Kahlil Gibran is a Lebanese poet and philosopher; his predominant work “The Prophet,” has profound influence and made a terrific impact on mankind since its inception.
I’ve found few answers to the predicaments of life in “The Prophet” that has enormous potential to change you. I’ve been in a maze drifting away until “The Prophet” tapped my unconscious and showed me the path out of the maze towards enlightenment.
Here we go:
On Joy and Sorrow
The Prophet says, “Joy is your sorrow unmasked.”
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Any adversity in your life is a blessing in disguise that makes you a better person. So whenever you are in a deep melancholy, just stay calm; the joy has yet to come because both joy and sorrow are inseparable.
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart; you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
On Pain
The Prophet says, “Much of your pain is self chosen.”
We inflict pain upon ourselves knowingly; obviously we can’t avoid it, however, we can deal with it. Try to avoid the trap of being the victim and search for ways to handle your pain.
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. So accept pain and get to know you better. Pain is a chance to grow personally.
On Reason and Passion
The Prophet says, “Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.”
Having a reason and passion in life cuts off the unnecessary melodrama and leads you to the desired goal.
Reason and Passion gives a purpose to life; we aimlessly loiter and succumb to the paradoxes of life if we don’t have reason and passion that leads to the eternity.
So when you are lost and depressed, find your reason and passion. They truly help you.
On Good and Evil
The Prophet says, “Evil is nothing but good tortured by his own hunger and thirst.”
Life is full of choices, we have to choose carefully; let us not allow good be tortured by the hunger. If so, good provokes evil.
So have restraint and practice self-control to surely prevents all the mishaps of evil. Longing for goodness is in all of us. Nurture it, protect it and practice it. When good is hungry, it seeks food even in dark caves; when it is thirsty it drinks even from dead waters.
Beware, after all choice is yours.
On Work
The Prophet says, “Work is love made visible.”
If we do so, we consciously avoid all our career depressions.
And what is working with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, as if your beloved were to wear the cloth.
You work that you may keep peace with the soul of the earth. And to love life through labor is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.
No matter what, do what you love; you’ll never regret, for in it is hidden the gate to eternity.
On Giving
The Prophet says, “Those who believe in life, their coffer is never empty.”
Holding on to everything you own is the source for all troubles and worries. Life is short, give unconditionally. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
To simply put, “To withhold is to perish and to give is to receive”
On Choice
The Prophet says, “Let not the sprit go wandering upon the wind.”
Control your thoughts. There is no good and bad separately; both lie within us. It’s ultimately the choice we consciously opt for.
Hold up the spirit and guide your soul to eternal bliss.
Our depressions are mostly self-inflicted; the problems in life are the choices we made. Before laying axe unto the evil, let us examine the roots first. Once it is done our predicaments obviously fly away.
To end this article, “It is life in quest of life in bodies that fear the grave.” Let us aim for the eternity and make our lives beautiful and purposeful.
Thanks to Kahlil Gibran.
