Self-Knowledge
Aug 19th, 2008 by spaceagesage
When I first read the book The Prophet in my teen years, I thought, Wow. This is deep. I want this kind of depth, wisdom, and insight.
The Prophet is filled with 26 poetic insights written by philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran, (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931). Gibran writes as a prophet, answering “the people’s” questions about various great and meaty matters of life. For example here is the first part of his writing about our inner knowing:
And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge,
and he {the prophet} answered, saying:Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart’s knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.And it is well that you should.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless.
For the longest time I felt that intense ache and longing to have “the treasure of {my} infinite depths … revealed to {my} eyes.” I yearned to know who and what I am, to understand and apply my talents, to reach deep inside and tap the “boundless sea” to fulfill all my dreams and goals. It has been an amazing journey, and yet, I also tried to find the “scales to weigh {my} unknown treasure.” I kept measuring myself against others, wondering where my limits were, and never being satisfied with the knowledge that the “well-spring of {my} soul” isn’t about size, shape, or depth.
Only recently, I’ve realized that the self really is “a sea boundless and measureless.” We don’t need to grab onto, hold fast, or pin down our inner selves; we need to let go, release, and sail upon the waters free of limiting restraints. The Chinese have a proverb that says, “Raise your sail one foot, and you get ten feet of wind.” Just think what full sail will get you!
Can you raise anchor, put up the canvas, and let the wind fill your sails?
– – – –
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
~William Shedd
– – – –
Photo by tiarescott
– – – –
These posts may also interest you:
Avoid these 14 momentum and motivation killers
Five ways to conquer insecurity by creating stability
One way to look at the law of attraction
Hi SpaceAgeSage,
All I can say is “Wow!” Thanks for sharing us The Prophet. That does seem to be the truth – we sometimes need to let go of the desire to grasp our inner self in order for it to come out on its own. I’m impressed that you were able to appreciate this passage in your teen years.
It also looks like the words in the book are public domain. Here is a link to the book. Looking at the table of contents, I can see I’ll be coming back to the book to finish reading it.
I can relate to the last quote by William Shedd; “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
I appreciate feeling safe, but I have found that I’m most happy when I swing out beyond those boundaries.
Hi SpaceAgeSage – did my comment go in the spam bucket?
I love The Prophet and used some Khalil Gibran in my wedding vows. I love the idea of letting up the anchor and sailing with the wind, but somehow I can never seem to do it unless I am away from my home, family and friends. In my own world I get caught up in expectation – mine and others – and I do a lot of weighing myself up against others. The reason I love to backpack is this is when I set myself completely and utterly free. I sail with the wind on my own vessel and I feel much closer to my entire being than I do when I am surrounded by the constraints of everyday western life. I am not sure what this says about me, other than I really am a nomad at heart. But I want to be able to learn to balance my sailing with my safe harbour because as a mother don’t I need to provide a safe harbour for my child?
I really do wrestle with these questions a lot lately. The friction between my own individual journey and what is best for my family.
I think I might have to dig out The Prophet again now.
Kelly
Hi, Al —
I don’t know why your comment went to the spam bucket, but I de-spammed it. Thanks for the link!
I could appreciate the writing in my teen years, but only as much as an inexperienced person could. I think much of Gibran’s The Prophet comes from a life fully lived.
Hi, Davina —
I seem to travel out quite a bit into what others would think is less safe, but I can’t seem to leave the armor behind!
Hi, Kelly,
When I traveled alone to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala just out of college, I tried to put on or play around with my different, wilder personality sides — since I didn’t know anyone there and I would never see them again — but I found my anchor was within, not in my location or my activity.
I think one of the best things about growing older is that I don’t try anymore to “know who and what I am”. I actually think that we change so much, constantly, that it doesn’t make sense to try and pinpoint who exactly we are. Right now I am aiming to relax and enjoy life. Defining yourself can be very limiting. I completely agree with “we need to let go, release, and sail upon the waters free of limiting restraints.”
Hi, Vered —
Growing older does have some advantages, doesn’t it? Glad to hear you are relaxing and enjoying life more.
Hi SpaceAgeSage,
I remember reading that book years ago and loved it. The wisdom Gibram shares in phenomenal, and is something that has always stuck with me.
Hi, Barbara,
Some writers are just timeless that way.