On Freedom

Gibran Kahlil Gibran
------------------------

At the city gate and by your fireside I have seen you prostrate yourself and worship your own freedom,
Even as slaves humble themselves before a tyrant and praise him though he slays them.
Ay, in the grove of the temple and in the shadow of the citadel I have seen the freest among you wear their freedom as a yoke and a handcuff.
And my heart bled within me; for you can only be free when even the desire of seeking freedom becomes a harness to you, and when you cease to speak of freedom as a goal and a fulfillment.

You shall be free indeed when your days are not without a care nor your nights without a want and a grief,
But rather when these things girdle your life and yet you rise above them naked and unbound.

And how shall you rise beyond your days and nights unless you break the chains which you at the dawn of your understanding have fastened around your noon hour?
In truth that which you call freedom is the strongest of these chains, though its links glitter in the sun and dazzle your eyes.

And what is it but fragments of your own self you would discard that you may become free?
If it is an unjust law you would abolish, that law was written with your own hand upon your own forehead.
You cannot erase it by burning your law books nor by washing the foreheads of your judges, though you pour the sea upon them.
And if it is a despot you would dethrone, see first that his throne erected within you is destroyed.
For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride?
And if it is a care you would cast off, that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you.
And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared.

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.
These things move within you as lights and shadows in pairs that cling.
And when the shadow fades and is no more, the light that lingers becomes a shadow to another light.
And thus your freedom when it loses its fetters becomes itself the fetter of a greater freedom.

Stunning piece my friend. Freedom is a sacred word. When there is injustice, freedom is just a meaningless word.

Indeed, there won't be justice... anywhere.
Even in the virtual world.... like....... dreams!

Abed, what's the virtual world? Maya...Nothing else.

But lately, it seems to be a replica of the real world.

I agree but the virtual world is worst.People hide their claws. At least in real life you know who your enemies and friends are.

With that, you have a point ;)

Ha ha ha I know!

...even on here you know who your enemies are.

;)

Um, not exactly.

You can chat with someone like friends, but they suddenly turn against you, like some kind of python.. tell me about it.
___
Jibran is a genius, anyway.

Maybe you are right Yaki. But my religion doesn't permit me to waste my time with such kind of people. They bring bad vibes. Besides there is a law in my religion. Here for your appreciation:

The Rule of Three (also Three-fold Law or Law of Return) is a religious tenet held by some Wiccans. It states that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times.

So I ignore those people as they deserve.

Tupac used to say
My enemy is your enemy, cause you aint never have a friend like me

Such loyalty :p

Reality
Is like an illusion
And the illusion
More Like a reality

Faces and water :P

There are a lot of scary things happening in the world right now, but the are great things happening, too. A great force of people from all over the globe is joining together on the internet to instill humanitarian ideals in every corner of the world. It grows daily.

Freedom is a very tough thing to achieve, but if we all strive, no matter what background we come from, we will succeed. We need to strive not just as individuals, but as a race. One mind. It is not impossible!

My two cents.

A great force of people from all over the globe is joining together on the internet to instill humanitarian ideals in every corner of the world. It grows daily.

^^
Would you care to elaborate on that, Jordan?

Last week, a great Lebanese theater teacher taught us to differentiate between reality and illusion.

Jordan,

"A great force of people from all over the globe is joining together on the internet to instill humanitarian ideals in every corner of the world. It grows daily."

^ This is the illusion itself. So technically, your first cent is a cyber dollar.

Your second cent, on contrary, is still stuck between reality and illusion.

Karla, your religion is so humanitarian. They say in Arabic 'Kama toa'amil , toa'amal' (translation: As you treat others, you'll be treated).

-

Rab, quotin Tupac is a crime against humanity.

So you mean Rab hasn't the freedom to quote Tupac? Is your illusion of freedom so quick to expire?

"Let them speak against the law and even against common humanity. For it is their ability to rant that proves freedom exists."

Nice quote Larry^

Break free from religion and you have freedom

Rab has the freedom to quote anyone ;) so does everyone..... I think Rab would understand that I meant by that, he cannot compare Gibran to Tupac.

Edit: private conversations are not subject to disclosure on the forum. You have already been warned about this by Sherry.

^ freedom expired, ha?

There are necessary limitations within freedom

Yes freedom that impedes others freedom, that's the issue here...

