The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
After William Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, the third most revered poet, Lebanese-American artist, philosopher, theologian, and writer KAHLIL GIBRAN was born on 6 January 1883. A celebrated literary hero and political rebel, he attended the Académie Julian, a private art school for painting and sculpture in Paris, France from 1908-1910. The themes of his visual works were inspired by European Classicism, Romanticism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. In his oeuvre of more than 700 sketches and paintings, some of the most significant portraits are of his friends, Auguste René Rodin, W.B. Yeats, and Carl Jung.
The family migrated to the US when Gibran was very young. An extremely gifted student, he completed his early academic years in a public school in Boston. Soon, his desire to be acquainted with his cultural and literary roots took him back to Lebanon. Here, his brother, Peter funded his education at Madrasat Al-Hikmat (School of Wisdom), in (modern-day) Ashrafiet, Beirut.
Proficient in both English and Arabic, Gibran’s transgressive writing broke away from the limitations of the classical school. The publication of his 1923 masterpiece, The Prophet, a collection of 26 poetic essays, was considered a watershed in the 1960s, the era of the hippie counterculture. Ever since, The Prophet has been translated into more than 40 languages, and remains a bestseller. Gibran and his writings have had a profound influence on musicians like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, and David Bowie
The Madman (1918), Twenty Drawings (1919), The Forerunner (1920), Sand and Foam (1926), and Jesus, The Son of Man (1928) are some of his other seminal works.
He died in New York on 10 April 1931. He was 48.
The prophet is the book i always see quoted in movies all the times along side the broken wings both which are from Kahlil.
Kahlil is another Mystic speaking about the Unspeakable and his mysticism his his point of view his peace was inspired actually by many different religions he was brought up Christian then was inspired by Islam Sufism theosophy and the Baha’i religion I just learned what two of those are but this speaks to this overarching theme amongst these sort of writers that not one idea is specifically the one and only truth there seems to be a through line with all of these religions and ideas and to me that’s heartening and luckily for us Khalil Gibran shared these ideas through multiple books.
This book is about a fictional mystical character named AlMustafa who is leaving the city of Orphalese where he has lived for the last 12 years and as he is leaving the villagers the people who love him stop him and ask him different questions about life in The Human Condition before he leaves on this fictional boat and whether that boat is a metaphor for death or a death of sorts I don’t know but before he leaves he drops these wisdom Bombs all over the place on everything from love to marriage to work and religion.
Kahlil avoids making concrete statements and has this seductive lucid and vivid writing, i think for most this is a great way to experience spirituality and romance, it’s heavy with prose and deep advice but nonetheless it was a beautiful reading journey and will recommend everyone read it.
While the whole book could be annotated and quoted here are some things that caught my eye for the time being ( i do plan on a re-read, “no one steps in the same river twice..”)
“for what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger & thirst”
“you talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts”
“No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.”
“Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral.”
“When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.”
“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding”
“And what is fear of need but need itself?”
“And I the believer was also the doubter”
“Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honor.”
“Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.”
“He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.”