Chapter 10: On Clothes ~ Gibran’s The Prophet with Journaling Prompts
And the weaver said, Speak to us of
Clothes.
And he answered:
Your clothes conceal much of your
beauty, yet they hide not the
unbeautiful.
And though you seek in garments the
freedom of privacy you may find in them
a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and
the wind with more of your skin and less
of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the
sunlight and the hand of life is in the
wind.
Some of you say, “It is the north wind
who has woven the clothes we wear.”
And I say, Ay, it was the north wind,
But shame was his loom, and the
softening of the sinews was his thread.
And when his work was done he laughed in
the forest.
Forget not that modesty
is for a shield against the eye of the
unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more,
what were modesty but a fetter and a
fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights
to feel your bare feet and the winds
long to play with your hair.
***** *****
~ Chapter 10: “On Clothes” from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Spirit Nourished Earth created the image in this post in collaboration with DALL·E 3
Journaling Prompts for Self-Reflection
Beyond the Surface
Gibran speaks of clothes concealing much of our beauty yet hiding not the unbeautiful. How do you feel about the relationship between appearance and true beauty? How can you embrace your authenticity beyond external coverings?
Freedom in Simplicity
Gibran suggests that garments can become harnesses or chains. In what areas of your life do you feel bound by external expectations or societal norms? How can you seek more freedom in simplicity?
Modesty and Its Layers
Gibran reflects on modesty as a shield against the unclean. How do you perceive modesty, and how does it manifest in your life? When does modesty serve a purpose, and when does it become a limitation?
The Call of the Earth
Gibran reminds us that the Earth delights in feeling our bare feet and the winds long to play with our hair. How do you cultivate moments of bare-footedness or unguarded presence in your life? What might it feel like to surrender to the Earth and wind fully?
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