Chapter 21: On Time ~ Gibran’s The Prophet with Journaling Prompts
And an astronomer said, Master, what of Time?
And he answered:
You would measure time the measureless
and the immeasurable.
You would adjust your conduct and
even direct the course of your spirit
according to hours and seasons.
Of time you would make a stream upon
whose bank you would sit and watch its
flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of
life’s timelessness,
And knows that yesterday is but today’s
memory and tomorrow is today’s dream.
And that that which sings and
contemplates in you is still dwelling
within the bounds of that first moment
which scattered the stars into space.
Who among you does not feel that his
power to love is boundless?
And yet who does not feel that very
love, though boundless, encompassed
within the centre of his being, and
moving not from love thought to love
thought, nor from love deeds to other
love deeds?
And is not time even as love is,
undivided and paceless?
*****
But if in your thought you must measure
time into seasons, let each season
encircle all the other seasons,
And let today embrace the past with
remembrance and the future with longing.
***** *****
~ Chapter 21 “On Time” 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 Illusion of Time
Gibran describes time as immeasurable, while humans often try to measure it. How does your perception of time shape your life, and how can you shift your focus to the timeless within you?
Living in the Present
Gibran reminds us that yesterday is a memory and tomorrow a dream. How often do you dwell on the past or future, and how can you bring more attention to the present moment?
Embracing All Seasons
Gibran invites us to let each season encircle all others, blending past, present, and future. How can you learn from the past while embracing the unknown of the future in your daily life?
The Eternal Moment
Gibran reflects on how, though boundless, love is contained within the present moment. How do you experience the timelessness of love in your life, and how can you embrace the present without feeling bound by the passing of time?
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