The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran: A Summary and Key Lessons

Did you ever read a book where you thought that when you read it, it is like an old friend gives you some pieces of advice? Well, that is how it is to read The Prophet. Kahlil Gibran wrote it in 1923. Since then this small book has been read and has moved hearts of people in the world because of the simple and yet deep thoughts.

The Story

The novel opens in Orphalese, where a man called Almustafa has been staying over the past twelve years. The man is disappointed when people come to him and leave him after seeking his wisdom and lessons. This is how the story plays out. This is followed by a collection of inspiring and beautiful teachings on love, marriage, work, and even death.

Main lessons to learn from the book, The Prophet

On Love

Two people shouldn’t be the prisoners of each other while they are in love. Love, just as any other thing in life, must be balanced. Just as plants need the space and room to grow in addition to light and water, so does love when it comes to space and intimacy.

Please put spaces in your togetherness. This implies that the two partners who are always together need to understand when to give each other the space. They can return to each other with renewed energy anytime.

Think of it this way, two person are climbing a mountain together. Their bond unites them, but they are individuals who move separately.

On Marriage

Gibran says marriage is not two people who suddenly become one and lose their individuality. Not so; imagine two strings on a lute that vibrate together to the same music and never merge into one.

Consider a pair of people who are in love with music. One plays his guitar, and the other sings. Each of them adds something beautiful to every piece; none becomes muted. That is a good marriage: to be together without losing their individuality.

Love each other, but love not in bonds. This can be likened to how partners should work in a healthy marriage. As trees in a tangled wood grow so near and yet they do not extend their branches into the shade of each other, so good partners leave room to develop themselves individually.

On Children

Among my favorite lessons are the children’s lessons. Gibran writes the poetry of parenting: He reminds us that children are not the property of their parents. They are not born of parents but through them. Arrows out of the bow to a future which the parents cannot see. The arrows are not a part of the bow itself.

Think of a mother teaching her daughter how to ride a bicycle. She has to finally release her and see her child stumbling off on her own. Although this can be frightening, it is part of growth. Bearing children is not an excuse for self-actualization. To those who are parents, nourishing children to mold them is not nurturing their potential.

On Work

Work has a twofold aim: to make a living and preach the use of love in deeds. Baking bread, or building a wall, or any other of their labors, is more than just dull labor. If you mix your work with fragments of your soul. If you pour your heart into your work with deep love for your craft, it will bring joy and prosperity to your life.

Think of a carpenter who lovingly and carefully sands every piece of wood with pride until it is smooth. He does it out of worship for the raw material, out of the trade, and it does not need to be eye-catching.

According to him, work is love in action. 

On Joy and Sorrow

Gibran perceives joy and sorrow not as opposite enemies but as friends that come together. He says, “The more the capacity to suffer, the more happiness that can be enjoyed.“

A beautiful example of this is the beautiful rainbow that usually comes after the most violent storm or the more pleasant pleasure of a meeting after a long absence. 

I recall losing a book that was my favorite as a child. I was upset over it. I felt so happy and relieved when I searched and found it after a few weeks, and this could only have been possible due to my struggle when I lost it for a brief period of time. That is what Gibran implies when he describes how our miseries define the room that can be subsequently filled with happiness.

About Giving

Regarding giving, Gibran instructs us that the real gift is not based on the amount given but on how it is given. It does not matter whether the offering is in show or conditional.

He compares a generous human being to a rose that blossoms and gives its scent to everybody without requiring anything in exchange, without counting, and without demanding anything. It simply gives.

Imagine having a friend who assists you in moving to a new apartment and dismisses your appreciation with, “Don’t mention it.” That, he thinks, is the spirit of giving, not repayment in gift but in goodwill and measure.

On Self-Knowledge

Gibran would most likely instruct us all to sit down and take a moment of silence before typing a post so as to make sure every word he or she writes has a purpose, is meaningful, and worth something.

We must strive to add to a conversation by presenting our mature ideas. That is the process of constant struggle with self-knowledge and revelation.

On Talking

Gibran provides information on talking, which seems to have been written just a few years ago. He cautions against meaningless talk and demands meaningful silence in its place. He notes that you speak when you stop being in harmony with yourself.

Take the example of social media, where individuals post their responses in real time without thinking. Gibran would probably tell us all to pause and make a moment of silence before writing a post to ensure that every word is considered, carries weight, and is valuable.

As farmers who go to the market with the aim of only selling the ripest fruits, we should do our best to enhance a conversation by offering our well-thought-out ideas.

On Freedom

The true definition of freedom by Gibran does not necessarily imply doing what one wishes to do. Instead, it involves the elimination of fears, greed and archaic thinking patterns which hamper growth.

The case in point is a bird that has spent his life in a cage and is scared to fly as the door is finally opened. This is the way most of us live. We are supposed to be free, but we are in fact, in the bondage of our personal fears and accustomed ways.

When we are fully in possession of the moment then we embrace what ought to be embraced and shun what ought to be shunned. It is as though you were cleaning a messy room; and then you have space to move and breathe.

On Time

Gibran approaches time differently. He suggests that the fact that time is measured using clocks and calendars makes it appear finite, yet it is not. Time, however, is only limited by human measurements compared to the measurements we use to measure it.

Just think of how an hour of your favorite thing to do seems to pass so fast, how unhappiness makes an hour drag like eternity. It vividly presents that our time experience is not merely clock time but is highly intertwined with quality.

He says, “Yesterday is only today in recollection, and tomorrow is only today in dream.” These lines beckon us to be in the moment and not always consider the past mistakes or what we should do next in the future.

On Death

Rather than being afraid of death as most of us are, Gibran urges a person to accept death as the final stage of the natural cycle of life. He compares it to a river leading to the ocean and he says it is not a destination, but a returning.

Take the example of a leaf in the fall. The color change when the leaves fall from the tree is much more than dying. It is being involved in a beautiful transformation and giving itself up so that the nourished soil can aid new growth in spring.

Similarly, we can think of our lives as threads in a bigger picture. This is so poetically reminiscent of how life, past, present, and future are connected. A philosophy like this helps eliminate the fear of existence and increases appreciation of our limited time.

On Friendship

To Gibran, your best friends show the darkest aspects of a person. There is no friendship on the basis of daily joys but sharing both joy and sorrow.

Keep in mind your friends who are with you not only when you are in your glory, but also when you are at the worst in your life. 

Gibran expresses this so well: In the sweetness of friendship, there is laughter and sharing of pleasures. To me, Gibran sums up everything that needs to be said about true friendship when he points out the interwoven light moments and deep conversations that are the definition of friendship.

Conclusion.

The Prophet is a book that straightforwardly captures great life ideas and problems. It talks to us directly. Gibran’s use of the beauty of nature and life makes us realize the complexities in our lives through a new lens. Contrary to traditional sources of wisdom, Gibran does not lecture us or complicate things; he provides plain ideas.

The book allows the readers to think about their lives and reevaluate their values. When people are children, they hardly ever value any advice their parents give. When it comes to having children of their own, the idealistic dreams usually fall apart along with the previously held opinions.

Whether it is the wisdom of love and sadness being inseparable companions or work becoming love, all truth lies in simplicity. 

In the last few years, the Prophet has dethroned most books that can provide soft life teachings with his teachings. The book shatters the illusion of living a relaxing life with routines by adapting to the new, old, or new horizons. Instead, it is better to live the life with a smiling face, share love and each moment that arrives should be appreciated with a heart.