Khalil Gibran

The Gap Between Understanding and Action
The Gap Between Understanding and Action
6 min
Understanding expresses itself through action. And understanding knows no other expression. Words are a very poor substitute for the right action and that is what Gibran is talking of here. He says that which is understood claim for its final expression as action in life. The poet often lets his understanding become his words. To that extent, there is a flow but if the words remain mere words and do not turn into life then there is no freedom yet. The imprisonment continues. Live what you love, otherwise, the punishment is tremendous.
Is Knowing the Truth a Never-Ending Quest?
Is Knowing the Truth a Never-Ending Quest?
41 min

“The significance of a man is not in what he attains, but rather what he longs to attain.” -Khalil Gibran, ‘Sand and Foam’

Question: Once during a discourse on the Bible, you too have said, “The more you know the Truth, the more you want to know; such is

‘Speak to Us of Houses' by Kahlil Gibran
‘Speak to Us of Houses' by Kahlil Gibran
6 min
You are always in Home, but there are some people who open their eyes and see that they are always at Home. And there are some people, who are in the Home, and yet they keep sleeping and dreaming that they are somewhere far away. And not only are they dreaming that they are somewhere far away, they are actually planning, of course in their dreams, to go further far away. That is the ‘Home’ that Khalil Gibran is talking of – where you really are.
Understanding Solitude: A World Apart from Loneliness
Understanding Solitude: A World Apart from Loneliness
17 min

“Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow. Solitude is the ally of sorrow as well as a companion of spiritual exaltation.”

-Kahlil Gibran (The Broken Wings)

Acharya Prashant: “Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers it

If others can predict you, others will enslave you || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2015)
If others can predict you, others will enslave you || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2015)
23 min

“Thus, I became a madman

And I have found both freedom and safety

in my madness;

the freedom of loneliness

and the safety from being understood

For those who understand us,

enslave something in us.

Khalil Gibran

Question: Why is Khalil Gibran saying that those who understand us enslave

What is pleasure and what is its place in life? || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran (2015)
What is pleasure and what is its place in life? || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran (2015)
5 min

“Pleasure is a freedom song,

But it is not freedom.

It is the blossoming of your desires,

But it is not their fruit.”

Khalil Gibran

Questioner : Sir, what pleasure is and what is its place in life?

Speaker : Khalil Gibran is saying, “Pleasure is a freedom song, But

The simple, continuous, ubiquitous call of Truth is easy to miss|| Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
The simple, continuous, ubiquitous call of Truth is easy to miss|| Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
9 min

H e may be here, and he may call her.

But like many others she may not hear.

-Khalil Gibran

Question: Why can’t he hear? What stops him from hearing?

Acharya Prashant: He is asking, “When there is the Call and the Caller, why can’t the Caller himself make the

To be a human is to have Sky in the Heart and Earth in the body || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
To be a human is to have Sky in the Heart and Earth in the body || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
3 min

“Let the whole world listen.

The sky will now speak to the earth,

but the earth is deaf as you and I”

~ Khalil Gibran

Speaker: “Let the whole world listen. The sky will now speak to the earth, but the earth is deaf as you and I”. What

Free from the clutches of the world, you remember God || Acharya Prashant on Khalil GIbran (2015)
Free from the clutches of the world, you remember God || Acharya Prashant on Khalil GIbran (2015)
9 min

Forgetfulness is a form of freedom. – Khalil Gibran

Speaker: The Heart stands for Freedom. The Centre, the Core stands for Freedom. The Truth stands for Freedom. And because the Truth is Truth, it cannot go away or disappear. Then why do we feel un-free? If Truth stands for Freedom

At the Center, the Guru, Maya, and you, are all One and Nothing || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
At the Center, the Guru, Maya, and you, are all One and Nothing || Acharya Prashant on Khalil Gibran
33 min

When you reach the Heart of Life you will find yourself not higher than the felon, and not lower than the Prophet.

~ Khalil Gibran

Speaker : “When you reach the Heart of Life you will find yourself not higher than the felon, and not lower than the Prophet”. At

What is Prakriti’s deepest desire? || Acharya Prashant, on ‘The Prophet’ by Khalil Gibran (2018)
What is Prakriti’s deepest desire? || Acharya Prashant, on ‘The Prophet’ by Khalil Gibran (2018)
9 min

Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

~ Khalil Gibran

Question: Pranaam Acharya

Acharya Prashant on Katha Upanishad: Why do the wise call the Aatman, ‘the enjoyer’?
Acharya Prashant on Katha Upanishad: Why do the wise call the Aatman, ‘the enjoyer’?
7 min

Question: Acharya Ji, why do the wise call the Aatman, ‘the enjoyer?’

Acharya Prashant: Enjoyer, in the sense of the watcher. Just as in the cinema hall, you enjoy the show. How do you enjoy the show? By leaping into the screen? In Cinema Hall, how do you enjoy it?

