Book Review: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

‘The Prophet’; By: Kahlil Gibrahn; UBSPD; ISBN: 978-81-85674-72-8

Kahlil Gibrahn was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. He is chiefly known for his 1923 book The Prophet which includes a series of philosophical essays written in poetic prose.

It is said that much of Gibran's writings deal with Christianity, especially on the topic of spiritual love. Though his mysticism is a convergence of several different influences from Christianity, Islam, Sufism, Hinduism and theosophy.

In this boo, the Prophet Al-Mustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship back to home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics on life and human conditions. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death. I found the thoughts shared in portions of the book really amazing. I also found some thoughts similar to those of Hinduism, Vedanta or Advaita.

Some portions:

“Of the good in you I can speak, but not of the evil. For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst? You are good when you are one with yourself. Yet when you are not one with yourself you are not evil. For a divided house is not a den of thieves; it is only a divided house.” (=> Similar to the concept of Hinduism which has no concept of Devil or Satan.)

“The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.” (=> A very exact example of Hindu symbolism behind lotus flower.)

“You can be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment.” (=> I read an exact similar text from Sister Nivedita of Ramkrishna-Vivekananda, in her book Religion and Dharma, around 1905).

“The murdered is not unaccountable for his own murder. And the robbed is not blameless in being robbed.” (=> Theory of Karma?)

Please excuse me of making it a parallel with Hinduism, for the book contains so many great nuggets of wisdom. Similarity can be because Hindu and Vedic texts have not left almost any aspect of life unexplored and hence we are bound to find similar references in them, for much of the modern thoughts and reflections.

Btw, I found the book littered with art which tried to express many things through nude images of men and women – I found it unnecessary given that this book has a global audience.

I find that this entire book, which is not long in size, is available for online reading on the internet. So you can refer to those also. It’s a very good book on philosophy and life-issues.

- Rahul