“Like sheep without a shepherd we flocked together any night gazing on our thoughts, and chewing the cud of our emotions; yet we remain hungry and athirst. …
“Yesterday we were, and today we are! This is the will of the goddess among the sons of the goddess. What is your will, oh sons of the monkeys? Have you walked a single step forward since you came forth from the crevices of the earth? Have you gazed toward heaven since Satan opened your eyes? Have you uttered a word from the book of Right since the lips of vipers kissed your lips? Or have you listened a moment to the song of Life since Death closed your ears?
“Seventy thousand years ago I passed by and say you moving like insects inside the caves; and seven minutes ago I glanced at you through the crystal glass of my window and say you walking through the alleys fettered by slavery. … You look the same today as you looked yesterday.” ~Kahlil Gibran
A Bad Day
We all have bad days. Even Spiritual people have bad days. I think we can safely say that Gibran was not in a good mood when he wrote the piece I quote from. Or could it be that Gibran was smart enough to realize that some people won’t be awakened by a gentle approach. Some need to e shaken hard to get them out of bed in the morning. This work certainly does that.
Despite the harsh language, it still has many important things to say. Important things on both the spiritual and material levels of being.
Sons of Monkeys
So we start with Gibran calling us sons of monkeys. From a pure science point of view, he is completely correct in doing so. Physically, we are descended from apes. There is no doubt about that accept among the fools who deny all science and live in a world of fantasy and comic books.
But in a more insulting way, the way Gibran probably meant, we are sons of monkeys because most of us still behave like beasts rather than spiritual beings with souls. Advanced beings don’t kill others to get what they want. Spiritual being don’t hoard food, clothing, and other goods when children are starving and sleeping in the streets. People who think those things are fine are still sons of monkeys.
Satan Opened Your Eyes
What is Gibran talking about? Satan didn’t open your eyes, did he?
I think I once read somewhere that Gibran was not a fan of the Gnostics, yet this is a Gnostic point of view. Satan, Lucifer, or the Demiurge gave us physical life in the world of matter, not the true God. Only if you accept this Gnostic teaching does it make sense for Gibran to say that Satan opened our eyes. Only our physical bodies are sons of monkeys (or daughters).
While many religions scoff at that belief, think about it before you reject it. God is the creator of life, love, and Light. Why would he also create death, disease, fear, and hatred?That makes as much sense as someone building a nice house only to then set it on fire and watch it burn. No, God created the good, the spiritual; the Demiurge created matter,death, and destruction.
Gazing Towards Heaven
Gibran asks if the sons of monkeys ever gaze towards heaven. Most people would immediately answer yes. Materialists who don’t even believe in a spiritual heaven think that this simply means looking up at the sky. Sadly, many religious and spiritual people think the same way. But heaven is not “Up” in the sense of a physical location. It is “Up” because it is a higher dimension. So how can we gaze at a higher dimension?
Gibran’s use of the word “gaze” give us a clue. You don’t hear that word used often today, except by sungazers. Sun-gazing is becoming more popular all the time. Most of those doing it, however, are limiting themselves to gazing at the physical sun. Many don’t even realize there is a spiritual sun. While there are some physical benefits from gazing at the physical sun, we awaken the spirit and soul with the light of the spiritual sun. It is that gazing at the spiritual sun that Gibran is talking about when he asks if we ever gaze toward heaven.
Song of Life
Similarly, when Gibran asks if we ever listen to the Song of Life, he is talking in spiritual allegory. The only true life is spiritual life. Only spiritual life is eternal. So to hear the Song of Life means to hear that siren call to awaken from our materialistic life and start developing our spiritual faculties. Let’s turn the sons of monkeys back into sons of God.
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