Cast All Your Votes For Dancing

sufi dancer in cairo
Originally uploaded by romsrini.

I know the voice of depression
Still calls to you.

I know those habits that can ruin your life
Still send their invitations.

But you are with the Friend now
And look so much stronger.

You can stay that way
And even bloom!

Keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From your prayers and work and music
And from your companions' beautiful laughter.

Keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From the sacred hands and glance of your Beloved
And, my dear,
From the most insignificant movements
Of your own holy body.


You are with the Friend now.
Learn what actions of yours delight Him,
What actions of yours bring freedom
And Love.

Whenever you say God's name, dear pilgrim,
My ears wish my head was missing
So they could finally kiss each other
And applaud all your nourishing wisdom!

O keep squeezing drops of the Sun
From your prayers and work and music
And from your companions' beautiful laughter

And from the most insignificant movements
Of your own holy body.

Now, sweet one,
Be wise.
Cast all your votes for Dancing!

~ Hafiz ~


(I Heard God Laughing - Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)

With thanks to Beloved Bhakti for sending this beautiful poem.
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Striking Thoughts of Bruce Lee

Independent inquiry is needed in your search for truth, not dependence on anyone else's view or a mere book.

It is like a finger pointing a way to a moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

- From the book Striking Thoughts - Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living, by Bruce Lee, edited by John Little

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Sufi Spirit from Bhagavad Gita

To these who are thus
in a constant union with Me,

and adore Me
with an intense delight of love,
I give the Yoga of understanding
by which they come to Me.

Out of compassion for them,
I, lodged in their self,
lift the blazing lamp of knowledge
and destroy the darkness which is born of the ignorance.

from The Bhagavad Gita translated by Sir Aurobindo (chapter 10, verse 10)

Bhagavad Gita means the Song of the Divine One. They are collection of ancient wisdom from Bharat (India), a collection of inspired knowledge. Its considered a hindu holy scripture, but the wisdom inside it transcend any particular religion or belief.

If you read the verses from Bhagavad Gita, just mentioned here, you will realize how beautifully here the Divine speaks of constant union with God and the attitude of Love. Both of this two aspect are central to Sufi (mystic) spirit. It is the union with the Beloved God is what aspire a sufi.

And through the Divine Union and the Love of the Divine - the special knowledge are given into the heart of the mystic. In sufi terminology it is called the unveiling, when the door of meanings are opened to them.

the word Yoga also means union or to unite.

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Stop killing the children in Lebanon

The war in Lebanon by the country of Israel has killed more children so far than armed men. America has given green signal to go on and bomb more, instead of asking for a cease-fire.

How more civilized do we need to be?

When the mission of spreading democracy be over?
How many more countries will be turned into Iraq, a country where everyday more than 100 civilians are killed on an average because some power hungry country needs cheap oil?

This lyric by roger walters reflect the emotion that a conscious citizen of this earth can feel at this hopeless moment. Israel, will you stop killing the innocent children?

------------------------------------------------------

The child lay
In the starlit night
Safe in the glow of his Donald Duck light
How strange to choose to take a life
How strange to choose to kill a child
Hoover, Blaupunkt, Nissan Jeep
Nike, Addidas, Lacoste and cheaper brands
Cadillac, Amtrak, gasoline, diesel
Our standard of living, could this be a reason
That we would choose to kill the child
That we would choose to kill the child

__________


Allah, Jehovah, Buddah, Christ
Confucius and Kali and reds, beans and rice
Goujons of sole, ris de veau, ham hocks
Lox bagels and bones and commandments in stone
The Bible, Koran, Shinto, Islam
Prosciutto, risotto, falafel and ham
Is it dogma, doughnuts, ridicule faith
Fear of the dark, or shame or disgrace
That we would choose to kill the child
That we would choose to kill the child

__________

It's cold in the desert
And the space is too big
The rope is too short
And the walls are too thick
I will show you no weakness
I will mock you in song
Berate and deride you
Belittle and chide you
Beat you with sticks
And bulldoze your home
You can watch my triumphant procession to Rome
Best seat in the house
Up there on the cross
Is it anger or envy, profit or loss
That we would choose to kill the child
That we would choose to kill the child
__________

Take this child and hold him closely
Keep him safe from the holy reign of terror
Take this child hold him closely
Take this child to the moral high ground
Where he can look down on the bigots and bully boys
Slugging it out in the yard


Lyrics by Roger Waters

----------------------------------------------------

i am sorry to sidetrack from the subject matter on which i generally post. but it hurts my friend and everything else sounds so utterly useless. Pin It Now!