How to deal with hurt in life?
How to deal with hurt in life?
20 min

Do not fear the thorns in your path, for they draw only the corrupt blood.

~ Kahil Gibran

Acharya Prashant: That is a surprise how in the movement of hurt we see only that which has been hurt and we totally ignore that which has been not and both are

Hidden tendencies have great power;but power of Truth is greater ||Acharya Prashant,on Khalil Gibran
Hidden tendencies have great power;but power of Truth is greater ||Acharya Prashant,on Khalil Gibran
22 min

That which seems most feeble and bewildered in youis the strongest and most determined.

Is it not your breath that has erected and hardened the structure of your bones?

-Khalil Gibran The prophet (The farewell)

Acharya Prashant: There are two ways one can look at this; which of these two

Joy that remains untouched by defeat || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
Joy that remains untouched by defeat || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
4 min

“Defeat, my Defeat, my solitude, and my aloofness; You are dearer to me than a thousand triumphs, And sweeter to my heart than all world-glory. “

~Khalil Gibran

Acharya Prashant: The question is, “How can defeat be sweet? How can there be joy in being shunned and scorned?”

There is

Time can take away even Enlightenment || On 'The Wise King' by Khalil Gibran (2018)
Time can take away even Enlightenment || On 'The Wise King' by Khalil Gibran (2018)
7 min

The Wise King

Once there ruled in the distant city of Wirani, a king who was both mighty and wise. And he was feared for his might and loved for his wisdom. Now, in the heart of that city was a well, whose water was cool and crystalline, from which

Why does evil enter one’s life? || (2018)
Why does evil enter one’s life? || (2018)
10 min

The Two Hermits Upon a lonely mountain, there lived two hermits who worshipped God and loved one another. Now, these two hermits had one earthen bowl and this was their only possession. One day, an evil spirit entered into the heart of the older hermit and he came to the

This is how love becomes slavery
This is how love becomes slavery
14 min

Acharya Prashant (AP): Questioner is asking — “Acharya Ji, 'love that does not renew itself every day becomes a habit and in turn, a slavery. How shall my heart be unsealed unless it be broken?'

~Khalil Gibran.

Kindly elaborate on the above two lines. What do renewal of love, unsealing

The Man of God is a winner in the world || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
The Man of God is a winner in the world || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
16 min

“Verily all things move within your being in constant half embrace, the desired and the dreaded, the repugnant and the cherished, the pursued and that which you would escape.”

~Khalil Gibran.

Question: What is full embrace? How is it different from half embrace? If half embrace creates a movement of

You know your real face, and your real home? || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
You know your real face, and your real home? || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2017)
13 min

“Your life, my friend,

is a residence far away from any other

residence and neighbours.

Your inner soul is a home far away from

other homes named after you.

If this residence is dark,

you cannot light it with your neighbour’s lamp;

If it is empty you cannot fill it

How to drop all fakeness and masks? || (2018)
How to drop all fakeness and masks? || (2018)
7 min

You asked me how I became a mad man. It happened thus: one day, long before many Gods were born, I woke up from a deep sleep and found all my masks were stolen- the seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives- I ran maskless through the

Why do you avoid me? || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2018)
Why do you avoid me? || Acharya Prashant, on Khalil Gibran (2018)
4 min

“No man can reveal to you nothing but that which already lies half-asleep in the dawning of your knowledge.” ~ Khalil Gibran

Questioner: What is the role of a spiritual teacher in one’s life? How does life change in the presence of a spiritual teacher or a Guru?

Acharya Prashant:

How does the ego drop? || Acharya Prashant, on ‘The Prophet’ by Khalil Gibran (2018)
How does the ego drop? || Acharya Prashant, on ‘The Prophet’ by Khalil Gibran (2018)
9 min

“Too many fragments of the spirit have I scattered in these streets, and too many are the children of my longing that walk naked among these hills, and I cannot withdraw from them without a burden and an ache. It is not a garment that I cast off this day,

Popular reasons to marry || Neem Candies
Popular reasons to marry || Neem Candies
1 min

In our country, most people marry because that is sometimes the only way of getting some good sex—good and assured sex. Otherwise, the fellow would either have to spend a lot of money or a lot of time, or both, and then still return empty-handed. Isn’t that so?

