What of the ox who loves his yoke... because the yoke, the slavery... although at a very great cost, because no ox is born as a ox. Just see the ox and the bull, and you will know the difference. The bull is a glory, a magnificent phenomenon of strength and power. But he is being castrated. This is something not to forget... because many bulls are not needed.
One bull is enough to make thousands of cows pregnant, he has so much power. You cannot yoke a bull to your vehicle. He is so powerful that with you and your vehicle he may jump into a ditch. If he sees a beautiful lady cow coming on the way he may forget all about the business, throw away the yoke -- first things first!
No bull is of any pragmatic use -- except that he can produce more bulls. But before they become bulls or become aware of their strength, they have to be castrated. They have to be made impotent. Then the same glorious bull is just a poor ox, and goes on and on carrying a bullock cart. Of course he has more security: always enough food, a shelter in rain, in heat. Naturally he thinks that the elk and the deer, the wild animals who have a beauty....
The ox is a crime against poor animals who cannot speak, cannot go to a lawyer and ask, "On what authority are we being made impotent?" But to console himself, he thinks that the deer and the elk and all other wild animals are unnecessarily running here and there, vagabonds: "I am a useful being because I am pulling a cart." And the yoke, the slavery has become his safety.
Bullock carts should disappear from the world. When you have buses and railway trains and cars, what is the need to destroy millions of beautiful bulls? Don't be worried where they will get their food, how they will live. All the wild animals live, get their food, and are immensely happy. The bulls will also be in the forests, in the mountains, amongst their sisters and brothers.
A bullock cart is ugly. It shows man's violence against a silent animal who cannot protest. But somehow he manages to console himself. And this is the same with all people who are consoling themselves in some way or other. In this metaphoric language, Kahlil Gibran is saying to people that you start loving your slavery because it gives you security, safety -- although you lose all your dignity, freedom, glory.
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