Ronel, the limitation is 'disrespect' only.

Nicko, what a sparkling slogan, nice.

Thing is its not a slogan..

But if you truely understand it even better..

It is a slogan.. a slogan you used to elaborate on what Ronel said, though it was another subject..another discussion. irrelevant.

Ah! People you are talking about freedom...have you ever lived under a dictatorship? You have no freedom, identity, you have nothing at all. I couldn't even read a newspaper cuz it was considered illegal. The police could invade your house whenever they wanted and arrested you. Many died. My uncle got crazy after the torture.Hes better now. Freedom is a sacred word.Don't destroy it. Make it happen.I could only learn the History of my own country and everybody who was against either was penalized or killed. How difficult it is to fight your own conrade!You need to be brave to held your head high and go on living.Ronel didn't live under disctatorship but she can talk about apartheid to you all. You are lucky. Raise your hands and be grateful for what you have because nothing can be as worst as being exiled in your own land.

Karla, tell us bout it, we, Arabs. Palestine has been living under the worst dictatorship in the whole world. Syria is going to be like it if Mr Bashar is gone. I hope we all have our freedom.

Abed, that was a stunning piece! Thanks for sharing!

I hope your country doesn't suffer what we from Latin America went through. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, etc...we all suffered together. I hope it doesn't happen there.Dictatorship here ended in 1984. Many people died. Many women died.If you were considered a communist, you knew what would be your end. In 1969, a group of students known as MR 8 and who were against the dictatorship kidnapped the American embassador and exchanged him for 15 political prisoners.Dictatorship here is known as the years of lead.In 1984 I remember I was at university so my friends and I went to downtown, shouting against the government because we wanted to vote for the President, to vote like any other citizen in the world. Militaries were in power for 20 years.It was a hard time. Nobody likes to remember what happened.

Ever heard of 'the killing fields', Karla? Not the movie, but the history of Cambodia?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Fields

Ever heard of a guy called Idi Amin who served his own people as the main course at his official dinners and how the attending guests almost died of disgust after finding out what meat they had been eating?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idi_Amin

Ever heard of the Congo massacre?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War

The list is endless, and yes, we heard about the countries in your region too and the violence that still goes on, also largely due to the drug-related crime...

Violence is omnipresent and peace is something to fight for and protect at all cost.The only way to obtain lasting peace is to start loving your neighbour as if he were your brother and to refuse to be a soldier in any way, and for any 'war' they might come up with.

Yes, Ingrid I know about them.We all share the same tragic past.Violence goes on here although we are now the sixth economy in the world. But violence is everywhere too and that is sad. We are still crawling. I think family as an institution lost its main role in bringing up citizens. I also think love is still the main word if we want to change minds and hearts. Sometimes I catch myself wondering when things will change. I don't think I will ever see my country as I dream it to be. However I still have faith in the young generations. Hope they can fly because we - the old ones - have never had wings to fly as we want(ed).

Abed, you made your point and your teacher is right.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering when things will change. I don't think I will ever see my country as I dream it to be. However I still have faith in the young generations. Hope they can fly because we - the old ones - have never had wings to fly as we want(ed).

* If all people were like you.. :)

Hun, I am proud of you. You are a talented poet and a bright young man. Wish I had a son like you.

:')

For those who believe freedome is free,
I hate to be the one to disagree,
I know freedom is won,
By the blood of the brave and young,
Tell me why!
Why did that mother have to cry?
Why did that soldier have to die?
-An Army marching jody call, or cadance,

Sorry a discussion about freedom made think of that. The peice was beautiful and thought provoking. I really enjoyed it

I agree.Freedom is never free. It costs lives.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are
tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the
sighing trees and the fat worms
waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and
he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the
grave of dreams his shadow shouts
on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are
tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Written by Maya Angelou

Irrelevant Laddie? The comment was directed at this conversation, one you brought up, but because you didn't comprehend and it, you dismiss it.

You have no being problem dismissing others thoughts and ideas when it suits, but i guess thats all in the name of freedom yeah, me, i just find it supercilious.

Yaki, women are not natural born mothers. This idea was created if I can say so during Positivism.Women are warriors. Babies may be or not part of their lives.

Abed is part of my life and I would like to have a son as bright as he is.