Gather The Thoughts And Meditations Of Kahlil Gibran Sketched By Kahlil Gibran Readable In Version

are weak and powerful and humble and haughty, You are pliant and rigid, and clear and secret, ” Aphorisms,individual accounts,short stories on a number of ideas,events and historical facts by one of the greatest writer who emerged from the levant in the last century.
I wonder how much his heart would ache to see the conditions there in the modern times under Islamic State,
From stories involving old gods of love from Classical antiquity of Assyria and relating it to modern arab kingdoms, to thoughts about his contemporary arab society and also life in those regions on the eastern seaboard to the Mediterranean ocean.
A collection of parables translated by Anthony R, Ferris. I probably would have enjoyed these more when I was youngera lot younger,

The preface is the most interesting part of the book, Gibran was a fascinating man who wanted a world free of oppression, ignorance, suffering, superstition, What he saw was a world where the rich and powerful abused the poor and weak, But if his solution to the problem is the nonsensical stories gathered here, we are never going to solve such problems, I never was a big fan of poetry, but there is such beauty in the words of this great writer that each word touchs gently my soul, Αυτό το βιβλιο είναι μια συλλογή διαφόρων κειμένων που εκδόθηκε μετά το θάνατο του συγγραφέα. Αναφέρω μερικά αποσπάσματα στα οποία κατα τη γνώμη μου φαίνεται το μεγαλείο και οι άξονες που ανέδειξαν τον Χαλίλ ως έναν απο τους πιο αξιόλογους συγγραφείς του Αραβικού κόσμου και οχι μόνο. " καθώς το λουλούδι παίρνει ζωή και αρωματική ευωδία απο τη γη, ετσι κι η ψυχή παίρνει σοφία και δύναμη απο την αδυναμία και τις πλάνες της ύλης. " , " Η αγάπη ειναι μαγική ακτίνα που εκπέμπεται απο το φλογερό πυρήνα της ψυχής και φωτίζει τη γύρω γη. Μας κανει ικανούς να βλεπουμε τη ζωή σαν ενα όμορφο όνειρο ανάμεσα στο ένα ξύπνημα και τάλλο" , μιλώντας για τη γη: " εμείς σου ξεριζώνουμε τα σπλάχνα για να φτιάξουμε μπόμπες και κανόνια, μα εσυ από τα δικά μας τα σπλάχνα φτιάχνεις κρίνα και τριαντάφυλλα, . Εισαι ταχα ενα άτομο από τη σκόνη που σήκωσαν τα πόδια του Θεού όταν ταξίδευε απο την Ανατολή στη Δύση του σύμπαντος" I havent read Kahlil Gibrans famous work ”The Prophet” nor any other books of his previously, so this is my first,

The book is translated from the Arabic,

As the translator, Anthony R, Ferris, informed us in the Preface, in his youth, Kibran, the prophet of Lebanon, “conceived the universe as perfect and devoid of evil”, He had looked upon “the heads of state and the hierarchs of the religions as truly the pillars of society” and expected them to provide examples of justice and wisdom.


When he realized the truth and “saw the rich abusing the poor who lived under the yoke of slavery and despotism” he began to express his feelings about this through “scorching” articles in Arabic newspapers, books, etc.
Some of these are included in the present volume,

Gibran lamented that the world was such as it was,

Gibrans texts are pure poesy, He writes about death and destruction, beauty and love, I cant say that I fully understand his writing, perhaps hardly at all in some cases, but the beauty speaks to my heart,

“My soul preached to me and taught me to love that which the people abhor and befriend him whom they revile, ” “But now love has become a halo whose beginning is its end, and whose end is its beginning, It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be, "

“Ere my soul preached to me, I heard naught but clamor and wailing, But now I eagerly attend Silence and hear its choirs singing the hymns of the ages and the songs of the firmament announcing the secrets of the Universe, ”

“And ere my soul spoke to me, I imagined the Past as an epoch that never returned, and the Future as one that could never be reached.


Now I realize that the present moment contains all time and within it is all that can be hoped for, done and realized, ”

“For you and I are one, and there is not variance between us save that I urgently declare that which is in my inner self, while you keep as a secret that which is within you.
”

In “Decayed Teeth” Gibran talks about the rotten, black, and dirty teeth in the Syrian nation: in the homes of the rich reign conceit, falsehood and hypocrisy, and in the huts of the poor dwell fear, ignorance, and cowardice.


