 The Old Man of the Holy Mountain is a continuation of the tradition of
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, and especially The Garden of the Prophet.
The Old Man, the main character of the book, was "a
disciple of the immortal Prophet of Lebanon," Gibran's 'Almustafa.'
After having been the young disciple of the Prophet who,
"closed the eyes of the Prophet, when the golden wings of death had gathered him; a
dew drop returning to the mist in the Garden of the Prophet," the young disciple, at
the behest of the Prophet, seeks a seeress and he becomes her disciple.
The seeress travels to the city and speaks to the people,
where she is killed by an angry mob. The disillusioned young disciple goes into the
mountains where, "Fifty years passed, and the young disciple became an Old Man. He
spent the years alone in the mountains, often wondering if he would leave his hermitage,
and once again return to the city."
The Old Man of the Holy Mountain is the story of
his return to the city, where he begins to speak to the people, and where he gathers a
group of young disciples.
The Old Man's message is one of love and happiness
attained through understanding one's self and others, and growing toward a greater self.
Mark Zimmerman has loved the works of Kahlil Gibran since
the age of 16. His investigation of Kahlil Gibran's life lead him to become a poet and a
writer, and expert on Gibran's works and life.
The beauty and spirituality of Gibran inspired him to
write The Old Man of the Holy Mountain. Ever on a quest in search of the
"Self," he has spent his years trying to understand the human condition and
state of mind. |