Greetings and blessings.
Thank you so much for choosing to practice,
To tune in,
And taking a few moments to be present.
If you've listened to the first two segments,
This third segment will be a little bit different as we approach this next section of the Prophet by Khalil Gibran.
It's a short section on marriage.
It's worth a little bit of discussion before we begin.
So to start,
Let's just find a comfortable seat and start to center.
Once you've found your seat,
Start to settle in.
If you'd like,
Just close your eyes,
Bringing yourself into this present moment by noticing the inhale and the exhale.
If you'd like,
Bring your hands together at heart center.
Just set a mindful intention to listen deeply,
Not judging,
Just observing.
Let the words resonate.
Let me take them with you.
If not,
Choose.
Feel free.
Just let it go.
Let's begin by sealing our intention together with a full cycle of breath.
Deep breath in and a long,
Relaxing breath out.
As I mentioned,
This third segment,
We cover the Prophet,
Is on marriage.
It's only a few pages,
But it is the second in sequence.
Noteworthy,
And also noteworthy to identify the time and a little bit of background.
Our hero,
Al-Mustafa,
Has been in the city for 12 years.
There's no indication that he's been married.
As a former sailor,
I can say a 12-year deployment would tax any marriage,
Any relationship at all,
That long of an absence.
For that reason,
In part,
Consider marriage not necessarily in the conventional sense,
The legal binding between two people.
In fact,
Some of the verses say to not be bound in that way.
Instead,
I'd share a few recommendations.
If you have a pen and paper handy,
I'd recommend a podcast.
It's recent,
New.
The title of the channel is called Untangle,
U-N-T-A-N-G-L-E.
Mindfulness for Curious Humans.
And this October 25th,
2022,
They have an episode with Dr.
Marisa Franco,
Who's recently written a book that's made it to the New York Times Bestseller list about the science of connection and why we should deeply value our friendships.
In the podcast,
Marisa discusses the science of connection and the importance of platonic friendships.
In fact,
The title of the book is Platonic,
How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make and Keep Friends.
She believes friendship is the single best action a person can take to live a longer life,
Take the edge off depression,
Flourish,
And even revitalize a marriage.
And she challenges the notion that friendships should be at the bottom of the relationship totem pole.
Her mantra is never stop cultivating friendships and connections.
And she gives us many reasons to prioritize platonic love and bring more friends into our life,
Nurture the ones we already have,
And keep building community.
So if you have a moment or two,
It's around 35 minutes long,
The interview,
I had to listen to it twice just to make sure it was something I'd recommend.
And I feel strongly that it supports Gibran's message here,
Even though he covers friendship later on in the prophet.
I wanted to introduce that as well.
And while I'm making plugs,
I'd recommend a book by Richard Bach.
Richard Bach is the author of Jonathan Livingston's Seagull and the Illusions,
Which are popular,
The New Age,
Mid 70s section,
And wrote another book called The Bridge Across Forever.
And it's been a while since I've read it,
But my sense after reading it is still lasting.
I'd read it several years ago,
But as I reread this section of the prophet,
It came to me that this is the essence,
I think,
That Richard Bach was trying to get at in that book,
The Bridge Across Forever.
And so,
As we begin to go through this section today,
Let's try to keep an open mind in time and space,
In the context of what the author was trying to convey through the prophet to the city.
Marriage doesn't have to be defined by legal binding contract.
And so with that,
Let's take a full cycle of breath together.
We'll begin.
Then Amitra spoke again and said,
And what of marriage,
Master?
And he answered saying,
You were born together,
And together you should be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
You shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another,
But make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup,
But drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread,
But eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
But let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone,
Though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts,
But not into each other's keeping,
For only the hand of life can contain your hearts.
Stand together,
Yet not too near together,
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
Many listening may have struggled with relationships,
Even faced with divorce,
A marriage,
Or heartbreak.
As we listen to the words again,
Try to grasp the concepts of supporting one another without becoming one another.
The expression,
The ball and chain,
Is something inferred in the verse,
Not to be bound.
I think the author is trying to convey a sense that we are all born together.
The light shines,
And sometimes the light casts a shadow.
We are still bound to one another.
The one can be different and still supporting the other.
Even if there's only ever two sides,
There needs to be some room for diversity,
Thought,
Inspiration.
It has to be okay.
Just know,
Regardless of your experience with formal relationships or even marriage,
The light and love in you is truly more than enough.
Close the blessing of loving kindness.
If you like,
Close your eyes and bring your hands together,
Heart center.
Just hold that space for a moment.
Feel the fingertips gently pressing.
Maybe notice that space between your palms.
Allow your light,
Your love,
To fill that space.
Thank you again for sharing these moments.
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
