Chapter 15: On Reason and Passion ~ Gibran’s The Prophet with Journaling Prompts
And the priestess spoke again
and said: Speak to us of Reason and
Passion.
And he answered, saying:
Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield,
upon which your reason and your judgment
wage war against your passion and your
appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in
your soul, that I might turn the discord
and the rivalry of your elements into
oneness and melody.
But how shall I, unless you yourselves
be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers
of all your elements?
Your reason and your passion are the
rudder and the sails of your seafaring
soul.
If either your sails or your rudder be
broken, you can but toss and drift,
or else be held at a standstill in
mid-seas.
For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion,
unattended, is a flame that burns to its
own destruction.
Therefore let your soul exalt your
reason to the height of passion, that it
may sing;
And let it direct your passion with
reason, that your passion may live
through its own daily resurrection,
and like the phoenix rise above its own
ashes.
*****
I would have you consider your judgment
and your appetite even as you would two
loved guests in your house.
Surely you would not honour one guest
above the other; for he who is more
mindful of one loses the love and the
faith of both
Among the hills, when you sit in the
cool shade of the white poplars, sharing
the peace and serenity of distant fields
and meadows--then let your heart say in
silence, “God rests in reason.”
And when the storm comes, and the
mighty wind shakes the forest,
and thunder and lightning proclaim the
majesty of the sky,--then let your heart
say in awe, “God moves in passion.”
And since you are a breath in God’s
sphere, and a leaf in God’s forest, you
too should rest in reason and move in
passion.
***** *****
~ Chapter 15 “On Reason and Passion” 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 Dance of Opposites
Gibran speaks of the internal battle between reason and passion. How do you experience the tension between your rational mind and your passions in your own life?
Guiding Your Soul
Gibran compares reason to a rudder and passion to sails on the ship of the soul. How can you ensure both functions together in balance, guiding you toward your true purpose?
The Role of Judgment and Appetite
How can you honour your reason and passion as equally important guests within your being, avoiding neglecting either?
Living with Integrity
Gibran says, “God rests in reason” and “God moves in passion.” How can you embody both serenity and energy, bringing together your intellect and desires in your daily life?
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