21st February4th HourIGNOU SEMINAR HALL

THE PROPHETPart II

Recap Multi- Faceted personality- Gibran Born in Lebanon and settled in

New York Romantic Mystic Beauty, Truth and Freedom- His

works celebrate The Prophet is in the form of

Question and answers.

The Prophet

Set in Orphalese Al Mustafa stays in Orphalese for

twelve Years Waiting for the Ship Ship Arrives in the 12th Year In the seventh day of Ielool The month of reaping

The Prophet

People of Orphalese Sad over the leaving of Al Mustafa

Almitra asks Al Mustafa to give truth to the people of Orphalese before his departure

People ask one by one about the different aspects of life

Themes in Prophet Include… 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 Death

Characters Include… Al Mustafa Almitra A Woman with a Babe A Rich Man An Old Man- Inn Keeper A Ploughman A Woman A Mason A Weaver A Merchant A Judge A Lawyer

An Orator A Priestess Another Woman A Man A Teacher A Youth A Scholar An Astronomer An Elder Another Priestess A Hermit A Poet An Old Priest

Structure of The Prophet

People from all walks of Life Put question to the Prophet

He throws light on the different aspects

of life It is in the form of Oration

Of Children

A Woman with a babe asks to say of Children to Prophet

He says the role of Children How should they be treated How they should not be treated Who are they?

Of Children

Your children are not your children Son’s and Daughter’s of life’s

longing itself Come through you not from you They belong not to you You may give them your love Not thoughts

Of Children

You may house their body not the souls

You may strive to be like them Try not to make them like you You are the bows Your children arrows Archer loves the arrow as well as the

bow

Your Children Are Not Your Children

Children are not mere possession of the parents

Parents are no the total owners of children

Parents should know that children have their individuality

Sons and Daughters of Life’s Longing Itself

Parents do not long for children Life longs for children Life has got the longing to come in

to the world Children are the result of longing

for life Life wants to come to the world

Come Through You Not From You Parents are only the medium for the

birth of the children Parents are not the source of

children They help to bring the children to

the world They are not sole responsible for the

birth But they participate in birth

They Belong Not To You Though children are born through

parents they do not belong to parents

The parents cannot force their will on their children

One should not have control over one’s children

They cannot be treated as slaves by the parents

Give Love

Parents are free to love their children

They can shower affection Beyond that the parents should not

expect anything from their children

Don’t Give Your Thoughts Parents should not impose their

thoughts on children Children should be allowed to grow

on their own Parents should not impose their

ideas on children They have their individuality and

personality

You May House Their Bodies Not the Souls Parents can provide shelter to their children Physically they can provide shelter to

children But souls should not be held as a captive by

the parents Parents cannot provide spiritual shelter to

their children Their souls lie in the future it cannot be

visited even in dreams

You May Strive to be Like Them

Parents can be inspired by their children

They can try to imitate children They can be like their children

Try Not to Make Them Like You Parents should not expect their children

to act or behave like them Parents should not make the children

follow their ideals They need not make a copy of them Because life is a forward process Children are for the future So the past of the parents should not

haunt them

You Are the Bows

The image from Archery is used Parents are compared with bows Bows are used to launch arrows Children come through parents As bow shots arrow children are

sent through parents

Your Children Are the Arrows

The children are the arrows They are launched to the path of

infinite by the archer It gives the idea that the children are

come through parents not from parents

The initial idea is emphasized through the image of bow and arrow

Archer Loves the Arrow as well as the bow

Archer may be the creator He equally loves the bow and the

arrow Arrow Flies Bow is stable

Summing Up

Parents cannot Possess children They cannot force their will on

children They are only the medium They can provide shelter But cannot give spiritual wisdom Children are allowed to grow on their

own

Important Quotes

“ Your Children are not your Children.”

“They are the sons and daughter’s of life’s longing itself”

“ You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.”

Important Quotes

“The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might, that His arrows may go swift and far”

To Be Continued