Tag: World

Animals, Culture, Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy

The Year of The Tiger: What Richard Parker Can Teach Us About Life | Art of Saudade

February 1 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Traditionally, the tiger has always been the symbol of bravery, wisdom, and strength.  You all know the story of a young Indian boy named Pi, stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a 450-pound Bengal tiger. In his philosophical novel Life of Pi, which was later … Continue reading The Year of The Tiger: What Richard Parker Can Teach Us About Life | Art of Saudade

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Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Quotes

Perfect Imperfection: George Orwell’s Thoughts On Searching For The Impossible

“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection, that one is sometimes willing to commit sins for the sake of loyalty, that one does not push asceticism to the point where it makes friendly intercourse impossible, and that one is prepared in the end to be defeated and broken up by life, which is the inevitable price of fastening one’s love … Continue reading Perfect Imperfection: George Orwell’s Thoughts On Searching For The Impossible

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Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Emily Dickinson’s Lesson On The Real Value Of Things | Art of Saudade

“Water, is taught by thirst. Land — by the Oceans passed. Transport — by throe — Peace — by its battles told — Love, by Memorial Mold — Birds, by the Snow.“ – Emily Dickinson We only learn the real value of things when we lose them. Only when we are thirsty can we truly appreciate Water. People who survive a shipwreck get to know … Continue reading Emily Dickinson’s Lesson On The Real Value Of Things | Art of Saudade

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Learning, Life lessons, Philosophy, Quotes

Beckett’s Art of Failure: Fail again. Fail better | Art of Saudade

You know that frustrating feeling when you try your best but you don’t succeed? When you get what you want, but not what you need? Alright, I’ll stop quoting Chris Martin. But we’ve all been through this, right? There are high chances that you’re going through it right now. Social pressure, expectations versus reality, dreams taking time to manifest… These are hard times for dreamers. … Continue reading Beckett’s Art of Failure: Fail again. Fail better | Art of Saudade

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Creative writing, Culture, Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Quotes

Dragons and Princesses: Rilke’s ideas of beauty and courage

“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.” Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet (1929) In his Letters to a Young Poet, the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke transforms our traditional idea … Continue reading Dragons and Princesses: Rilke’s ideas of beauty and courage

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Creative writing, History

Carcassonne – A Medieval Tale | Art of Saudade

When we read history, we usually perceive the historical events as something that happened a long time ago which doesn’t concern us. We rarely empathize with the people who went through difficult times, forgetting that it was the destiny of our ancestors and neglecting their real stories. Moreover, we tend to forget that history repeats itself, sometimes in different forms, but it never ceases to … Continue reading Carcassonne – A Medieval Tale | Art of Saudade

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Languages, Literature, Poetry, Quotes, Translation

Rumi: Lost in translation

I believe in love at first read. Rumi’s poems always felt like a healing balm to my soul. I remember the day I realized I couldn’t rely on English translations of Rumi’s works. I was like Rumi in this picture. We know that no translation can ever replace the original and we are unfortunately unable to learn all the languages in the world. Many literary … Continue reading Rumi: Lost in translation

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Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

T.S. Eliot and Sufism

Have you spotted any mystical elements in T.S. Eliot’s poetry?  Four Quartets, a set of four poems published in 1943, is one of Eliot’s biggest masterpieces and poetic meditations. Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable. What might have been is an abstraction … Continue reading T.S. Eliot and Sufism

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Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Rumi and Shams: a love story

Why should I seek? I am the same as He. His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself! In the heart of 13th-century Konya, Turkey, the meeting of two luminaries—Rumi, the celebrated Persian poet, and Shams, the enigmatic mystic from Tabriz—marked the beginning of a profound spiritual journey that continues to inspire seekers of truth and enlightenment to this day.Shams means sun … Continue reading Rumi and Shams: a love story

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