The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran #tbrchallenge @blogchatter #bookreview #bookchatter

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

To say, there are only 117 pages in this book - The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. But the depth in these 117 pages is incomparable. This is one of the most fabulous books I have ever read. Good that I read this book in early youth days. It helped me in defining some rule sets of my life. This book Infact connects to life very easily. Every sentence, every page, and ultimately the whole book delivers one or the other basic elements of life that one keeps seeking throughout his life journey. It talks about truth, love, justice, wisdom, and a lot more in the most realistic manner and that's why I found it important to read. Not once, I read this book many times. It has been a part of my personal library all these years.

Story of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The story goes like this. Almustafa visited Orphalese city 12 years back. He has stayed in this city all these years. Lelool is known as the month of reaping. On the 7th day of this month, his ship will be touching the shores of this city with a purpose to take him back to the place of his birth. Almustafa is a Prophet by heart. People in this city admire him as a holy spirit. When they come to know about this, they feel sad, some start weeping, and all started requesting him not to leave them and stay here forever. All of them gather around him and tell him - ''You have walked among us a spirit, and your shadow has been a light upon our faces.'' They beg him to show them the path of wisdom of life.

WHAT IS LOVE?

Almustafa gives them an opportunity to ask whatever they want to. When someone asks about love, he replies - "Love is speechless but when you cry it gets expressed''. He further adds - When love beckons you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. Love may wound you through the sword hidden among his pinions. But when love speaks to you, believe in him, though his voice may shatter your dreams.''

"Love has such a power that it can crown you, and it can crucify you too. He is for your growth and for your pruning too. As he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, on the other hand he descends to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. This all happens if you listen to your heart and know the secrets of your heart. When you achieve these heights in love, love assigns you to his sacred fire, and you become sacred bread for God's sacred feast. Love gives nothing but itself and takes nothing but itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed."

"Love needs to be without desires and need to direct as it has the power to direct your course if it finds you worthy. Sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips. But if you fear to reach to this extent and seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, you will live in a seasonless world where you will laugh but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears."

WHAT'S THE REAL MEANING OF MARRIAGE?

Someone asks him the real meaning of Marriage. He said, "You should be together in the silent memory of God, but let there be spaces in your togetherness. Let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another but not make a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other;s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Give your heart's but not into each other's keeping. Stand together yet not too near together as the pillars of the temple stand apart."

CHILDREN AND PARENTING

somebody seeks guidance on Children and Parenting. Almustafa says, "You may give them your love but not your thoughts, as they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, as their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you as life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday."

Almustafa compared God as Archer, parents as bow and children as arrow and said - ''Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness, as even as he loves the arrow that flies, similarly he loves the bow also that is stable."

WHAT'S GIVING?

While telling the true meaning of GIVING - "You give very little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Who is bigger in giving - A rich giving little of his and a Poor giving whole of his? When you give, are you really a Giver or just a Spectator?"

MEANING AND PURPOSE OF WORK

"When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. - All life is darkness unless there is urge - All urge is blind unless there is knowledge - All knowledge is vain unless there is work - All work is empty unless there is love 'Weave the cloth from the thread of your heart. Build a house with affection' Work is love made visible On Joy and Sorrow Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. They are inseperable. They come together, but when one is sitting with you the other is asleep at your bed.

MEANING AND PURPOSE OF PAIN

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Your heart knows in silence the secrets of the days and the nights but your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge. you would know in words that which you have always known in thought. You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams. Self is a sea of knowledge boundless and measureless."

WHO'S A REAL TEACHER?

"The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among the followers, gives not of his wisdom, but rather of his faith and his loving."

WHO'S A FRIEND?

"Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. Without words in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared with joy that is un-acclaimed."

My Conclusion on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

I would like to conclude my review of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran with following views on certain aspects of life -

- Love is ultimate. It doesn't need any further wish. It is the biggest wish fulfilled. In addition, love never binds. Instead, it lets you free. 

- Never hurt anyone in life. Life is too short to give happiness and heal the wounds of heart.

- After marriage both the partners need to provide enough space to each other to live own's life and not forcing one to live as other wants.

- Being parent does not mean imposing one's thoughts on your children.

- When you give, don't give for fear or with pain, give for joy. If you really want to learn the art of giving, learn from life itself.

- Whatever kind of profession you are in and whatever kind of work you do - work for love and work with love. If you want to learn the real meaning of work, learn from earth that keep on moving non-stop. And learn from the Sun that selflessly provides light with an esteem level of discipline. 

- Self is the biggest source of knowledge and greatest teacher. You are your best teacher. You are your best healer.

Overall, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is a great book to read as many times as possible. It's a must read for everyone.

You can buy this book from Amazon India here.

You can buy this book from Amazon here. 

I'm participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter