Gibran Khalil Gibran

IST III Fall 2023

 Gibran Khalil Gibran
A Lebanese-American poet, writer,
philosopher, and artist
Born on January 6, 1883, in Bsharri
Passed away on April 10, 1931, in New
York City
Writings on love, spirituality, and the
human condition
Some of his main writings are "The
Prophet" ,"The Broken Wings", "Sand and
Foam", and "Jesus, The Son of Man."
 The Prophet

Published in 1923
One of the most translated books in history
( translated into more than 100 languages)
A collection of 26 poetic essays
Covers various aspects of life, spirituality,
love, and human nature
The Prophet vs Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Reminiscent in terms of its

epigrammatic style and visionary
diction
The Prophet a response to Thus Spoke
Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra provides
pessimistic undertones meanwhile The
Prophet envisions love and freedom as
salvation
 Main Themes

Unshakable Belief in Love and Life

Glorification of All Human Beings
Appreciation of Joy
Belief in Freedom
Equality and Goodness of All Human
Beings
Appreciation of Nature
 The Coming Of The Ship
The narrative takes place in an imaginary
city called Orphalese and opens with the
coming of a ship to take Almustafa (“the
chosen”) to his native island after a 12- year
exile.
Before he embarks on his journey, the people
of the city ask him to share his wisdom on a
wide range of topics.
“People of Orphalese, of what can I speak
save of that which is even now moving within
your souls?”
 LOVE

Love purifies and teaches life-

appreciation, gratitude and happiness.
Love should be a source of joy and not a
burden, as it should not seek to possess but
to nurture and uplift
“Love has no other desire but to fulfill
itself”
 MARRIAGE

Both individuals are equal

Marriage requires sharing togetherness
while keeping space and love.
“You shall be together when the white wings
of death scatter your days
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent
memory of God
But let there be spaces in your togetherness”
 CHILDREN

Encourages parents to provide guidance and

love to their children while allowing them
the space to grow and discover their own
paths in life
“They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, they don’t
belong to you
You may give them your love but not your
thoughts
For they have their own thoughts”
 GIVING

Giving everything without seeking any

return is godly since all possessions are
subject to loss.
It connects people and fosters a sense of
community and abundance.
“There are those who give little of the much
that they have - and they give it for
recognition...
And there are those who have little and
give it all ”
 EATING AND DRINKING

Eating and drinking should be a communal

and joyous experience
Eating and drinking sustain the eternity of
life and nature.
 WORK

Work should be done with love and

dedication
“And when you work with yourself, you
bind yourself to yourself, and to one
another, and to God“
 JOY AND SORROW

Both joy and sorrow are part of the human

journey
They are inseparable, each complements the
other
“But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits
alone with you at your board, remember
that the other is asleep upon your bed“
Then a mason came forth and said, speak to us of
The Spiritual Significance of Homes
Houses:
extensions of human beings
reflecting their values, dreams, and spirit.
Humans:
natural wanderers
restless in rest
children of space
Thus, homes should embody freedom and openness,
not just safety.
Dangers of Comfort and Materialism
Desires for safety and comfort --> spiritual atrophy.
Houses built out of fear --> Separation from nature,
inner peace, and beauty.
Comfort becomes a trap by
stifling the passion of the soul
turning homes into tombs.
And the weaver said, speak to us of
The Illusion of Modesty and Freedom
Clothes offer protection but create a false
sense of privacy and freedom.
Modesty through clothing is challenged; it
restricts rather than liberates.
“Harness and a chain“
Indecency is subjective; fear of it exists in the
observer's mind.
Clothes as Barriers to Natural Self
Clothing: an authentic expression of inner self, rejecting societal norms.
And a merchant said, speak to us of
Earth as Provider of all essential food
Godliness, "the master spirit of the earth," as a guide of transactions among all
in the marketplace.
Love among merchants and customers, ensuring fairness and satisfaction.
Work opportunities for the empty-handed, empowering them to earn, regain
dignity, and aligning with love's principles.
Then one of the judges of the city stood forth and said,
speak to us of
Almustafa outlines the human psyche, resembling Freud's superego,
ego, and id.
Crime stems from societal failures --> society bears collective
responsibility.
Criminal acts are not isolated; the whole of humanity, including
society, bears responsibility for societal failures that lead to crime.
The a lawyer said, But what of our
Man-made Laws
Laws, like sandcastles, are
whimsically created and broken,
lacking an understanding of
consequences.
Lawmakers' selfish rules erode
human dignity, imposing
shadows on society, stifling joy.
Natural Laws
Those embracing love & natural laws
walk freely, unbound by human-made
laws, emphasizing the Golden Rule .
Inherent god-self guides righteous
paths, rejecting societal norms, echoing
Romantic ideals of personal
autonomy.
And an orator said, Speak to us of
The Paradox of Freedom
"You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a
grief, But rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound."

