read Khalil Gibran's books

Not all the books are translated into Serbian, so I guess I’ll have to find English versions.

This a poetic story of love between Gibran and a women. Its conventional in a sense, he loves her but she is promised to another, but his language makes the conventional ideas animated. Parts of it were gut wrenching, as some of Gibran’s work has a dab of sadness from time to time. I liked it, its a quick read.

Now this is a Gibran book in the essence of his words, but its compiled by the author joseph Sheban. This book is highly important because it looks at the historical significance of the places and people around Gibran to surmise his influences. I know Gibran’s words, but I now feel like I know Gibran the person and his surroundings. Perhaps the biography by Barbara Young would do the same, but I am getting there. This book also has some small poems by Gibran, and his political side, and the essay which JFK stole “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” Yeah that was Gibran not JFK.

Originally written in Arabic in 1918, this book shows form of being the predecessor to The Prophet, where the dialog of the book is between a sage and a youth on various topics. The poetry is good, though clarity might be a small issue. Its a short read, read 70 pages in an hour…here is my favorite verse…
“For love lies in the soul alone,
Not in the body, and like winer
Should stimulate our better self
To welcome gifts of Love Divine.”

Written in 1908, I forgot that I read this bad boy. Its essence is not in the form of rebellion people think, but in living day to day life and never breaking through with who you are spiritually, thus the rebelliousness.

“I tried in vain to love him, but love is a power that makes our hearts, yet our hearts cannot make that power.”-Madame Rosie Hanie

I had trouble finding all the books but with the Internet, that should be much easier now. Great goal!

“his words and his deeds as told and recorded by those who knew him.” I am reading this book, and I find it a truly liberating experience in explaining Jesus, so many people have this illusion tha he is “beyond man” (which religions want you to believe). I think this books is quite possible one of the closest portralys of who he really was in life, and that was “Sometimes I am the son of man and sometimes I am the son of god” And When Jesus said that he simply showed he was human at times and spiritual at others. Sounds like you and me…anyways here is a passage I like…
THE MAN FROM THE DESERT
“I was a stranger in Jerusalem. I had come to the Holy City to behold the great temple, and to sacrifice upon the altar, for my wife had given twin sons to my tribe.
And after I had made my offering, I stood in the portico of the temple looking down upon the money-changers and those who sold doves for sacrifice, and listening to the great noise in the court.
And as I stood there came of a sudden a man into the midst of the money-changers and those who sold doves.
He was a man of majesty, and He came swiftly.
In His hand He held a rope of goat’s hide; and He began to overturn the tables of the money-changers and to beat the pedlars of birds with his rope.
And I heard Him saying with a loud voice, “Render these birds unto the sky which is their nest.”
Men and Women fled from before His face, and He moved amongst them as the whirling wind moves on the sand-hills.
All this came to pass in but a moment, and then the court of the Temple was emptied of the money-changers. Only the man stood there alone, and His followers stood at a distance.
Then I turned my face and I saw another man in the portico of the temple. And I walked toward him and said ” Sir, who is this man who stands alone, even like another temple?” and he answered me, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet who has appeared of late in Galilee. Here in Jerusalem all men hate Him.”
And I said, “My heart was strong enough to be with His whip, and yielding enough to be at His feet.”
And Jesus turned towards His followers who were awaiting Him. But before He reached them, three of the temple doves flew back, and one alighted upon His left shoulder and the other two at His feet. And He touched each one tenderly. Then He walked on, and there were leagues in every step of His steps.
Now tell me, what power had He to attack and disperse hundreds of men and women without opposition? I was told that they all hate Him, yet no one stood before Him on that day. Had He plucked out the fangs of hate on His way to the court of the temple?”-Khalil Gibran (Jesus The Son of Man)

This was actually Khalil Gibran’s first book, The Prophet being his second one. I read this one online at a site called Project Gutenberg, so I invite others to read it there as well. It also is a short read, and feels more like a Aesop’s fables at times….here is one of my favorite selections….The Seven Selves
“In the stillest hour of the night, as I lay half asleep, my seven selves sat together and thus conversed in whisper:

First Self: Here, in this madman, I have dwelt all these years, with naught to do but renew his pain by day and recreate his sorrow by night. I can bear my fate no longer, and now I rebel.

Second Self: Yours is a better lot than mine, brother, for it is given to me to be this madman’s joyous self. I laugh his laughter and sing his happy hours, and with thrice winged feet I dance his brighter thoughts. It is I that would rebel against my weary existence.

Third Self: And what of me, the love-ridden self, the flaming brand of wild passion and fantastic desires? It is I the love-sick self who would rebel against this madman.

Fourth Self: I, amongst you all, am the most miserable, for naught was given me but odious hatred and destructive loathing. It is I, the tempest-like self, the one born in the black caves of Hell, who would protest against serving this madman.

Fifth Self: Nay, it is I, the thinking self, the fanciful self, the self of hunger and thirst, the one doomed to wander without rest in search of unknown things and things not yet created; it is I, not you, who would rebel.

Sixth Self: And I, the working self, the pitiful labourer, who, with patient hands, and longing eyes, fashion the days into images and give the formless elements new and eternal forms—it is I, the solitary one, who would rebel against this restless madman.

Seventh Self: How strange that you all would rebel against this man, because each and every one of you has a preordained fate to fulfill. Ah! could I but be like one of you, a self with a determined lot! But I have none, I am the do-nothing self, the one who sits in the dumb, empty nowhere and nowhen, while you are busy re-creating life. Is it you or I, neighbours, who should rebel?

When the seventh self thus spake the other six selves looked with pity upon him but said nothing more; and as the night grew deeper one after the other went to sleep enfolded with a new and happy submission.

But the seventh self remained watching and gazing at nothingness, which is behind all things.”-Khalil Gibran “The Madman”

A must read to anyone developing a spiritual self. His words are beautiful and poetic. His ideas pack a punch with love, acceptance, emotion. The premise of the book is similar to Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, in which a great spiritual being is leaving a place he has called home and the people have asked him to share his wisdom on certain topics. Many topics which are relevant to life. It is a quick read 1 hr and 30 mins give or take….and here is an excerpt to all possible future readers…
“When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to
him,
Though the sword hidden among his
pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in
him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he
crucify you. Even as he is for your growth
so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and
caresses your tenderest branches that
quiver in the sun.
So shall he descend to your roots and shake
them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make naked
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire,
that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you
that you may know the secrets of your
heart, and in that knowledge become a
fragment of Life’s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s
peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover
your nakedness and pass out of love’s
threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you
shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,
and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes
naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love

When you love you should not say,
“God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am
in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course
of love, for love, if it finds you worthy,
directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires,
let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook
that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate
love’s ecstacy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart
and a song of praise upon your lips.”-Kahlil Gibran”