In “Mister Gabber” he tells us how his soul abhors “gabbers and their gab”, Mister Gabber is found in the courts and institutions of learning, in the temples and other places of worship, in his home too, everywhere,

I have read widely but never anything like the work of this poet,

If you possess any poetic sense whatsoever, or sense of Love, Beauty, Spirituality, or Wisdom, take a look at this work, I received it as a present from my motherinlaw many years ago and, sadly, did not open it until now: I should have done so years ago, In this miscellaneous collection, it seems like Gibran sees the world in Platonic ideals and some sort of Easternlike union with perfection, One of his voices says that God is the expression of an intelligent universe, Gibran comments on the science of evolution and says that ideal beings evolve and that through "Reason" as a principle of evolution "men are raised above themselves and can approach the sublime.
"

If one is not inclined toward this perspective, the writing can be a slog, Some of this comes across as nice or profoundsounding words strung together, but empty e, g. , "Like sheep without a shepherd we flocked together many nights grazing on our thoughts, and chewing the cud of our emotions, ". Some of this might lie in the translation, Yet, it's not that easy to dismiss Gibran, There are some good stories in this collection that resonate Martha, the orphan, turned beautiful, tasted love, died as a prostitute in squalid circumstances, Or, in "the speechless animal," a dog comments on man's lack of loyalty, All in all, a mixed feeling about this book, This book was recommended to me by a friend, and it was completely different from anything I've read before, My first wholly philosophcal book, so to say, And it was a very interesting experience, one I'd even go as far as saying everybody should give a try,
The thoughts themselves were quite interesting and quotable 'Those who do not spend their days in the land of dreams are slaves of time' is something I, as a bookworm, can absolutely support though I think the topic of love was a bit overvalued.
I think or at least hope it's perfectly possible to life a happy and fulfilling life even if you never find a romantic partner, On top of that, it annoyed me how much talk of 'virgins' there was but I guess one can't expect anything different from athth century author, I think the concept that a young woman is less desirable because she has had sex is very stupid, especially when it's considered 'manly' for young men to have sex as often as possible.
One doesn't have to be a mathematician to figure out the flaw in that worldview, . . It's pretty hard to go wrong with Gibran, Kahlil Gibran is one of the most profound poets of our time, He died during the'snot sure of the exact year, When you read Gibran you immediately notice that he does not use complicated words or structure to convey his message, You get what he is saying and what his subject concerns lasts in the memory, None of this "What is he really trying to say hodge podge, His message is simple and powerful,

In this collection, he covers his spiritual vision of youth, nature, love, and life, One must, in order to gain the release of his voice, read slow and thoughtful, Some readers can read anything anywhere anytime no matter what the distraction, I can't. I also discourage readers from doing that with "Thoughts and Mediations",

Many of the stories moved me, Here are a few. Martha The Return of the Beloved My Soul Preached to Me The Goddess of Fantasy and The Speechless Animal, I highly recommend reading this book,


I read this over and over Every month or so I pull it off the shelf and open up to any page at random, it always leads me to contemplation I devoured this book, which I both regret and not regret, It's meaty, and I will have to read it again, But it was also my first real exposure to Gibran, and I fell in love with the lyricism, Blame it on NRE, I guess, I actually have the hardcover of this, Full of stories and poems that are tragic, romantic, fantastic and everything in between, He is fast become a favourite author, Special Parts From The Book: sitelink Thoughts and Meditations

He explained how souls pass from one body to another, elevated by good deeds in the form they choose and under the influence of past life experience, how they strive for radiance that exalts and strengthens them through Love that makes them happy and happy at the same time.
. .

The sage then discussed the way souls move from place to place in search of perfection, atonement in the present for sins committed in the past, and reaping in one life what they sowed in another.






There are many diseased teeth in the mouth of society, rotten to the bone of the jaw,
But society is not trying to get them out and get rid of the torment,
It is satisfied with gold seals,
There are many dentists who rot the teeth of a society filled with glittering gold,




My Soul Preached to Me, . .

My soul preached to me and taught me to love that which the people abhor and befriend him whom they revile,
My soul showed me that Love prides itself not only in the one who loves but also in the beloved,
Ere my soul preached to me, Love was in my heart as a tiny thread fastened between two pegs,
But now Love has become a halo whose beginning is its end, and whose end is its beginning,
It surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be,
My soul advised me and taught me to perceive the hidden beauty of the skin, figure, and hue,
She instructed me to meditate upon that which the people call ugly until its true charm and delight appear, Ere my soul counseled me, I saw Beauty like a trembling torch between columns of smoke, Now since the smoke has vanished, I see naught save the flame,

My soul preached to me and taught me to listen to the voices that the tongue and the larynx and the lips do not utter,
Ere my soul preached to me, I heard naught but clamor and wailing,
But now I eagerly attend Silence and hear its choirs singing the hymns of the ages and the songs
of the firmament announcing the secrets of the Unseen.


My soul preached to me and instructed me to drink the wine that cannot be pressed and cannot be poured from cups that hands can hit or lips can touch.


Ere my soul preached to me, my thirst was like a dim spark hidden under the aches that can be extinguished by a swallow of water,
But now my longing has become my cup, my affections my wine, and my loneliness my intoxication: yet, in this unquenchable thirst there is eternal joy,

My soul preached to me and taught me to touch that which has not become incarnate: my soul revealed to me that whatever we touch is part of our desire.


