my favorite :) why can't all religious text be so succinct?
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my favorite :) why can't all religious text be so succinct?
I purchased the book a short while back but haven't read it yet. You should share your interpretations and impressions of it.
i'm traveling atm and don't have my copy (it's littered with annotations, my favorite part of reading).
i liked the format in which he explicitly stated what each section was about. children, love, divorce, marriage, basically topics he considers important and central to life.
city population: "and tell us about love"
prophet: *rant about love*
the city asks him all these questions because he is leaving them after a long stay (something i interpret as rebirth, since he often mentions he will be back again). clearly they value his opinion and respect his wisdom, but he makes clear that he will return one day and perhaps they will teach him something (very wise in knowing you are not infallibly wise).
it reminded me of the bible due to the teaching of virtue, but i think it appealed to me more because it wasn't so much telling you what to do and what not to do, but instead explained with poetic language why it is important to do something, why it is important to stray from something else. it was almost like the prophet taught the essence of virtue, whereas the bible taught what the virtues were.
then again, i only remember from the bible what i was forced to read in religion class. i have not read it for myself yet, and perhaps it will be a great read one day.
read the book...it holds a lot of wisdom. To me it is not religious just an understanding. My favorite read and center.
kittypaws
to me, wisdom is religion. wisdom helps you live your life better.
Kahlil Gibran is one of my favourites too. I especially like the one called Speak to us of Children". I can't remember how it goes exactly but it is along the lines of - your children are not your children, they are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself, and like the arrow sent from the bow. Such beautifully expressed wisdom.Quote:
Originally Posted by hypatia_
Yes the Children's part is the best of the entire book.... 'Manuscript Found in Accra' by Paulo Coelho is a very similar work as of 'The Prophet', just in case if someone's interested. Great book that too is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamwoven
This one is also brimming with insight and wisdom.
Pain is often a way of breaking the shell that encloses your understanding. Much of it is self-chosen. It is the bitter potion by which we heal our inner self.
Such concentrated simplicity! The more I read the more layers of self-delusion I uncover and expose to re-working and thereby growing.
Kahlil Gibran is pretty great!