Favourite Quotes

“When you love you should not say, ‘God is in my heart,’ but rather, ‘I am in the heart of God.’ ” p. 20

“you talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts” p. 84

Summary & Analysis

Combined these sections because it’s easier with this type of book.

Anything italicized is a direct quote from the book. Anything NOT italicized is my own summary, explanation, thoughts, comments, analysis, etc.

Introduction by Editor

Note: I have two different editions of this book. The contents are the exact same, just different introductions by the editor.

*Capella 2007 edition*
Kahli Gibran believed in the idea of Wahdatul Wujud
a good point highlighted by the editor is that the words of the Prophet resonate with people because it is “heart knowledge”, i.e. things that we the readers already know but is hidden deep inside our minds
- “no man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge” - p. 7
once this ‘dawning knowledge’ is transformed into the full light of day, then and only then “you shall know the hidden purposes in all things”
*Capstone/Wiley edition 2020*
“The difference between a prophet and poet is that the prophet lives what he teaches - and the poet does not. He might write wonderfully of love, and yet not be loving.” p. xiv
“And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” p. 13

The Coming of the Ship

the prophet is preparing to leave the town and the people are sad to see him go
a seeress, Almitra, asks him to share his truth and wisdom with them before he leaves. He says “of what can I speak save of that which is even now moving within your souls?” - p. 16
- this is basically what it said in the introduction. The reason why the words of the Prophet touch us so much is because he speaks truth that deep down we also believe in, or at least resonates with us. He is confirming the truths and wisdom we already have inside of us

On Love

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love.

This passage is selected as the chapter introduction
‘for love is sufficient unto love’ means that love is self-sustaining. It requires nothing beyond itself to flourish. Love operates independently of external factors.

“Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning” - p. 18
- ‘he’ is referring to love
- love is the strongest force in existence. It has the power of growth and destruction.
“When you love you should not say, ‘God is in my heart,’ but rather, ‘I am in the heart of God.’ ” p. 20
- this is because love = God. You cannot separate the two. When we love, God doesn’t “enter” us, but rather we go to Him. When we ‘become one with God’, we enter into his essence, not the other way around.
“think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course” p. 20
- love has the power to change the trajectory of your life

On Marriage

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though though they quiver with the same music

This passage is selected as the chapter introduction
this highlights the importance of having autonomy even in marriage. The Prophet uses the metaphor of a lute. It has many strings all which operate independently, but they are part of the overall instrument and together they produce the same music

The Prophet believes in togetherness in marriage, but also some degree of separation, as he says:
- “let there be spaces in your togetherness”
- “let the winds of the heavens dance between you”
- “fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup”
- “give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf”
he uses another metaphor, that of the temple with pillars:
- “stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart”
- each pillar holds up the temple independently, but they are closely linked because if you were to remove one pillar, the entire temple would collapse

On Children

the Prophet believes that children are given to you from the Life-force itself, i.e. from God. They do not belong to you. You (the parents) are simply a vessel God chose to allow the soul of the child to come through
- “your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you”
children are independent human beings, just because you birthed them doesn’t give you the right to exercise full control and influence over them
- “you may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts… you may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you”

On Giving

the Prophet believes that only giving material possessions is not sufficient, but rather you must give “of yourself”
- “it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?”
he disapproves of those who have lots, yet give only little and do it to be recognized by others, while he commends those who have little and give everything they have
giving can have a huge impact on a person emotionally and spiritually
- “there are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism”
- if you give with pain, i.e. reluctantly give, that experience is potentially life changing. You are performing an action that is very difficult for you to do, yet you do it anyways. Afterwards you may feel different, renewed, or “baptized”.
the Prophet puts the act of giving in perspective; telling us that all you have will anyways be given one day! So might as well do it now and experience the joy that comes with it
- “and is there aught you would withhold? All you have shall some day be given; Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors”
the Prophet then turns towards the idea that some may have that they do not give because they don’t know who is worthy of receiving. He says that anyone living may be worthy of receiving your gifts
- “he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream”
furthermore he says that you are not in fact the giver, but rather the instrument of giving. Life is what ultimately gives to other life
- “See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness
for the people on the receiving end he gives a piece of advice: don’t assume the weight of gratitude nor feel like you have a huge debt to repay
- “and you receivers, assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives”
  - a yoke meaning a collar to pull a cart or plow, i.e. something heavy. Be grateful, but don’t feel like you are now obligated to the giver. Excessive gratitude can create this sense of obligation in you and may also place some expectations on the giver to give more
- “For to be over-mindful of your debt is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father”
  - by being excessively grateful or feeling like you have a significant debt you must repay, you are actually implying that the one who gives is not inherently generous and feels like they lost something
  - rather, the one who gives, like all humans, is the child of the abundant earth mother who gives much of her own (crops, vegetation, animals, etc), and God who is the epitome of generosity himself
- overall this teaches us to have a balanced approach to both giving and receiving.

