What do you think of the quote "The fire that enlightens is the fire that consumes"?

Question

I interpreted this very differently than the answerers. The way I interpreted this quote is, "In order to discover the world and how it works, we have to consume it too"
For instance, we have learned a lot about space and the nature of the universe from our space program, but in order to have that space program we needed to have a worldwide infrastructure to make all the components of the rockets. To get to that level, we needed to consume much of the worlds resources. That is just my take on it though, and all the answers were very enlightening!

Answer 1

Very interesting
Fire has the power to create and the power to destroy.
After its death new life shines in its place
........just another idea

passion turns to obsession
the truth becomes vague
confidence to overconfidence..........

Answer 2

Wow great words in my own life I met a person a year ago that I admired a beautiful talented person that gave me career advice. I was so in awe by this person for the whole I thought about his life hahaha and I was just his fan in any case I was consuumed by his fire instead of worrying about my own life and career and the real people in my life that cared about me I lost the reality but the fire never burned me out because I started soul searching in the past year and I no longer consumed by that person anymore hahaha I will enjoy my life. Also the fact that I could think of that one thing brought negatives too my life because of it and I was not open to others because of it I learned a great lesson about enlightenment boy did I ever hahah over many tears but you learn and you want to not get consumed by any fire except your own hahaha and a person that is worthy of your enlightenment and fire together hahahaha great question thanks

Answer 3

It makes me hope, and it makes alot of sense...You have to assume and hope that people that are "enlightened" are going to make use of the knowledge that they just received. Maybe it would change their life.....you never know. I wonder how many people will actually understand this quote in the way I think it was meant to be understood.

Answer 4

Well, this is perhaps stated in a 'poetic' sense.
When we experience that everything around us is a part of ourselves, and we are a part of everything around, we also experience a merger , a dissolution.. we get 'dissolved'... we get consumed by the experience !

Answer 5

I like the quote very much ;and it;s all so true, Itls like playing with fire you will get burned ; but your is much more deeper...