WISDOM | The Timeless Wisdom of Kahlil Gibran

You may have heard about The Prophet, a phenomenally successful book by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese artist, poet and writer. This work of inspirational fiction, first published in 1923 and translated into more than 40 languages, became very popular in the 1960s and has inspired millions of people around the world ever since.

Many years after Gibran’s death, his writings continue to be translated and published, including The Eye of the Prophet, a collection of short texts selected from French translations of various works by Gibran (Frog Books, 1995). In poems and short prose texts, the writer describes the different stages of life — youth, first love, first kiss, marriage, and even death. He praises life’s beauty but doesn’t diminish natural hardships.  And as he criticizes war, he also sings an ode to faith and God, to the Earth, and women.

Gibran’s stories express ideals that are not only Muslim, but also Christian and Buddhist. In fact, it is precisely the universal nature of his writings that has drawn so many people to his work, making them timeless. They contain wisdom that never fades and therefore, regardless of aspects such as age, social background, or religious beliefs, every reader will find a piece of personal truth and comfort in them. Little has changed since the time Gibran wrote these lines:

On the earth the angels of happiness were struggling with the demons of unhappiness. Standing among them I saw Man, torn apart sometimes by hope, sometimes by despair.

We can still learn a lot from this great master who understood and expressed so many truths in such an appropriate and poetic way. Here are some of my favorite passages:

The man who does not feel friendship towards himself is a public enemy, and he who finds no confidant within himself will die of despair. For life streams out of man’s inner self and in no way from what surrounds him.

Joy is a myth that we seek. And when we find joy, it angers us, just as the river which hastens towards the plain slows down and darkens when it arrives there. For men are only happy through their aspiration to the heights. And when they achieve their aim, they become disillusioned and aspire to other, longer journeys.

Gibran’s fight for tolerance and acceptance of all people is exceptional; it’s something today’s world needs more than ever. For him, it doesn’t matter what race or religion a person belongs to, because there is only one Supreme Being and one single religion: Faith. I am deeply touched by how this writer acknowledges and celebrates the woman’s role on earth:

I owe Woman all my life, I owe her this self which was born from a cry, I owe her all my writing. (p. 34)

Has all of this made you curious about reading or rereading the work of this outstanding author? What inspiration do you find in his work? Share your favorite Kahlil Gibran quote in the comments below!