Your Children are not your Children?

Question

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
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.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.


Comments Pls

Sorry this is not mine
It is Khalil Gibran
You can find more like this in his books

Jon I don't say others work as mine.
even I never allowed my teachers to touch my paintings for corrections, they used to do another paper to correct.

Purvirgo
I read all of his books mostly
Just sharing with few good people around here

Dear Bond
I'm no God man neither I'm preaching any religion, another thing even I say something from Bible and Quran with some modified language you will say it is from Vedas.
Those are Vedas. U'll find anything

God Bless You

Answer 1

Wonderful!
I strive to live this poem, but it is always a struggle.
I have five children (3 I birthed, 2 who joined us by marriage) and 2 grandchildren, and I've cared for many foster children over the years. I wish, wish, wish that all who are involved with children would take this poem to heart.

Answer 2

LOL you must be reading The Prophet. I saw your other question on Marriage.

I think here, Khalil means -

Even though new life emerges from a mortal source (man and woman), the "essence" of life is spiritual, immortal even. Therefore, you can give birth to a child, but you cannot give him purpose. You can TELL him your thoughts, but he will form his own. You can BE a role model, but he must act on his own. For one day, this child will be without parent, and may BE the parent as well... and all you can do is hope that your teachings were worthwhile.

Answer 3

You have admirably expounded Hindu philosophy.
We have been born million times. We had million fathers and mothers and likewise million sons and daughter and wives. In this birth, however, somebody is wife is and some body, a son and so on.
We should be therefore not be to too much doting on them.We should not be blinded by closeness of the relationship and look further beyond our noses. We should have a wider perspective and help those who are deprived of basic things and see that they get something by way of care and love and monetary help to stand them on their legs.

Answer 4

Dear Friend Aum,
I dont know why you are reciting verses from the Vedas, Geeta, Ramayana etc. and we are supposed to comment on it.
Are you trying to spread some religion on Yahoo Answers.
We are reading quite a lot of humbuck the God Men are doing and we dont need another God Man on Yahoo Answers

Answer 5

We are not you or I, but the out come from "HE", the all mighty, and hence the body which we think as 'I' or 'You' is also in custody with ! merge-able in its' origin at the time for what had been programmed. Once there is no I or You how the question of children comes !
To our strange we all know this but pose not accepting these and moving within the circle of "MAYA", God's spays. It is very difficult (for some even impossible) to live out of the circle of maya.

Answer 6

I do not agree with any person who says this world is not real. If we accept God in reality though we cannot touch him, we can simply feel his existence then tangible bodies part of our flesh and blood r also real. We all belong to God but we r in this world and whatever association we ve with others either as children, parents, friends is all real and concerning. We cannot lead life philosophically. For living in this world everything that we need is important to us and is reality for us. So I say be realistic and enjoy life. World is beautiful and worth living as it is.

Answer 7

Thanks,Bullwinkle.

Answer 8

It doesn't matter from where you have brought this beautiful piece. The fact that you have cared to bring it out for all of us to ponder is praisworthy.

Keep reporting more of these kinds in future also.

Answer 9

Really well said.Don`t listen to the negative critics, it`s true , your children aren`t your children.Keep on writing,you`ve got talent.

Answer 10

Yes. We are all children of God.