Now, if

Suffering under peer pressure? || IIT Bombay (2022)
Suffering under peer pressure? || IIT Bombay (2022)
9 min

Questioner (Q): Man is typically a social animal who seeks to coexist with the society around him. I am a vegan but many people around me are not, and that creates a difficulty for me. I want to speak out my thoughts on animal cruelty and get into animal activism,

How to Overcome Sadness?
How to Overcome Sadness?
6 min
Why do you have so much personal time? How are you available to grief? Your consciousness is too self-centered; it needs expansion. Even as you grieve over one death, billions of goats, rabbits, lambs, fish, cows, and chickens are slaughtered. Commit your time. Dedicate it to a higher purpose. We attach great sanctity to our personal lives. Give it up!
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Any kind of harm that comes to you can only come due to a lack of self-knowledge. If you do not know who you are, you will be forced to believe whatever others tell you about yourself. We don’t even realize how big a slavery that is! Every time you allow circumstances to rule you, you are actually acting like a dead object. You are alive only if you have something within that circumstances cannot touch.
Thinking A Lot About Future?
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Can Multiple Sexual Partners Fulfill You?
Can Multiple Sexual Partners Fulfill You?
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All your relationships are deeply your attempts to fill an inner void. Whether you relate sexually to one person or many — will sex give you what you truly want? The body is a shallow means to attain that which your consciousness craves. There are beautiful ways of relating to men and women; relate to them in higher ways.
Are All the Interesting People Found in Hell?
Are All the Interesting People Found in Hell?
7 min
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Is Self-Love About Being Happy?
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8 min
Making yourself happy isn't self-love. Self-love is gifting yourself the highest possible. If you do not know what to give yourself, at least abstain from giving yourself toxic and harmful things. Real love is always tough. Self-love is an exercise in reduction, not accumulation. When you work to make your life beautiful, you are truly loving yourself.
The Joy of Being Drenched in Love
The Joy of Being Drenched in Love
13 min
Usually our love is about one special thing or person. But Kabir Sahab is saying, "Hari bhai ban rai—the entire jungle has turned green. I see greenery not merely in one tree, but in the entire jungle.” That’s the difference between common love and Kabir Sahab’s love. In your love, there is just one green tree; in Kabir Sahab’s love, the entire world has turned green: there is nothing dry anywhere anymore.
How to Get Rid of Pain and Suffering?
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17 min
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Is Sadness the Door to Happiness?
Is Sadness the Door to Happiness?
12 min
If you want to be happy, you should be sad. How many of you want deep happiness? You must go and must become deeply sad. This kind of happiness is of no use, it is coming from others, it is situation-dependent, there is no intelligence in it. There is another happiness that is called as ‘joy’. Find that happiness which nobody has given you and nobody can take away, which is your own nature. Lightness, simple pure lightness!
Happiness Is a False Medicine
Happiness Is a False Medicine
3 min
The bulk of the human population is always, by default, in the state of boredom, frustration, irritation and anxiety— which are all nothing but sadness. The brain can never know the real happiness, i.e., 'Joy'. So, it is looking for some kind of a cheap substitute, which it finds in various objects: position, power, performance, money, appreciation, prestige, reputation— all these things. Happiness is a false medicine. A substitute. A cheap, unworthy substitute for joy.
Why Does One Desire Liberation while the Other does not?
Why Does One Desire Liberation while the Other does not?
5 min

Questioner: Why is there a difference of intensity and love for mukti (liberation) between different human beings?

Acharya Prashant: The differences that you are talking of all relate to time; therefore, they all will be resolved in due course of time. Time gave rise to all those differences, and those

Why Can't I Leave My Comfort Zone?
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8 min
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Are You in a Right Relationship?
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12 min
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How to Make Your Parents Happy?
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9 min
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Is Sex and Meditation Just an Escape of Ego?
Is Sex and Meditation Just an Escape of Ego?
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The ego says that my first priority is to remain, exist, and after that comes everything else. Even the Truth must be subservient to my first priority. So, liberation is alright as long as it is a second of liberation. Peace is alright as long as it is five minutes of peace. But if silence threatens to take over the entire life, if peace starts dominating noise to the extent that the noise might be completely annihilated, then the ego rejects. The ego wants Truth, but only a modicum of Truth. The ego wants peace, but only a sliver of peace.
Men Desperately Trying to Understand Women - and Failing!
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Are Women Sexually Passive?
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Things I Wish I Knew Before Having Sex
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12 min
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Love or Knowledge: Which is More Powerful for Liberation?
Love or Knowledge: Which is More Powerful for Liberation?
4 min

Acharya Prashant: Love is the fire that melts down the bondage that is you. Knowledge is merely the light in which you can see your bondages. Even if you are able to look at your chains in the light of knowledge, that does not rid you of the chains. In

Secrets of an Authentic Personality
Secrets of an Authentic Personality
5 min

A. Objective and Fear

Wherever there is an objective, there would be fear associated with it. You hope to get something, and you fear that you may not get it. Don’t you see that a man who is chasing goals has condemned himself to live in fear?

It is possible

Why Others Can't Fulfill Your Expectations
Why Others Can't Fulfill Your Expectations
6 min
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If it is Optional to Suffer, why do we still Suffer?
If it is Optional to Suffer, why do we still Suffer?
7 min

Questioner: There is a well-known saying, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” My question is, Is suffering really optional? Whenever I go through persistent issues, I suffer, even after knowing.

Acharya Prashant: Yes, suffering is always optional.

But you cannot have your world and the rest of what you are,