But now my fingers have turned into mist penetrating that which is seen in the universe and mingling with the Unseen,

My soul instructed me to inhale the scent that no myrtle or incense emits, Ere my soul preached to me, I craved the scent of perfume in the gardens or in flasks or in centers,

But now I can savor the incense that is not burnt for offering or sacrifice, And I fill my heart with a fragrance that has never been wafted by the frolicsome breeze of space,

My soul preached to me and taught me to say, “I am ready" when the Unknown and Danger call on me, Ere my soul preached to me, I answered no voice save the voice of the crier whom I knew, and walked not save upon the easy and smooth path.


Now the Unknown has become a steed that I can mount in order to reach the Unknown, and the plain has turned into a ladder on whose steps I climb to the summit.


My soul spoke to me and said, "Do not measure Time by saying, There was yesterday, and there shall be tomorrow, ”

And ere my soul spoke to me, I imagined the Past as an epoch that never returned, and the Future as one that could never be reached.


Now I realize that the present moment contains all time and within it is all that can be hoped for, done, and realized,

My soul preached to me exhorting me not to limit space by saying, "Here, there, and yonder, ”
Ere my soul preached to me, I felt that wherever I walked was far from any other space,

Now I realize that wherever I contain all places and the distance that I walk embraces all distances,

My soul instructed me and advised me to stay awake while others sleep, And to surrender to slumber when others are astir,

Ere my soul preached to me, I saw not their dreams in my sleep, neither did they observe my vision, Now I never sail the vessel of my dreams unless they watch me, and they never soar into the sky of their vision unless I rejoice in their freedom.


My soul preached to me and said, “Do not be delighted because of praise, and do not be distressed because of blame, ”

Ere my soul counseled me, I doubted the worth of my work,

Now I realize that the trees blossom in Spring and bear fruit in Summer without seeking praise: and they drop their leaves in Autumn and become naked in Winter without fearing blame.


My soul preached to me and showed me that I am neither more than the pygmy nor less than the giant,

Ere my soul preached to me, I looked upon humanity as two men: one weak, whom I pitied, and the other strong, whom I followed or resisted in defiance.


But now I have learned that I was as both are and made from the same elements, My origin is their origin, my conscience is their conscience, my contention is their contention, and my pilgrimage is their pilgrimage,

If

they sin, I am also a sinner,
If they do well, I take pride in their welldoing,
If they rise, I rise with them,
If they stay inert, I share their slothfulness,

My soul spoke to me and said, “The lantern which you carry is not yours, and the song that you sing was not composed within your heart, for even if you bear the light, you are not the light, and even if you are a lute fastened with strings, you are not the lute player.
"

My soul preached to me, my brother, and taught me much, And your soul has preached and taught as much to you, For you and I are one, and there is no variance between us save that I urgently declare that which is in my inner self, while you keep as a secret that which is within you.

But in your secrecy, there is a sort of virtue


, . .


Youth is a wonderful dream, the glow of which the books sprinkle with blinding dust,
Will there ever come a day when the wise will combine the joy of knowledge with youthful dreams
Will the day come when Nature will become man's teacher, humanity his book, and life his school
The joyful purpose of youth cannot be fulfilled until that day comes.

Our walk towards spiritual ascension is too slow because we use too little youthful zeal,





Vision

"The sea never sleeps, and its vigil gives comfort to the sleepless soul, "

A few steps from the ghost, I paused as if held back by a magical force,

At that moment one of the ghosts stood up and in a voice that rose from the depths of the sea said:
Life without love is like a tree that does not bloom and does not bear fruit.

And love without beauty is like flowers without fragrance and fruits without seeds, . . life, love, and beauty are three persons in one, and they cannot be separated or changed,

Another ghost spoke and in a voice that roared like a waterfall and said:

“Life without rebellion is like a year without spring, And rebellion without justice is like flying in a hot desert, . . life, rebellion, and justice are a trinity that cannot be changed or split,

Then the third apparition spoke, in a voice like thunder:

"Life without freedom is like a body without a soul, and freedom without thoughts is like a confused spirit.
. . life, freedom and thought are a trinity, eternal and imperishable, "


Then the three forts rose together and in a fearful voice said aloud:

What love conceives,
What rebellion creates,
What freedom gives birth to,
There are three manifestations of God.

And God is the mind
of this World,





Who are you Earth, and what are you
You are Me the Earth!

You are my sight and my discernment,
You are my knowledge and my dream,
You are my hunger and thirst,
You are my joy and pain,

You are my carelessness and vigilance,
You are the beauty that lives in my eyes, the longing in my heart, the eternal life in my soul,

You are Me, Earth,

If my being wasn't,
You wouldn't be either,


.