Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Kahlil Gibran on Joy and Sorrow




The greater the cross, the more potential ecstasy, Kahlil Gibran implies here, from The Prophet:

“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.”

For more mystical and comforting quotes such as these, the full text of The Prophet has kindly been made available at The PROPHET, by Kahlil Gibran

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I am on a curiodyssey. Inherent is the desire for freedom and at the same time, a sense of its elusive ineffability, of constraints on obtaining or maintaining the state. Meditations on life, art, philosophy, humour and manifest phenomena can open doors, unlock chains or just lift the illusion of feeling alone. This blog, a media magpie, rounds up shiny scrolls and schedules select viewing!