Hi this is Nideesh Vasu and I read writings and poetry
from the great saints and seers from across the ages
to help us introspect where
we are at in our lives at the moment
and to help us evolve and become
 better students, better children,
better parents, better friends,
 better lovers, and better humans.
Welcome to a Stereo Tales presentation.
You're listening to Sages and the Madman with Nideesh Vasu.
Thank you for listening in to my podcast.
In today’s episode, we continue our readings
 from Khalil Gibran’s The Madman:
His Parables and Poems.
We’ll take a look at another parable called ‘My Friend’.
My friend, I am not what I seem.
Seeming is but a garment I wear--a care-woven garment
that protects me from thy questionings and
thee from my negligence.
The “I” in me, my friend, dwells in
 the house of silence,
and therein it shall remain for ever more,
unperceived, unapproachable.
I would not have thee believe
in what I say nor trust in what I do--
for my words are naught but
 thy own thoughts in sound and
my deeds thy own hopes in action.
When thou sayest, “The wind bloweth eastward,” I say,
“Aye it doth blow eastward”;
for I would not have thee know
that my mind doth not dwell upon the wind but upon the sea.
Thou canst not understand my seafaring thoughts,
nor would I have thee understand.
I would be at sea alone.
When it is day with thee, my friend,
it is night with me;
yet even then I speak of the noontide
that dances upon the hills
and of the purple shadow
that steals its way across the valley;
for thou canst not hear the songs of my darkness
nor see my wings beating against the stars--
and I fain would not have thee hear or see.
I would be with night alone.
When thou ascendest to thy Heaven
I descend to my Hell--
even then thou callest to me across the unbridgeable gulf,
“My companion, my comrade,”
and I call back to thee,
“My comrade, my companion”--
for I would not have thee see my Hell.
The flame would burn thy eyesight and
 the smoke would crowd thy nostrils.
And I love my Hell,
too well to have thee visit it.
I would be in Hell alone.
Thou lovest Truth and
Beauty and Righteousness;
and I for thy sake say it is well and
 seemly to love these things.
But in my heart I laughed at thy love.
Yet I would not have thee see my laughter.
I would laugh alone.
My friend, thou art good and cautious and wise;
nay, thou art perfect--
and I, too, speak with thee wisely and cautiously.
And yet I am mad.
But I mask my madness.
I would be mad alone.
My friend, thou art not my friend,
but how shall I make thee understand?
My path is not thy path,
yet together we walk, hand in hand.
Now isn't that an interesting poem?
Let’s take a look at how the Madman
 keeps himself disguised from his friend.
He uses appearances to
 protect his path from his friend
who seeks diametrically
 opposite things from life.
He makes it clear to us
 that he, rather his soul,
resides in the deep silences within him.
And he intends to behold that treasure for himself...
not welcoming anyone.
Even with a friend this close,
he holds his spirituality closer.
His relationship with God is closer than
the relationship with his closest friend.
He has no desire that his friend
tries to understand him or to be at his level.
The madman has achieved all
 that his friend merely talks about.
He doesn't care to argue or disagree
 with his friend and is courteous, polite
and agrees with his friend's
views and opinions.
His heart is on the much deeper
 and vaster God consciousness.
He seeks out the solitude
 to dwell upon these thoughts.
His friend can't see or hear the beautiful
 spiritual experiences he enjoys,
nor does he want to share it.
He’d enjoy them alone.
When it’s time to retire,
his friend will leave for his Heaven,
and the Madman, his hell.
He wouldn't want to have
 his friend take a peak at his hell
for it would blind and suffocate his friend.
We can assume here that his friend
will not be able to withstand the power of the
 Madman's spiritual attainment.
Here as well, the Madman will be alone.
While his friend loves the high qualities,
the Madman mentally scoffs at his choice of love.
His friend is well mannered, wise
and the Madman is careful
 to not upset his friend.
He hides his madness. He revels in solitude.
He realizes that he needs to
 walk alone and guard his own path.
Guard his solitude, because
 that's where he finds God and
his experiences are his alone.
Isn't it quite like how the sages and saints
 over the ages have sought out solitude and silence?
To be in meditation,
to enjoy the ecstasy of union with God.
My learning?
Your spiritual journey is for you
 to walk on your own, alone.
This is my take on this beautiful parable.
Hope you find this useful in your inner journey.
I'd love to hear your opinions or  interpretation,
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