Desire-Driven Freedom True Freedom

- Not the absence of care, want, or grief,

- Often worshipped without
but the ability to rise above these
understanding its limitations.
challenges.
- Can become a chain, limiting true
- Involves resilience and acceptance of
liberation.
life's struggles.
- May lead to the misconception that
- Requires inner transformation and
freedom is the absence of life's
acceptance of struggles, including unjust
challenges.
laws or fears.
The Inward Journey to Freedom
"And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is
destroyed... Verily all things move within your being in constant half embrace, the desired and
the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished, the pursued and that which you would escape."

Freedom
begins with self-awareness and the destruction of internal
tyrannies, acknowledging and confronting the shadows
within.
is an ongoing journey of self-discovery, where the chains of
one freedom often become the stepping stones to a greater,
more profound freedom.
And the priestess spoke again, and said:
Speak to us of
A Delicate Balance
"Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your
judgment wage war against passion and your appetite."

Inner Conflict: The struggle between reason and passion within the human
soul.

Balance as Strength: Reason and passion as the rudder and sails of the
seafaring soul; imbalance leads to aimless drifting.

"For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a

flame that burns to its own destruction."
Embracing Divine Duality

"God rests in reason... God moves in passion."

Parallels between nature's calm and storms, associating God's presence with

reason and passion respectively.

Encouraging rest in reason and movement in passion, acknowledging both

as inherent aspects of the divine human experience.

And a woman spoke, saying, Tell us of
“Much of your pain is self-chosen. It is the bitter potion by
which the physician within you heals your sick self.”

Is life really so bad, or have you chosen to perceive it that

way?
 Pain comes with "breaking of the shell" enclosing a spiritual truth that
has been hidden or denied.
It is a part of life and among its daily miracles, no less wondrous than joy.

“And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always
accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.”

The heart has its seasons, and pain is its winter.

And a man said Speak to us of
"Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights."
Self-knowledge is a deeply personal journey.
The treasure (depths) of self is boundless and immeasurable.
"Say not, 'I have found the truth,' but rather, 'I have found a
truth.'"
The soul's nature is expansive and ever-evolving.
It embraces diverse truths and walks upon myriad paths.
Then said a teacher, Speak to us of
"No teacher can give their wisdom. They can only lead someone to the
threshold of their own mind."

While a teacher creates an environment of

faith and love, nurturing the conditions for
wisdom to grow, Wisdom cannot be given; it
must be discovered through personal
awakening.
“Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you
sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.”

True friendship = precious gift

Mutual respect, trust and understanding

“For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all

expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed”

Friendship ---> deep/unspoken bond

We don’t need words to communicate with our true friends

“When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which
you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the
mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain”.
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts”

Talking as distraction
Overwhelmed ------> The need to talk to others

“And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered”

Talk without thinking

Saying things that we may regret in the future
Our words have can have negative or positive impact on others
 "And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless? But
if in your thought you must measure time into seasons, let
each season encircle all the other seasons, And let today
embrace the past with remembrance and the future with
longing.“
Time = mystery
Can be measured but not understood
Time = love (boundless and without division) -------->
Embrace each moment rather than focusing on the past
and the future
"Although you attempt to measure and regulate time, the
timelessness in you knows that time is infinite, and that life is
timeless.“
Our perception of time------> based on our limited
understanding of the universe
We are all part of a timeless eternal consciousness.
 "Of the good in you, I can speak, but not of the evil.“
Evil = good corrupted by hunger and thirst
Deprivation -----> Evil
“You are good when you are one with yourself. For a divided
house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.“
Harmony with oneself-------> acting good and kind
Divided within ourselves------> acting in a way that
is harmful to ourselves and other
"You are good when you strive to give of yourself.“
Giving others------> joy of giving-------> Goodness
"You are good when you are fully awake in your speech.“
"Even those who limp go not backward.“
Imperfectness------> a way of striving to be better
Learning from mistakes
 Gibran: "Evil is good tortured by its own hunger and
thirst."
Nietzsche: "Good and evil are only different values that
have been given to things.“
--------> Good and evil are not two separate things, but
rather different aspects of the same thing.
Gibran: "You are not evil when you are not good."
Nietzsche: "There is nothing good or evil in itself; there
is only good and evil for someone.“
----------> Good and evil are not objective or absolute, but
rather are fluid and relative.
Gibran: "In your longing for your giant self lies your
goodness."
Nietzsche: "The overman is the meaning of the earth.“
------------> Individual autonomy and self-creation are
essential to living a good life.
"What is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living
ether?“