On Eating and Drinking

the Prophet provides a prayer when slaughtering animals for food:
- “by the same power that slays you, I too am slain; and I too shall be consumed. For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand. You blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven”

On Work

the Prophet views work as a very positive thing and something that can be rewarding or meaningful
regarding child-birth he says that it is very rewarding and meaningful
- “if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written”
- he affirms that it is incredibly difficult to be a mother and give birth (sweat of your brow), but even if you think it is a curse, the toil you go through will actually make it meaningful and undo the curse. He’s affirming that motherhood is in fact a very meaningful thing even if it may be difficult
work is most meaningful when done with love
- “all work is empty save when there is love; and when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God”
to work with love means to build a house as if your beloved will live in it, to sew a garment as if your beloved will wear it, to plant a seed as if your beloved will eat the fruit
“work is love made visible”
if you cannot work with love, then give up your work. Your output would be tainted, as said below:
- “for if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feels but half man’s hunger”
- “if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine”

On Joy and Sorrow

the Prophet teaches that joy and sorrow are inextricably linked and came from the same source. The more joy you have, the more sorrow you could also have.
- “the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
your state vacillates between joy and sorrow. The only way to be balanced is to be void of joy and sorrow
- “only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced”

On House

nothing here

On Clothes

“for the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind”
the Prophet seems to suggest that modesty is not the natural state of living, rather it is a reaction to the impure and bad people.
- “forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean. And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind? And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair

On Buying and Selling

not much here

On Crime and Punishment

the Prophet teaches the concept of Collective Guilt
- “the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you, so the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.”
- “And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree, so the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will of you all”
- “you cannot separate the just from the unjust and the good from the wicked”
the Prophet teaches that you must assess both the victim and the suspect, for there may be more guilt in both parties than we realize
- “if any of you would bring to judgement the unfaithful wife, let him also weight the heart of her husband in scales and measure his soul with measurements.”
the roots of evil go down deep and touches us all
- “he will find the roots of the good and the bad, the fruitful and the fruitless, all entwined together in the silent heart of the earth”

On Laws

The Prophet says that mankind likes to break rules
- “you delight in laying down laws, yet you delight more in breaking them”
The Prophet says that laws can only take you so far. You can’t make laws about everything
- “you can muffle the dream, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?”
- skylark = type of bird
- you cannot enact a law to prohibit birds from singing, it’s simply not possible.

On Freedom

the Prophet says that people are not as free as they think
true freedom is having constraints/limitations, yet rising above them in an unbound manner
- “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”
freedom starts with the individual. Break the shackles internally. It’s always in your hands
- “if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed. For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud”
- “if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared”
Freedom is not a destination, rather a journey. You must continually become more and more free
- “you can only be free… when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfilment
- “thus your freedom when it loses its fetters becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom”

On Reason and Passion

The Prophet teaches that your soul has an internal struggle between your reason and your passion. But you must become the peacemaker and reconcile between the two
both are very important to every individual, therefore you must keep both in check
- “For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.”
- “therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion; that it may sing. And let it direct your passion with reason”
reminds me of Crime & Punishment > “Reason is passion’s slave”
- in this case, the passion is stronger, therefore your reason becomes its slave. You must practice keeping them both in line and on the same level

On Pain

the Prophet teaches pain is a necessary component of being. Just as the seasons are necessary for mother nature.
Pain helps us to increase in understanding and improve ourselves
- “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” p. 89
You must be patient throughout pain because often it is good for you. It is your bodies way of healing itself. You must trust in this process for it is from the Unseen himself
- “Much of your pain is self-chosen. It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility: For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen.”

