“What reveals itself to me ceases to be mysterious, for me alone: if I unveil it to anyone else, he hears mere words which betray the living sense: Profanation, but never revelation.” ~ Outer Temple of Karnak, Luxor
The quote from the Outer Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt is a profound statement about the nature of knowledge and wisdom. It suggests that the deepest truths cannot be conveyed through words alone. They must be experienced firsthand.
The quote begins by stating that “what reveals itself to me ceases to be mysterious, for me alone.” This suggests that knowledge and wisdom are not something that can be acquired externally. They must come from within. When we have a personal experience of something, it becomes real to us. It is no longer a mystery.
The quote then goes on to say that “if I unveil it to anyone else, he hears mere words which betray the living sense: profanation, but never revelation.” This suggests that words are inadequate to convey the deepest truths. When we try to explain our experiences to others, they can only hear our words. They cannot experience what we experienced. This is why the quote says that it is “profane” to try to reveal the deepest truths to others. It is not true revelation.
True revelation is a personal experience. It is something that we must have for ourselves. We cannot have it vicariously through the experiences of others.
Here are some examples of the truth of the quote:
• We can read about the experience of love, but we cannot truly understand it until we have experienced it for ourselves.
• We can read about the experience of grief, but we cannot truly understand it until we have experienced it for ourselves.
• We can read about the experience of spiritual awakening, but we cannot truly understand it until we have experienced it for ourselves.
The quote from the Outer Temple of Karnak is a reminder that the deepest truths are not found in books or in the words of others. They are found within ourselves. We must have our own experiences in order to truly understand the deepest truths.
The quote also reminds us to be humble about our knowledge and wisdom. We should not try to force others to see the world as we see it. We should respect their right to have their own experiences and to come to their own conclusions.
