On Religion: from Kahlil Gibran's 'The Prophet'

[Deb]

Just because I love it...


On Religion
     
And an old priest said, "Speak to us of Religion."
And he said:
Have I spoken this day of aught else?
Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,
And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?
Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?
Who can spread his hours before him, saying, "This for God and this for myself;
This for my soul, and this other for my body?"
All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.
He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.
The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.
And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.
The freest song comes not through bars and wires.
And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.
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.
For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.
And take with you all men:
For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.
And if you would know God be not therefore 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 rain.
You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.

[rae]

The prophet was one of the first books my mom had me read as a child
Thanks for posting this...

[Mars]

I love Gibran's The prophet. I do see Him playing with my children. This is an excellent way to view the Spring.

I can't pick an actual favorite- but I love the part On Children.

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.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For 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.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

[Deb]

The prophet was one of the first books my mom had me read as a child
Thanks for posting this...

I was a fair bit older, rae - fourteen. It's been my oasis ever since

I love Gibran's The prophet. I do see Him playing with my children. This is an excellent way to view the Spring.

I can't pick an actual favorite- but I love the part On Children.

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.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For 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.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Mars , yes - just gorgeous

[rae]

I was 5 the first time I read it for my moms friends

That was my moms favorite too, mars...good memories...hard to believe my mom has been gone 20 years...great post!

[Miss Deborah]

WOW, and I thought "The Prophet" was lost with the 60's!

[Deb]

I discovered it a little later, Deb - in the '70's.

I don't think a work as wonderful as this can ever really be lost. There are numerous versions available on the Internet and it's heartening to know that people are still prepared to go to the effort of typing up the whole work!

[Auria]

I have an ancient copy. The pages are yellowed with age and the cover shows years of use..good use

[Mars]

I think I bought mine in 1971. The next year I bought Herman Hesse Siddhartha. But the favorite books I always carry around? The Giving Tree by Silverstein and the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery William They are kind of like security blankets. I've lost everything more than once in my life- But still have those 4 books.

I wanted to send the Velveteen Rabbit to Sarah for Rachel- but she said she still can't read it aloud. Bless her heart. In a few years I'll just give it to Rachel.

It's sort of funny what we choose as important to us. What we love.

[rae]

I have those too, mars...great stories..I've collected children's books my whole life... I bought the Velveteen Rabbit for my husband on our first sweetest day

[Auria]

I think I bought mine in 1971. The next year I bought Herman Hesse Siddhartha. But the favorite books I always carry around? The Giving Tree by Silverstein and the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery William They are kind of like security blankets. I've lost everything more than once in my life- But still have those 4 books.

I wanted to send the Velveteen Rabbit to Sarah for Rachel- but she said she still can't read it aloud. Bless her heart. In a few years I'll just give it to Rachel.

It's sort of funny what we choose as important to us. What we love.

I can understand that

I've often wondered about a sudden catastrophe , like a fire.. other than the living people, animals, which objects would have priority ?

Obviously I couldn't pick up all my Great Grandmother's furniture, which I have a great deal scattered through out the house

I'd say, if my mind was functional to do such a thing,.. I'd grab my Grandmother's Bible and family photos
The photos alone would fill up half the car

 My Dad's wallet which also contains his Fireman's badge and last driver's license.. some of my Daughter's baby clothes..
Oh well never mind, the house would be gone by then 

But I do have a hurricane box, several in fact which contain a lot of the smaller things I mentioned above
All my important papers, documents are the safe deposit box, I wouldn't have to worry about them

All the new stuff like furniture, clothes can be replaced, but family heirlooms can't .. and those are what I treasure most... oh yes.. and my Grandmother's cook book and My Uncle's ( who was killed in the invasion of Normandy and who I never met ) dog tags and the Flag which covered his casket...

[Deb]

All the new stuff like furniture, clothes can be replaced, but family heirlooms can't .. and those are what I treasure most... oh yes.. and my Grandmother's cook book and My Uncle's ( who was killed in the invasion of Normandy and who I never met ) dog tags and the Flag which covered his casket...

I treasure the Bible my grandfather kept in his top pocket in the Normandy trenches, and also, my husband's aunt has the Bible his grandfather kept in his top pocket in Normandy. That one has a bullet hole in it but his grandfather was unharmed

[Mars]

Wow. That is just amazing to think about Deb. Sounds like the beginning of a love story.

[Auria]

All the new stuff like furniture, clothes can be replaced, but family heirlooms can't .. and those are what I treasure most... oh yes.. and my Grandmother's cook book and My Uncle's ( who was killed in the invasion of Normandy and who I never met ) dog tags and the Flag which covered his casket...

I treasure the Bible my grandfather kept in his top pocket in the Normandy trenches, and also, my husband's aunt has the Bible his grandfather kept in his top pocket in Normandy. That one has a bullet hole in it but his grandfather was unharmed

That's amazing.. I'm glad you have those Bibles. It's comforting in some way isn't it?

[rdlb]

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.
Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.

And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
      Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself. 

1923  The Prophet