Chapter 22: On Good and Evil ~ Gibran’s The Prophet with Journaling Prompts
And one of the elders of the city
said, Speak to us of Good and Evil.
And he answered:
Of the good in you I can speak, but not
of the evil.
For what is evil but good tortured by
its own hunger and thirst?
Verily when good is hungry it seeks food
even in dark caves, and when it thirsts
it drinks even of dead waters.
You are good when you are one with
yourself.
Yet when you are not one with yourself
you are not evil.
For a divided house is not a den of
thieves; it is only a divided house.
And a ship without rudder may wander
aimlessly among perilous isles yet sink
not to the bottom.
You are good when
you strive to give of yourself.
Yet you are not evil when you seek gain
for yourself.
For when you strive for gain you are
but a root that clings to the earth and
sucks at her breast.
Surely the fruit cannot say to the root,
“Be like me, ripe and full and ever
giving of your abundance.”
For to the fruit giving is a need, as
receiving is a need to the root.
*****
You are good when you are fully awake in
your speech,
Yet you are not evil when you sleep
while your tongue staggers without
purpose.
And even stumbling speech may strengthen
a weak tongue.
You are good when you walk to your goal
firmly and with bold steps.
Yet you are not evil when you go thither
limping.
Even those who limp go not backward.
But you who are strong and swift, see
that you do not limp before the lame,
deeming it kindness.
*****
You are good in countless ways, and you
are not evil when you are not good,
You are only loitering and sluggard.
Pity that the stags cannot teach
swiftness to the turtles.
In your longing for your giant self lies
your goodness: and that longing is in
all of you.
But in some of you that longing is a
torrent rushing with might to the sea,
carrying the secrets of the hillsides
and the songs of the forest.
And in others it is a flat stream that
loses itself in angles and bends and
lingers before it reaches the shore.
But let not him who longs much say to
him who longs little, “Wherefore are
you slow and halting?”
For the truly good ask not the naked,
“Where is your garment?” nor the
houseless, “What has befallen your
house?”
***** *****
~ Chapter 22 “On Good and Evil” 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
The Nature of Desire
Gibran suggests that good seeks fulfillment even in dark places, while evil is merely good tortured by hunger and thirst. In what areas of your life do you see your desires leading you to places of struggle, and how can you find balance in fulfilling those needs?
The Divided House
Gibran compares a divided house to a ship without a rudder. When do you feel divided within yourself, and how do you navigate that inner conflict to avoid aimlessly drifting in life?
The Need for Both Giving and Receiving
Gibran explains that giving is as much a need for the fruit as receiving is for the root. How do you experience the balance between giving and receiving in your life, and what does that relationship teach you about your personal growth?
Comparing Journeys
Gibran warns against judging others who may take slower or different paths. How do you honour your journey and the journeys of others without comparison or judgment? How can you embrace speed and slowness as part of the growth process?
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