Essay on Life Values in the Buddha and the Prophet

Regarding both, “The Buddha” written by Thich Nhat Hanh and “The Prophet” written by Khalil Gibran, there is an in-depth perspective on life values unveiled in their writing. As simple as being true to ourselves and remaining enlightened in life is expressed in the “The Buddha” while “The Prophet” explains the infinite wisdom we have within and that we can continue to learn throughout life. Found in both stories is the value of discovering the depths of our inner selves and both are explored in a literal and metaphorical sense. While both novels explore life morals in their own way, they coincide in the fact that knowledge helps us grow independently, helps us learn from others, and become aware of our inner self.  

Throughout the novels, Gibran and Hanh view a similar perspective on knowledge being a driving force to help us grow throughout life. In “The Prophet”, Khalil defines knowledge as remaining self-aware and that there are no boundaries to knowledge itself as stated, “But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure; and seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line” (Gibran 54). He explores knowledge as an infinite and endless discovery while stating “sounding line” to emphasize knowledge’s unquantifiable nature. It is instead a concept that we gain throughout life which essentially allows us to grow through its constant “boundless and measureless” (Gibran 54) lessons. While “The Prophet” explores knowledge as a continuous “treasure of your infinite depths” (Gibran 54), “The Buddha” approaches this concept in a more literal sense where knowledge helps us recognize what is good for us. He provides insight that in self-awareness, we acquire the knowledge necessary to hold onto “something that is wholesome and good for you” (Hanh 10) or understanding that “leav[ing] the raft behind and walk[ing] on without it” (Hanh 10) may be the very thing that helps us move forward. In both, they depict the dimensions of knowledge as a means of self-development, through its limitless depths of learning and in recognizing parts in life that will help us become the better versions of ourselves.

While we may acquire knowledge through our journeys and life experiences, both Gibran and Hanh believe that knowledge provided by others can assist us in learning in our unique ways. In “The Prophet”, he defines the sharing of wisdom similar to “the musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it” (Gibran 56). He insists that understanding the musician's perspective does not transform us into the musician, but rather provides us with insight into his point of view. In particular, we can learn from other people’s perspectives, but the rest must "lead you to the threshold of your own mind" (Gibran 56). Initially, this will allow us to extend our knowledge from what we learn from others to guide what we think on our own. In “The Buddha”, a similar lesson is applied “as a mother at the risk of her life watches over her only child, so let everyone cultivate a boundlessly compassionate mind toward all beings” (Gibran 10). Parallel to “The Prophet”, it is through understanding the sacrifice and love that the mother embodies for her child that we can learn to be empathetic toward everything. Both demonstrate, how learning from others, in essence, does not allow us to become them because “the vision of one man lends not its wings to another” (Gibran 57), but rather broadens our awareness to learn for the better. As a result, by learning from others, we can essentially understand more about ourselves.     

While we can learn from those around, exploring the depths of knowledge can also help us become aware of our inner selves. In “The Buddha”, the author elaborates on self-knowledge as “the awakened one” (Hanh 10), also indicating that individuals who are continually exploring the realms of knowledge are the ones who remain self-aware and open-minded. He continues to argue the importance of “You are all Buddhas. There is nothing you need to achieve. Just open your eyes” (Hanh 10). This reveals the significance of remaining conscious of ourselves and our environment. As a result, rather than spending life constrained or solely focused on one objective, we can understand life more openly, which examines his opinion on "There is nothing you need to achieve" (Hanh 10). The moment we recognize this, we will understand the depths of learning, not just about the world around us but also about ourselves. This will keep us enlightened and curious throughout our existence, helping us grow through life’s constant lessons. While Hanh conveys the need of allowing our minds to expand and focusing on self-awareness, "The Prophet" integrates the same idea that we can learn in a variety of ways if we are mindful of the different path’s life offers us. He emphasizes how knowledge and growth are infinite and that we are always learning in a way in which we should “Say not I have found the path of the soul. Say rather, I have met the soul walking upon my path” (Gibran 55). He informs how there is no structure to life, but rather there is one way of many. Lastly, he concludes self-knowledge through “the soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals” (Hanh 55), implying metaphorically that we are the flowers, and that each petal reflects our ability to unfold and reach in any direction in life. Both see knowledge as a means of appropriately valuing our outlook on life since it allows us to become more self-aware and understand ourselves better.

In "The Prophet" written by Khalil Gibran and "The Buddha" written by Thich Nhat Hanh, they overlap the concept of knowledge by its ability to help us grow through its infinite depths, to help us learn from the different perspectives of others, and to help us understand the potential we have within by remaining self-aware and open to the various path’s life has to offer. In doing so, one can maintain a successful life, as it is the knowledge that one has that can shift even the most misguided path in the right direction in life.