Bird Quote by Thomas Merton
“For the birds there is not a time that they tell, but the point vierge between darkness and light, between being and nonbeing. You can tell yourself the time by their waking, if you are experienced. But that is your folly, not theirs.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton, 1948
The quote reflects on how birds exist beyond human constructs of time, living in the present moment between opposites, and warns against imposing our temporal judgments on them.
In simple terms: Birds live beyond our clocks, in the present between light and dark.
Key Takeaway
Observe without labeling time.
Themes
mindfulness
presence
nature
Mood
contemplative
serene
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- birdwatching
- meditation
- creative work
- environmental education
Key Concepts
existentialism
phenomenology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you impose time on natural processes?
- What does “being and nonbeing” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
Human attempts to measure nature can be misguided.