Asking why Sufis are persecuted

Dear MAHARAJADHIRAJ posted this question based on the last post on Native Indian Mysticism and its connection with Sufi idea. Maharajadhiraj said:

"If the Sufi way is so natural and so beautiful why then does mainstream (Sunni-Wahabi) Islam discriminate against Sufis so much. And that discrimination seems to have spread to Shi'ite Iran (where many Sufi lineages began) and Iraq as well. And in their oneupmanship with the majority Sunnis the Shias have also started persecuting Sufis.

Not surprising, many Sufis since the Delhi Sultanate found refuge and following in India. Your views are valuable Sadiq but not many Muslims feel like you do..."

let me talk in general before going to specific details. I posted my thoughts previously on the issue of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), Majority rule doesn't apply for seeker.

The majority rule - 'because most accept certain view, so necessarily its true' - doesn't apply for seeker of truths. As Buddha puts beautifully, "don't follow the path, become the path" and "don't accept just because someone or some texts said so, but seek for yourself". Jesus Christ said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.” He also gave a blessed hint when he said "knock and the door (of truth) will be opened". Until we ourselves knock (seek), how can we expect the door of truth to open?

It has always been the case that questioning conventional wisdom brings out the truth. The most precious stones are always buried under earth and dirt.

Be it in science, technology or for prophetic missions everywhere the seekers had to come out of the box (questioning majority accepted views) and discovered, invented or got enlightened through divine wisdom.

Jesus Christ questioned his contemporary attitude of the priests about religion, Buddha questioned conventional understanding of human life, Prophet Muhammad went into great struggle by questioning everything of his time. In fact all of these healers of mankind defied what majority accepted already.

All the great scientific discoveries and invention was possible only because those enlightened personalities just simply didn't follow what convention says or what majority accepted already.

So my friend DON'T think that the majority is always correct. The law of majority is not necessarily true for the seekers. The truth is always veiled and there are struggles to penetrate into the truth.

The sufis are in any sense are not conventional people. They don't care about convention, dogmas. Yet they readily realize the truth in all religion. And if you see the history, it was the sufis who spread the message of Islam in indian subcontinent, in central asia, in south east asia etc. That is to say, Islam was spread in the majority of its follower by the sufis. And the message was spread with love and harmony, not with sword or force by any means (a gross mis-conception).

Sufis also understand the message of islam in much deeper level. Yet the mainstream (Sunni-Wahabi) Islam discriminate against Sufis. Sufis are systematically killed, tortured, droven away from their lands and countries. And it still happens across the globe, from central asia to indian sub-continent and even Saudi Arabia where sufis are systematically deined their right to talk and many of them are political prisoners. Why?

Because sufis often speak against injustice in the name of religion, they often speak against unjust rulers, they often speak against the unjust social practices. And u know the higher authorities of any oraganized religion never like their authorities undermined. they feel their monopoly over the religion is threatened when such fearless enlightened souls are around.

How an intolerant, exclusive ideology became islam's mainstream, thats a long history. Mostly a political history than anything else. if u need a clue, i can give that it started immediate after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace) and gained its control following the event of Karbala where many of the member of the blessed family member and bloodline of the Prophet were killed by some blood thirsty people. It was these people who changed the spirit of Islam, they used islam for their unjust political control and so forth. Its one of the biggest shame on world history.

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Tolerance and Insight

Orange Line
Originally uploaded by Shagadelicbabe.

Tolerance does not come by learning,
but by insight;

by understanding that each one should be
allowed to travel along the path
which is suited to his temperament.

- Inayat Khan
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Eternal Wisdom and Inspirations from Bhagavad Gita and beyond

Whatever is done without faith,
- whether it is ritual, charity, austerity, or any other act
-- is useless. It has no value here or hereafter.

Bhagavad Gita 17.28



The one who perceives that all works
are done by the powers of Divine
truly understands,
and thus does not consider oneself as the doer.

Bhagavad Gita 13.29

Now please compare the above verse from Gita with the magnificent phrase taught by Muahmmad, the enlightened one:

"La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah"

There is no power of transformation and might except through the Divine.

- Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, blessed be his soul

This phrase is used as chanting after prayer by muslims to bring the consciousness of the Divine and to re-align our mind with the grand mindfulness. The chanting of this phrase is said to have many cures and the least of such cure is worry and distress.

To read a brief, yet beautiful explantion of the phrase, pls visit wahiduddin.net.

Also here is another interesting article. Previous post on Wisdom of Gita on work without attachment.

Image credit
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Study on Mansur Al Hallaj (2)

I have seen my Lord with the eye of my heart, and I said: "Who are You?"

He said: "You."

- Manur Al Hallaj, Diwan al-Hallaj


Now i quote from http://spiritual-health.org website, some thoughts of Dr. Anab Whitehouse.

"The classic example of the contrast between drunken and sober Sufism is found in the pictures drawn of the tenth century figures Hallaj and Junayd. The first became Sufism’s great martyr because of his open avowal of the mysteries of divine union and his disregard for the niceties of Shariite propriety. The second, known as the ‘master of the whole tribe’ (shaykh at-ta’ifa), kept cooly sober despite achieving the highest degree of union with God.."

Commentary: Contrary to the author’s contention in the foregoing quote, Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul), the person, did not necessarily openly avow "the mysteries of divine union". While such words as "Ana’l Haq" (I am the Truth) may have issued from his mouth, the "I" and "Truth", to which reference is being made through the words of the mystic, is none other than Divinity.

In fact, there are a number of questions which arise in conjunction with the events surrounding the public execution of this Friend of God. Among other things, one needs to ask whether, or not, Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) was any more blameworthy than the burning bush had been for disclosing Divine secrets to Moses (peace be upon him).

The author of Sufism - A Short Introduction contrasts the spiritually intoxicated condition of al-Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his spirit) with the sobriety of Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul). This choice of individuals is instructive and, perhaps, for reasons other than what the author originally may have intended.

The two mystics were not only historical contemporaries, they knew one another, as well. After Hazrat Mansur Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) completed his study of various exoteric disciplines associated with Islam, he turned his attention to the Sufi Path, and one of his Sufi teachers was Hazrat Junayd Baghdadi (may Allah sanctify his soul).

The process of unveiling which, ultimately, resulted in the problematic utterances of Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul), took place when he was studying with Hazrat ‘Umar ibn ‘Uthman (may Allah sanctify his soul). Despite instructions from this latter teacher to refrain from such exclamations, the same sort of utterances continued on from time to time, and, eventually, the shaykh ordered Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) to leave the vicinity.

Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) left Basra and went to Baghdad where he returned to the spiritual center over which Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) presided and with whom Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) previously had received instructions concerning the Sufi Path. Once again, however, there was a spilling over of spiritual intoxication into the public domain through the mouth of Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul).

On one of these occasions, the shaykh warned Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) that, in a very short period of time, the blood of the latter would color the point of a piece of wood - an allusion to a future date with the executioner. Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) is reported to have responded by acknowledging the truth of what the shaykh was saying but, also, adding that the shaykh would be required to take off the clothes of a Sufi dervish and wear the attire of a religious cleric in relation to the forthcoming demise of Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul).

The unfolding nature of subsequent events demonstrated the truth in the words of both individuals. More specifically, a ‘fatwa of kufr’, or proclamation of unbelief, was issued by the court of Baghdad against Mansur Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul), and a penalty of death was sought. Eventually, he was imprisoned for about a year while waiting for the final sentence to be declared and carried out.

During his stay in prison, he continued to utter "Ana’l Haq" - I am the Truth. Yet, throughout all of this period, he observed prayers on a regular basis - often staying up entire nights to be engaged in prayer.

The head of government in the area refused to carry out the death sentence unless Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) agreed with the charges and the penalty to be imposed. The shaykh was asked to make a pronouncement concerning the matter on seven different occasions.

Finally, the seventh request arrived with instructions that the shaykh must answer either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ with respect to the charge and sentence. As Hazrat Mansur Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) foretold, the shaykh removed the attire of the Sufi Path, donned the garb of an ‘Alim - a person representing the community of religious scholars, and wrote: "According to the laws of Shari‘ah, Mansur is liable to a sentence of death, but according to the doctrines of the Secret Truth, God knows best" - thereby, setting in motion the execution which would prove the truth of his earlier words to Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul).

Could Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) have done other than he did? He acknowledged the truth of his shaykh’s warning that the executioner was waiting for him if he did not stop saying: ‘Ana’l Haq", and, yet, he continued to declare the problematic formula.