On Self-Knowledge

The Prophet teaches that there are multiple truths and multiple ways to reach truth
- “Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’ ”
- “Say not, ‘I have found the path of the soul.’ Say rather, ‘I have met the soul walking upon my path.’ For the soul walks upon all paths.”

On Teaching

The Prophet says that teaching is simply the awakening of known/semi-known knowledge
- “No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge”
the teacher’s role is to help the student think for themselves, not to indoctrinate them
- “if (the teacher) is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind”
- “for the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man”
  - instead the other man must grow his own distinct wings, with the assistance of the former man. The former man already has wings so he has experience he can impart
God views us all as distinct individuals. We must also return the favour and view God in our own unique way, i.e. find our own truth
- “And even as each one of you stands alone in God’s knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.”

On Friendship

The Prophet teaches that your friends are those very close to you; you’re not afraid to speak your mind nor are they, they see your good and bad side and vice-versa
the purpose of friendship is the deepening of the spirit

On Talking

“you talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts”
the Prophet teaches that talking unnecessarily is useless and not good
- “when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.”
he also teaches that words are not sufficient and thought is superior
- “in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered”
- “for thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly”
sometimes we talk because of our fear of being alone
- “the silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape”
when speaking to your true friends, now this is the only worthy time to speak for your true friend will cherish your words
- “Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; for his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered. When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more.”
- meaning even after you die, your true friends will remember and cherish your words

On Time

the Prophet teaches that time is like love; just as undivided and paceless

On Good and Evil

the Prophet says he cannot tell people about evil, but he certainly can tell them about good
his point with all the phrases is that the opposite of good is not necessarily evil - things are rather more complex than that
- example: a root sucks the energy out of the earth, while the fruit gives energy to others. The root is ‘selfish’ but this is not a bad thing. This is what it’s made for. The point is that context and circumstances matter

On Prayer

the Prophet doesn’t teach people how to pray because prayer is in the peoples’ hearts
- “you who are born of the mountains and the forests and the seas can find their prayer in your heart”
God knows all things before we ask
- “we cannot ask thee for aught, for thou knowest our needs before they are born in us”
God is all we need
- “thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all”

On Pleasure

the Prophet teaches that it is good to have pleasures, similarly to the bee and the flower
- the bee seeks honey from the flower, and the flower gives
- the bee views the flower as a fountain of life, while the flower views the bee as a messenger of love
- “to both, bee and flower, the giving and the receiving of pleasure is a need and an ecstasy”
pleasure is as critical to the spirit as the nightingale is to the night, or the firefly to the stars

On Beauty

the Prophet teaches us beauty is not a ‘need’ like many believe
- “beauty is not a need but an ecstasy. It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth, but rather a heart inflamed and a soul enchanted”
beauty is within you, it is not seen
- “it is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear, but rather an image you see through you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears”
- “beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil

On Religion

the Prophet says that he’s been speaking about religion all this time
your daily life is ‘religion’. Everything you do is for God.
- “who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?”
- “who can spread his hours before him saying ‘This is for God and this for myself; this for my soul and this other for my body?’ ”
- “he who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked”
  - i.e. you must be moral at all times

On Death

the Prophet teaches that life and death are inextricably linked
- “if you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.”
- “for life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one”
we must not be scared of death. Even if we are, that fearfulness is a joyful one for we are meeting our creator
only with death do we truly get to live
- “only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountains top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance”

The Farewell

“if aught I have said is truth, that truth shall reveal itself in a clearer voice, and in words more kin to your thoughts”
- real truth can be recognized easily by someone open to it. Truth resonates with us internally.
“you have been told that even like a chain you are as weak as your weakest link. This is but half the truth. You are also as strong as your strongest link.”

Main Idea of the Book

The book follows the story of “The Prophet” who is leaving a town that he’s lived in for a while. Before he leaves, the people ask him to leave them with some departing wisdom on various topics from love, religion, death, and laws.

Reflections

It’s an excellent book with some great passages. Not every chapter is as good as others, as you can probably tell by my summary.

Wandering Meditations

Explorer

The Prophet