Joy and Sorrow – painting by Kahlil Gibran
“We choose our joys and sorrows
long before we experience them.”
Kahlil Gibran writes in ‘The Prophet’ on Joy and Sorrow
“Then a woman said,’Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.’
And he answered: Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, Sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced. When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall. ” Kahlil Gibran
“So, this is what it is-simple, that you are integrated. By Integration, you get the power to do what you understand, and you
have power to feel happy with what you understand. So, you come to a stage where you develop this ‘Niranand’. And, this ‘Niranand’ you develop when you are absolutely the Spirit. In ‘Niranand’ state there’s no duality left . It is Adwaita, without dualiy, is One Personality. That is, you are completely integrated and the joy is not anymore dented-it’s complete. It hasn’t got a happiness and a sorrow aspect, but is just Joy. The Joy is not that you laugh loud, the Joy is not that you are always smiling. No. Is the stillness, the quietude within your Self, the peace, of your being, of your Spirit, that asserts itself into Vibrations which you feel, that when you feel that peace, you feel like light of the sun, the whole rays of that beauty spreading.” ( excerpt from Shri Mataji’s lecture on Crown Chakra in 1983 )
“Song of the Flower”, by Kahlil Gibran
I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of Nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
I am the daughter of the elements
With whom Winter conceived;
To whom Spring gave birth; I was
Reared in the lap of Summer and I
Slept in the bed of Autumn.
At dawn I unite with the breeze
To announce the coming of light;
At eventide I join the birds
In bidding the light farewell.
The plains are decorated with
My beautiful colors, and the air
Is scented with my fragrance.
As I embrace Slumber the eyes of
Night watch over me, and as I
Awaken I stare at the sun, which is
The only eye of the day.
I drink dew for wine, and hearken to
The voices of the birds, and dance
To the rhythmic swaying of the grass.
I am the lover’s gift; I am the wedding wreath;
I am the memory of a moment of happiness;
I am the last gift of the living to the dead;
I am a part of joy and a part of sorrow.
But I look up high to see only the light,
And never look down to see my shadow.
This is wisdom which man must learn.”
Soon we will have a Special Event in Burlington, Oakville or Milton Sahaja Yoga
meditation class – specially dedicated to Kahlil Gibran, who was not only a multi-talented, inspired artist but as well a realized soul. Kahlil’s genuine and concerned love for people, as well his authentic connection with the divine - through his awakened Kundalini energy – ‘certified’ him, in a sahaj way as The Prophet.
Beautiful Documentary on Kahlil Gibran’s Life & Work -Music & Quotes
what a wonderufl post, I especially love the quote about the true joy…will repost this one
thank you!!!
“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight”. This is so true and if I can be literal, thinking about the sudden death of my beloved mother, thinking about her and all she has done for me as a mother and remembering the times we shared together and how much happiness and joy this brought me, if I did not have such beautiful memories of her, then this sorrow would not exist. I am very fortunate and blessed to have the kind of love that my mother gave me. I will love her always and forever and while my heart hurts knowing that she has died, I will remember the joy and happiness she brought to me.
Lots of love always.
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
Amazing. Thank you for this!
wonderful!
“they are inseperable”… This is part of Gibran’s quote. Examine the painting and one sees the hands are bound by a leather strap… And it is the woman who is smiling… and the man that shows sorrow. Interesting to think of the possibilities represented in the painting. Perhaps the metaphors are interchangable. That is to say… the woman’s joy could be hope that masks the despair of sorrow/ and the man’s sorrow could be the hope that masks his joy through despair. The point is that which ever way you see it… it is part of the dilema or not of the external in the attempt to connect or not with the inner presence of the all pervading poser/spirit. The spirit guides the hand of the painter Gibran to show the dilema of the human experience as the process of realization in an ever expanding field of love. Ultimately we choose to create what we experience… the depth of our intuition allows us to foreshadow the coming experience more closely, more deeply and more lovingly as we allow ourselves to wake up. Whether it is through art, poetry or dreams… the question is are we paying attention!
It is a very deep painting.
Wonderful!
The poetry of Kahlil Gibran is so modern, in fact so much out of time, inifinite, that every one, in every place of the world, can undertsand and feel from his heat this beautifull melody of love.
Thank you again
Thank you for such beautiful inspired words… the great things can be described in a very simple way …
The Joy..
Laughing Baby
Beautful flower
Flowing stream
Clear blue sky
Sound of birds in silence
Early showers in a hot place
Sound of rain in silence
Vibrations in the sky
Melody of Music
Rhythm of an instrument
Spontaneous cheer
A welcoming heart with a smile
The joy of Sahasrara, Nirananda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Q86hdnNXM&feature=related
Enjoy the joy of Sahasrara!
It is the human condition isn’t it? The two sides of the coin, happiness and sadness. Until now we have had no chance of escape from these two states, both of which are temporary and illusionary. At Realisation the way through to Joy is opened. This Joy is unending and can be accessed through meditation, it is always there even if we are not. If an emotion is too much, if it is really upsetting you and troubling you, then concentrate on that emotion during meditation and it will dissolve. Then you have the Peace. I have tried this, it works, it was the only thing to stop me feeling completely awful upon the death of a dear friend. You can escape the human condition.
I feel you are talking about escaping the condition of “sadness”… it is a question of how much… how much sadness that is… perhaps the sadness of loss allows us to experience empathy… that is a loving thing… Yet, if we hold onto sadness… it can consume our life energy. So I feel we have always the choice of detachment… loving detachment… that brings us into the present… and that is where we live… not in the past, nor in the future. To be fully conscious is to be in the present…
thanks Ioana, for this post. I found it inspiring, wonderful. Kahlil Gibran crosses all cultures and his interpretation of joy and sorrow is a learning experience for me. I knew that joy is not happiness. I’ve learned the following: that joy and sorrow are inseparable, that the deeper sorrow carves out the space more joy can enter; when we cry if we look into our hearts we cry for the joyous times we once experienced; when we grieve we grieve for the beautiful connection we had with people we loved and who loved us, who are now gone. I’ve learned how fortunate I’ve been in my life to have cried and experienced intense grief. It has carved out more space for joy to enter, and I do experience joy.
Shri Mataji tells us that “joy is not about smiling but about stillness, the peace of your being and spirit”. I have experienced this peace she describes.
What wonderful lesson.
I located my copy of Gibran’s “The Prophet”. I look forward to learning more about him. Thanks again