There is no indication he was disobedient in other matters. For instance, when he was asked by one teacher to leave, he left. When he was in prison, he was devoted to prayer.

Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) avoided the issue for as long as he was able to do so. When he no longer could delay the matter, he issued a statement that, simultaneously, endorsed both sides of the controversy.

He agreed that under the requirements of Shari‘ah, or the Divine Law which governed communal life, the one making the utterances in question was liable to a penalty of death. Nonetheless, only God knew if these declarations were wrong from the perspective of the Secret of Truth.

To protect the integrity of community life - including the potential vulnerability of some people who might be misled by such utterances, the shaykh acknowledged the rights of the community in this matter over that of the individual. At the same time, by making reference to the Secret of Truth - over which God had jurisdiction, as well - he went as far as he could - without following in the verbal footsteps of Mansur Hallaj (may Allah be pleased with him) to indicate that there was, indeed, something more to be considered than the exoteric facets of Islam and that God alone would be the judge of this matter.

The fact that Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) put off making a formal declaration on six previous occasions demonstrates that the issue was neither a simple one, nor one that necessarily pointed toward just one conclusion. The fact that the shaykh qualified his public statement concerning the sentence indicates that not only was there more to the issue than just what was entailed by the aspects of Shari‘ah governing communal life, but that the shaykh was willing to risk the ire of the religious clerics by reminding people, in a very public way, that a sentence of death did not end the matter.

In the Qur’an one finds: "You express your desire for death if you are truthful." (62:6) Hazrat Hallaj did, and he was.

It is reported, through eyewitness accounts, that, upon execution, every drop of blood shed by Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) assumed the shape of the Arabic letters that spelled "Ana’l Haq" and, as well, people heard this phrase arising from the blood which had been spilled on the ground. There are further reports that when mud, stained with the blood from the execution, was thrown into the Euphrates, the same phrase was heard arising from the river.

What is the truth of such accounts? As Hazrat Junayd said: ‘Allah knows best’.

What is the contrast between these two friends of God? One observed the adab of sobriety, and one did not.

We do not know whether, or not, Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul) was operating under Divine compulsion, or whether he was, for unknown reasons, unwilling or unable to comply with the adab of sobriety. Can he be considered to be something of a ‘burning bush’ of his day such that, like the latter, he really didn’t have any control over what was being manifested through him - when what was uttered, was uttered?

We do know that Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) - who did observe the adab of sobriety - felt comfortable with alluding to the possibility that the acts of the one being condemned may not have been wrong when considered from a Divine perspective rather than a purely human and/or communal one. We also know that from the perspective of Shari‘ah anyone paying the prescribed penalty for a transgression of the law, is considered to be innocent before God on the Day of Judgement in relation to that transgression.

There is an account of a Sufi shaykh who, during the condition of spiritual intoxication, would say things which appeared to be heretical in nature. When the shaykh came out of that condition, his mureeds, or students, informed him about what had gone on.

Upon hearing the testimony of his mureeds, the shaykh agreed that such exclamations were not in accordance with the Shari‘ah. He advised them that if he should make such statements during some future instance of intoxication, the students should take their swords and kill him immediately.

A few days later, the shaykh went into a condition of spiritual intoxication and, again, uttered the same sorts of exclamation. The students proceeded to follow the instructions which, previously, had been given by the shaykh with respect to such circumstances.

They tried to strike the shaykh with their swords. Yet, on each occasion, their swords passed through the shaykh without causing injury or bloodshed.

Is the foregoing account factual? Or, is it merely a piece of embellished folklore? Or, is it a story with truth at its kernel?

For many centuries, due to what some perceive to be the problematic statements issuing from the mouth or pen of this or that Sufi, various jurists, academic scholars, and theologians have been trying to swing their verbal swords through the body of the Sufi Path. Yet, like the students of the shaykh in the aforementioned story, their swords have passed through without, for the most part, doing damage or shedding blood.

The adab of sobriety is observed for a variety of different reasons. Some of this etiquette is observed in order to protect the Secret of Truth to which Hazrat Junayd (may Allah sanctify his soul) referred in his aforementioned quote. In addition, the adab also serves to protect both the community, as well as travelers on the Sufi Path - including people such as Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his spirit) if they are able to avail themselves of its protection.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "Do not give wisdom to other than the people of wisdom for you will be doing the wisdom an injustice, and do not prevent the people of wisdom from obtaining it and, thereby, do them an injustice."

