Kahlil Gibran: On Prayer

Almustafa, the chosen and beloved, had waited 12 years in the city of Orphalese for a ship to return and take him back to his isle of birth. Finally. it comes. In the bitter-sweet moments before his departure, the people of the city ask him to speak on issues of life. A man steps forth and asks Almustafa to speak on "Self Knowledge."

Transcript

On Prayer from the Prophet by Khalil Gibran You pray in your distress and in your need.

Would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance?

For what is prayer but the expression of yourself into the living ether?

And if it is for your comfort to pour your darkness into space,

It is also for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.

And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer,

She should spur you again and yet again,

Though weeping,

Until you shall come laughing.

When you pray,

You rise to meet in the air those who are praying at that very hour and whom save in prayer you may not meet.

Therefore let your visit to that temple invisible be for naught but ecstasy and sweet communion.

For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking,

You shall not receive.

Or if you should enter into it to humble yourself,

You shall not be lifted.

Or even if you should enter into it to beg for the good of others,

You shall not be heard.

It is enough that you enter the temple invisible.

I cannot teach you how to pray in words.

God listens not to your words,

Save when he himself utters them through your lips.

And I cannot teach you the prayer of the seas and the forests and the mountains.

But you who are born of the mountains and the forest and the seas can pray their prayer in your heart.

And if you but listen in the stillness of the night,

You shall hear them praying in silence.

Our God,

Who art our winged self,

It is thy will in us that willeth.

It is thy desire in us that desireth.

It is thy urge in us that would turn our nights,

Which are thine,

Into days which are thine also.

We cannot ask thee for aught,

For thou knowest our needs before they are born in us.

Thou art our need,

And in giving us more of thyself,

Thou givest us all.

Reviews

Khalil Gibran writes so beautifully! Thank you!

Beautiful, 🙏🏻 thank you

Beautiful 😌 Thank you 💜

So wise. Ty 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Gratitude is my daily prayer. So blessed

Let us see those that we love in the light and let us celebrate them as we pray,

Blessed be blessed be 🙏🏼

So wonderfully read. I appreciate this verse and this lesson.
Thank you!

🙏🏾

Thank you for sharing and reminding me of the wisdom of The Prophet. Namaste ☮️

Wow! Thankyou

🙏🏾💚🌾

Kahlil Gibran has lived in my heart for half a century. Thank you for this gift.

That was profound. Thank you for such a beautiful reading of this.

I love the poetry of Gibran. Your reading was excellent. The introduction was unnecessary as the poem was already introduced on the screen.
Thank you for your gifts. Have a lovely day.

Blessings to you dear one. Will have to listen again, that is a lot -in a good way- thank you for the gift

I love listening to you read these passages
Thank you

Great voice, pace, and Buddha image. Thank you for sharing. I love The Prophet and appreciate you bringing some of its wisdom into my day. 🙏😊💜✨