I'm a huge fan of the Indian (Bengali) intellectual,
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Tagore was an Indian Bengali polymath - he was expert in a variety of subject areas: In his time (era) he was a popular poet, musician, novelist.... his writings reshaped Bengali literature and music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. How I came to learn about him - my exposure to his writings - was through my friend Robert, who lived up in the hills of Ashland - the Greensprings area. He collected his books - his writings. Robert put on some of music and handed me a book one starry, warm summers' night and he had me read some beautiful prose that TAgore authored.
It was one of those extended moments hazed by "blue sparkles" and I will never forget the long drawn out conversations I had with Robert about Tagorian philosophy! Robert was such a character that, I took my friend Brynn out there one summer to meet him and she soon came to see what it was that I enjoyed about late night conversations, out on the Greensprings, with Robert! His property was absolutely beautiful - rustic cabin, acres of pines, deer that wandered throughout the land, a gazebo that stood near a natural babbling creek - out in the middle of nowhere! *Those were the days!*
Anyhow, here's some quotes authored by Tagore:
Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.
A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it.
Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.
And my all-time favorite:
Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.
