicine, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-take-the-time-to-study-how-to-be-a-doctor-and-how-to-use-your/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If we want to be musicians, dancers or sportspeople, we can download a certain amount and watch DVDs and read books, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-we-want-to-be-musicians-dancers-or-sportspeople-we-can-download-a/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Realization is wonderful, but you have to expand it until there's not a single defilement left in the mind and the mind is completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/realization-is-wonderful-but-you-have-to-expand-it-until-there-s-not/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We have compassion because of the incredible pain and suffering which we as unenlightened beings cause to ourselves and all others through our ignorance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-have-compassion-because-of-the-incredible-pain-and-suffering-which/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [When I look back I can think that of course I've been lazy and haven't practiced as much as I could have and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/when-i-look-back-i-can-think-that-of-course-i-ve-been-lazy-and-haven/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [We do have the precious opportunity of this human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/we-do-have-the-precious-opportunity-of-this-human-life/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I think the problem with Western students is they're very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-the-problem-with-western-students-is-they-re-very-ambitious/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Explore all 242 Tenzin Palmo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) Tumblr > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 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And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we could turn around and stand back, then we would see the whole complete pattern. And therefore what we have to do in this lifetime is to perfect this pattern, so that it will continue a most beautiful pattern next time and next time and next time and next time because we vowed until samsara is empty! 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