Can anyone help me with understand some philosophy? its by kahlil gibrand "the prophet"?

Question

For Example- " like children playing by the ocean who build sand-towers with constancy and then destroy them with laughter. but while you build your sand-towers the ocean brings more sand to the shore, and when you destroy them the ocean laughs with you. verily the ocean laughs always with the innocent. but whatof those to whom life is not an ocean, and man-made laws are not sand-towers, but to whom life is a rock and the law a chisel with which they would carve it in their own likeness? what of teh cripple who hates dancers? what of the ox who loves his yoke and deems the elk and deer of the forest stray and vagrant things?

any input would be greatly appreciated
Patrick

Answer 1

[Warning: I had never heard of Gibran before you mentioned it. After reading this passage the follwing is my understanding of it. I might be totally off what he is trying to actually say.]

As far as I can think, he is comparing two lives, the two facets to life itself. He is comparing the people to whom
'laughter' (I presume he's being sybolic here) comes easily, life (the ocean) brings happines to them, and laughs with them...the laws that govern thier lives are as manageble as the sand castle that can be broken with a swept of the hand; and others to whom life is as hard as the rock, and the only way to make it work for them is to use the laws (the chisel) to 'carve it in thier own likeness'.
I also assume the reason why he brings up "innocensence" up in his argument is because he might be comparing the phases to life (childhood and adulthood) -- wherein the childhood one doesn't have to worry, and the child's mere innocence works with life to bring him happiness, as a child has no boundaries, and laws do not hold meaning to him. But as adults, our life indeed hardens, and since we are no longer innocent, life and the laws take on a different meaning, a different perspective by themselves.

When he says "the cripple who hates dancers"...that I presume he takes on several meanings again -- In adulthood many dynamics play a role in our life (making it harder) like envy, and hate etc., and that is why the cripple hates the dancer for what he wants out of life is simply taken for granted by the dancer, or what is a simple necessity for him is taken to the extreme and not cared about or well taken care of by the dancer.
[But I disagree for the fact that the cripple hates the dancer, for he doesn't know if the dancer actually takes her skill...her life for granted or not, therefore he doensn't have the right to judge anyone, and take his misfortune as an excuse to despise someone for something he doesn't have for the moment]
On the other hand, the ox who loves his yoke deems of the elk is complicated for neither the ox nor the deer knows how it feels to be in each other's shoes. Surprisingly, they both love where they are and do not despise each other's situation, rather the ox only holds an opinion about the free elk in the forest, and every vegabond who has no purpose (according to the ox) and wanders around with no goal, as supposed to the ox, who works hard...is assigned to work in the farm and does his job whole heartedly.

hope it helps
gluck

Answer 2

I have and read that book when it was 'hot'. Lots of stuff and ideals were 'hot' in the 60s-70s. That man had some knowledges.
He is speaking of the impermanence theory that was and is the basis of what The Buddha taught.
He is also speaking about the roles that are chosen or alloted, which is actually a choice, some may not see that, others do.
The children make the castles and laugh as they tear the castles down. The ocean, or seas of Humanity laugh with them for it is a good thing that they do.
Some choose to build castles of hate and dominion, they will never laugh with the freedom and joviality that a child has.
Some build castles of love and equality, these castles will also fade into the sea, eventually.For a time and a time they stand strong and are in the hands of the ones that made them.
It gets pretty deep, but that is philosophy.

Answer 3

Okay, maybe this will help;
Children in every society are deemed innocent and with the same amount of glee children can build sand towers and destroy them without any malice or cruelty. The ocean laughs b/c these children are acting as nature acts free of malice and cruelty and free of laws and judgements. The innocent and nature both Build and Destroy with the same level of abondonment.
But as adults, forced to follow laws set by society. Laws not of nature but of man, our attempts at building sand-towers are pathetic b/c our attempts to control nature are futile.
As well-mannered civilized adults, we have forced and shaped nature to our will. We have come to scoff at the natural beauty and freedom of nature and imprisoned it in perfectly manicured lawns and potted plants.
The cripple hates the dancer b/c the dancer is able to do something the cripple has lost.
The ox deems the elk and deer as vagrants, b/c the ox as forgotten that it to was once a wild creature and has grown comfortable in its domesticated role given to it by civilized man.

Answer 4

It means that everything is backasswards. The "normal" (drones-carved in stone) rule and deem anything else deviant, while those on the fringes are usually the ones who are truly alive(those wh laugh with the ocean).

Life is fluid and variable, like nature, not rigid like fearful people want to make it.

Answer 5

You probably mean "The Profit" by Kellogg Allbran.

Ah yes - such wisdom! "A camel can more easily pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased."

They don't write numbers like that anymore.

CD

Answer 6

Sheesh I'd say old Kahlil had too much time on his hands and some bad weed

Answer 7

Sunder the matrix whilst ye yet have the strength and will :))