Prayer is not just asking for things

Experiencing a deeper connection to the divine

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you
might pray also in the fullness of your joy...“

Sharing your happiness with the divine

“Prayer is a way to pour out your darkness and embrace the

dawning of your heart.”

Prayer = release negative emotions

Opening your heart to love and compassion
 “Pleasure is a· freedom-song, But it is not freedom.”
Pleasure ------> byproduct of spiritual freedom and not freedom
"And in their fear of seeking and remembering, they shun all pleasures, lest they neglect the
spirit or offend against it."
There is no need to fear that pursuing pleasure will offend the spirit.
Pleasure can lead to spiritual growth
"Oftentimes in denying yourself pleasure, you do but store the desire in the recesses of your
being.“
Denying pleasure------> unhealthy behaviors and negative emotions
Find ways to express in a healthy and balanced way
“And now you ask in your heart, "How shall we distinguish that which is good in pleasure from
that which is not good’?” Go to your fields and your gardens, and you shall learn that it is the
pleasure of the bee to gather honey of the flower, But it is also the pleasure of the flower to yield its
honey to the bee. For to the bee a flower is a fountain of life, And to the flower a bee is a messenger
of love, And to both, bee and flower, the giving and the receiving of pleasure is a need and an
ecstasy. People of Orphalese, be in your pleasures like the flowers and the bees”
Distinguishing Good from bad pleasure
Mutual pleasure
•
“People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
But you are life and you are the veil.”
Individuals prevent themselves from experiencing beauty
Negative thoughts/feelings--------->putting veil over our
eyes------>preventing ourselves from seeing the beauty in
the world and in ourself
“Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are
eternity, and you are the mirror.”
Beauty--------> eternal and unchanging
When we experience beauty------> we are connecting with
out own beauty
 "Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Whenever you
enter into it take with you your all. Take the plough and the forge
and the mallet and the lute, the things you have fashioned in
necessity or for delight.”
Religion is the way that we live our lives
Bringing our full selves to our daily lives/relationships
------> we are experiencing religion
“And if you would know God be not theref
ore a solver of riddles. Rather look about you and you shall see Him
playing with your children. And look into space; you shall see Him
walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and
descending in ram. You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then
rising and waving His hands in trees.”
Challenges us to see God in the world around us rather than
trying to solve an intellectual puzzle
God-------> is present in the beauty of nature, in the laughter
of children and in the power of the natural words
 "You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it
unless you seek it in the heart of life?"
Death-----> natural part of the life cycle
When you understand life you will understand death
"Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed
sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall
begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall
you truly dance.“
When we die we enter a state of deep peace
We are able to connect our true selves and experience the
true joy of being
The mountain top represent the highest level of
consciousness that we can achieve
When we die------> we reach the mountain top, but our
journey doesn’t end there
When we die---àour bodies return to the earth but our
souls lives on (the dance represents the freedom and joy
that we experience after death)
Almustafa assures the people of Orphalese that he will return to them if they need
him.
He speaks with love of the universal spirit he perceives in each of them.
He urges them to judge themselves by their spiritual triumphs and not their failures.
He chides those who have judged him harshly over the years, but also reveals that he
has been wounded by his own search for truth.
He assures the people that they will understand his teachings one day.
He invites readers to examine and reevaluate life as they experience it, and to look
for the transcendental in the ordinary
All I have told you, you already know in thought; and when it is time, you will find
that your words and my words are one.
 https://literariness.org/2023/10/04/analysis-of-
khalil-gibrans-the-prophet/
https://awej.org/images/AllIssues/Specialissues/Lite
rature1/17.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IAbBv1yg_Tw https://myreadforchange.com/the-
prophet-kahlil-gibran-poetry-with-message/
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-
Prophet/summaries/
https://www.kahlilgibran.com/images/The%20Prop
het%20Ebook%20by%20Kahlil%20Gibran.pdf
 Jamal Banna
Hasmig Aintablian
Norayr Kloumian