The Sufi Path follows the above mentioned teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and through the adab of sobriety, the Path seeks not to do injustice to spiritual wisdom by giving it to those for whom it is not intended. On the other hand, the purpose of the Path is to ensure, God willing, that the people for whom wisdom is intended are not prevented from being exposed and opened to that wisdom.

What is the truth concerning the nature of this wisdom? What is the truth of the foregoing story of the intoxicated shaykh and his mureeds? What is the truth concerning what is alleged to have happened following the execution of Hazrat Hallaj (may Allah sanctify his soul)? What is the truth behind his uttering "Ana’l Haq?

Everyone makes his or her own choice about what to believe and what not to believe in relation to such matters. Ultimately, however, "To God belongs the conclusive argument" (6:149), and unless one is acquainted with that argument on a first-hand basis, one might do well to remember the counsel of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "There are hidden gems of knowledge unknown to all but those who know God. If they are spoken of, none denies them except those arrogant toward God."

Both Hazrat Hallaj, as well as Hazrat Junayd ,(may Allah sanctify their souls) - each in his own way, spoke of these "hidden gems of knowledge" for they each, in their own way, knew God. One of them observed the adab of sobriety with respect to such knowledge, and one of them did not - although, perhaps, the latter may have been incapable of preventing what was said from being said.

(continues) ... read part 2 here.

Credit ... // ... Previous post on this series.

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Who loveth Me, I love

SuryaMitr
Originally uploaded by Sushma Sabnis.

the Divine says:

Who seeketh Me
findeth Me,
Who findeth Me
knoweth Me.

Who knoweth Me
loveth Me,
Who loveth Me,
I love.

Whom I love, I slay
Whom I love, I must requite
Whom I must requite,
Myself Am the Requital.


: from the sacred tradition attributed to Ali, the spiritual successor of Prophet Muhammad. Greetings of Peace to both of the great enlightened teachers of mankind. Pin It Now!

Native Indian Mysticism and Sufi Spirits

Sufis are the mystics. I was reading the spirituality of native american people and was deeply touched by their way of seeing the Beloved God. And was amazed to see the Sufi spirit and Sufi ideas in their approach to spirituality.

Lets read from "The Soul of the Indian" by Eastman, Charles Alexander (1911)

______________________________________
THE GREAT MYSTERY

THE original attitude of the American Indian toward the Eternal, the "Great Mystery" that surrounds and embraces us, was as simple as it was exalted. To him it was the supreme conception, bringing with it the fullest measure of joy and satisfaction possible in this life.

The worship of the "Great Mystery" was silent, solitary, free from all self-seeking. It was silent, because all speech is of necessity feeble and imperfect; therefore the souls of my ancestors ascended to God in wordless adoration.

It was solitary, because they believed that He is nearer to us in solitude, and there were no priests authorized to come between a man and his Maker. None might exhort or confess or in any way meddle with the religious experience of another. Among us all men were created sons of God and stood erect, as conscious of their divinity. Our faith might not be formulated in creeds, nor forced upon any who were unwilling to receive it; hence there was no preaching, proselyting, nor persecution, neither were there any scoffers or atheists.

There were no temples or shrines among us save those of nature. Being a natural man, the Indian was intensely poetical. He would deem it sacrilege to build a house for Him who may be met face to face in the mysterious, shadowy aisles of the primeval forest, or on the sunlit bosom of virgin prairies, upon dizzy spires and pinnacles of naked rock, and yonder in the jeweled vault of the night sky! He who enrobes Himself in filmy veils of cloud, there on the rim of the visible world where our Great-Grandfather Sun kindles his evening camp-fire, He who rides upon the rigorous wind of the north, or breathes forth His spirit upon aromatic southern airs, whose war-canoe is launched upon majestic rivers and inland seas -- He needs no lesser cathedral!
______________________________________

If you are somewhat familiar with sufi philosophy, you can readily see the Sufi ideas so deep in the native american philosophy.

Sufis are ultimate mystics who see Beloved God as 'the Great Mystic' and one saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him goes very well here, "God says: Man is My secret and I'm his secret".

Being a natural man, the Indian was intensely poetical. And Sufis are the most gifted poets in the world. Sufis love solitary and they truly understand the value of solitude. As Rumi says, "Which is worth more, a crowd of thousands, or your own genuine solitude? Freedom, or power over an entire nation? A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you."

