“That which never was, cannot exist, and that which exists, cannot cease to exist. Even the Sun is transient, coming into existence and vanishing. The candle both exists and does not exist, for, when it is burnt, its substance dissolves back into the five elements. Everything which has a name and a form ceases one day to exist in that particular mode, though it does not cease to be a creation of God.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: M. K. Gandhi, The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi (Anasaktiyoga), 1929/1946; Gandhi's gloss on Gita 2.16 (the real never ceases to be).
About this quote
Seeing that every form is on loan — bodies, objects, even the sun — loosens the grip of loss. If the passing shape was always going to dissolve, its ending isn't a robbery but simply the nature of the thing. What that steadies is grief: you can hold what's temporary without demanding it be permanent.
When to use it
- A woman watching her children grow up feels the ache but stops fighting time, letting each stage pass.
- A collector loses a prized object to fire and, after the shock, realizes he still has the years it gave him.
- A gardener plants annuals knowing they'll die by autumn, and enjoys the bloom more for its brevity.