"He has raised human language and human consciousness as no other man has ever done. Through Khalil Gibran, it seems all the mystics, all the poets, all creative souls have joined hands and poured themselves.

"Although he has been immensely successful in reaching people, still he feels it is not the whole truth, but just a glimpse. But to see the glimpse of truth is a beginning of a pilgrimage that leads you to the ultimate, to the absolute, to the universal.

"Another beautiful man, Claude Bragdon, has said a few beautiful words about Khalil Gibran. He says, 'His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life, else it could not have been so universal and so potent. But the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed it were all his own.'

"I have always loved this statement of Bragdon, even though not agreeing with it.

"One need not agree with a beautiful flower; one need not agree with the sky full of stars – but one can still appreciate. I make a clear-cut distinction between agreement and appreciation – and a man is civilized if he can make the distinction. If he cannot make the distinction, he's still living in a primitive, uncivilized state of consciousness.

"I agree in a sense, because whatever Bragdon is saying is beautiful; hence, my appreciation. But I cannot agree because whatever he is saying is simply guesswork. It is not his own experience.

"Have you noted? – he says, 'His power came from some great reservoir of spirituality, of spiritual life, else it could not have been so universal and so potent.' It is rational, logical, but it has no roots in experience. He feels that something beyond the grasp of mind has come through Khalil Gibran, but he is not certain. And he cannot be certain, because it is not his experience. He is immensely impressed by the beautiful language; each word is poetry unto itself. But he himself is unaware of that great reservoir of spirituality. He himself has not tasted it. He has loved Khalil Gibran, but he has not lived him.

"With me, the situation is totally different. Hence, there are a few things I would like to say to you before I make my commentaries on the statements of Khalil Gibran."