Silent and solitary rememberance of God (zikr) is an essential practice of the Sufis. They look into the Final Testament (The Quran) as well for inspiration: Indeed Remembrance of God is the best without doubt. The Quran: 029.045

Sufis also believe in direct communication with God. Infact they believe it so much that they sees God as their Beloved, nearer than anything else. Thus the need for priest, clergymen are eliminated to communicate with the Divine.

Sufis also don't seek the temple or any ritualistic places of worship to sing the praise of God. For a Sufi- Heart is the most sacred space in the entire cosmos, so much so that they believe that Heart is the Throne of God. Thus they turn inside to the heart where the Beloved God is ever present.

This also shows that true spirituality doesn't depend on faith, dogmas or language. It matters little what your faith is ... and to make things clear, let me add 'The Sufi sees the truth in every religion'.

As one friend comments, all spiritual paths are streams flowing into the same Ocean. How true it is!

Source: "The Soul of the Indian" by Eastman, Charles Alexander (1911)

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Scriptural guidance concerning vengeance and retribution

Shehhah
Originally uploaded by dani.

We must simply focus our own personal attention on giving loving-kindness, compassion and generosity in every situation... and letting the Almighty take action against those who behave otherwise.

The scriptures do not imply that there is no retribution, but rather they say that the retribution is not our personal task. For indeed there will be retribution, carried out by Divine Law wherein each one reaps that which was sown.

Anger, hostility and personal retribution will only beget more violence. If we wish to have a better world, then we must rise above anger and conflict, and offer our heartfelt loving-kindness, compassion and generosity.


Old Testament scriptures:

Deuteronomy 32:35

35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.



New Testament scriptures:

Matthew 5:38-39

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 26:52

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Romans 12:19

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Hebrews 10:30

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Luke 18:7-8

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?


Colossians 3:23-25

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.



Al-Qur'an scriptures:

Surah Al-Maida, Ayah 45

Yusuf Ali translation:

We ordained therein for them: "Life for life eye for eye nose for nose ear for ear tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed they are (no better than) wrong-doers.


The Beautiful Names of Allah:

al-Muntaqim : The Avenger, The Disapprover, The Inflictor of Retribution

The One who disapproves of wrongdoers.

The One who reminds us when our behavior is not right.

The One who is the avenger (such that we need not seek any personal revenge).

The One and Only One who has the right to exact vengeance.
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the day i noticed Your opening gaze, i became sacred

although i have become old
and tired, and unable
the thought of You makes me young again

thank God for whatever i asked and i received
and the struggles of my courage have been won at last

young blossom, enjoy the wealth
because under Your shadow
i become the nightingle of the world's garden

in the beginning i didn't know the kiosk of my self
in the school of Your sorrow i turned into such a wise person

the door of meaning opened to my heart
the day i became one of the residence
at the door of the tavern keeper

The day i noticed Your opening gaze,
i became sacred

the day i noticed Your opening gaze,
i became sacred

As corruption descended upon the last of the world
i am old and there have been as an unfaithful friend

this passage of age has made me ancient
but i have been honored with good news lately

come again hafez
i am the certainty of your sense

- Hafez


Listen to this wonderful poem in recitation in english and original farsi. Click here. // Credit: Awakening Love Album

:: Dedicated to my dear friend, Bhakti. Blessings to your soul and to your life. May your heart be in ceaseless bliss with the tender embrace of the Beloved. Pin It Now!

Kill the Innocent : a poem, a post in protest

Kill the innocent: They may be terrorists!

don't be vulnerable,
don't be generous,
don't be sympathetic,
don't be compassionate,

don't give a damn!
You may upset your narcissism.

And believe in:
WAR IS PEACE
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

- Leila Farjami

----

I hope by now you all have known about the international crisis that is going on in the middle east between Israel and Lebanon. I protest the killings of the innocent cilvilans by the Israel using disproportionate military power against the Lebanese common people. This touching piece was written addressing the Israelis and their policy of terror. shame on them!

The image is of an innocent children and civilian killed by israeli bombs. Ironically as says the last lines of the poem, we truly now live in a world where some people believe that War is the way for Peace and Ignorance is their strength. And sadly they are in control of power and decisions. The world is crying, so is crying the mother of this innocent child in the picture. Are we listening?

Know the reality and see for yourself the extent of civilian damage - pls view this presentation from youtube. Are we losing all sense of respect for human lives?

To get an update on the situation you can check international media such as:

• http://news.bbc.co.uk
• http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
• Reuters News Online
• Google News
  

Tag: Israel, War, Lebanon, civilian, protest, bomb, terrorist Pin It Now!

Wisdom from Mystic Einstein

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Won Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.

Whenever one reads such small but beautiful wisdoms (very zen, isn't it) from Einstein, one may realize how profoundly mystic this person was in his inner realization. And about this quote, a mystic live life with the second approach that "EVERYTHING is a MIRACLE".

In the same line of thought a beautiful quotation from Jesus (peace be upon him) is worth mentioning. During his lost years in India Jesus went into Nepal and into the Himalayan mountains .... there the servitors of the Temple demanded saying: "Perform for us a miracle,"

Then Jesus replied to them: "Miracles made their appearance from the very day when the world was created. He who cannot behold them is deprived of the greatest gift of life."

Can you see the same inner truth echoed in the sayings of Mystic Jesus and Einstein?

:: Ref: + Lost years of Jesus in India
+ Jesus survived the crucifixion and later went to India

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Mansur Al Hallaj : Studying

Mansur e Hallaj or Mansur Al-Hallaj (c. 858 - March 26, 922) was a mystic, writer and a great teacher of Sufism. He was from Persia (modern day Iran). His full name was Abu al-Mughith al-Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj. Blessed be his soul.

He was and is one of the most enlightened gnostic that mankind have ever known. Al-Hallaj was martyred in 922, as a result of the following saying that expressed the nature of his mystic union: ana'l –Haqq ("I am Truth"). It's important to note that "al Haqq" can also mean God as the embodiment of one of the 99 Attributes of God, and in the Muslim faith calling oneself God is a capital heresy. It did not help matters that his doctrines were already regarded with both religious and political hostility.

If Sufis no longer proclaim such ideas publicly, however, some still believe them. From the point of view of Truth, the divine is in each person, and each person has the potential to make of themselves and their life a temple to God. As the Sufi saint Junaid is reported to have replied when asked about this incident afterward: "What should he have said, 'I am Falsehood'?"

Even today in the mind of orthodox people they still misunderstand about Mansur (and its not their fault, because Mansur's mystical feelings and understanding are very difficult to comprehend for laymen).

Few of my friends have expressed their desire to know about Mansur and his position from orthodox Islamic view. I am currently reading about Mansur. God willing time to time i will be posting some materials here. If you happen to know some interesting materials about Mansur Al Hallaj, pls do let me know. It may help compiling the information together.

One of the major question put forward was like this:

Mansur was declared first "someone who left religion" then "a unbeliever" or Kafir. And this was validated by the islamic scholars of that time.

Now later how Mansur was accepted as a great muslim mystic? Does that mean that later, the judgement passed to Mansur in the past was proved invalid and wrong? Or is Mansur still a non-believer (kafir) in terms of religious law?

:: 2nd post on this series

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The Divine Madness

osho058
Originally uploaded by vaibhav_patel.

If you are ready to be a little mad, only then is there any possibility of any contact between you and the Infinite.

It has to be so.

When the whole ocean drops into a drop,
the drop is going to get crazy.

When the infinite descends into the finite,
how can the finite remain sane?

It has to go mad.
The old mystics have always called it
"THE DIVINE MADNESS "

All meditation is an approach towards divine madness.
Stake all human sanity.

It is better to be mad in a divine way
than to be sane in a human way.

- Sayings of OSHO
Credit: http://www.otoons.com/osho/


Inscription on the epitaph of Osho says the following:
Osho: Never Born, Never Died
Only visited This Planet Earth Between
11 December 1931 - 19 January 1990
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Enlightening quotes : On being a bad man

If someone remarks "what an excellent man you are!"
and this pleases you more than his saying
"What a bad man you are!"

know that you are still a bad man.

- Sufiyan al-Thawri Pin It Now!

Hear O Darvish !

Sema dance, Konya, Turkey
Originally uploaded by nasiriphotos.

Hear, O Darvish, the song of Love
the unending tale of the heart.

God whispers "Be!" and infinity
takes eternal flight.

Love commands the darkness to depart,
and the world to arise in light.

Mountains, seas and stars bear witness,
The east wind cries out on the wing.

La Illaha illa Allah.
O Sufi, the universe sings.


- Quoted from the book "Master of the Jinn" by Irving Karchmar.
One of the most fascinating book, full of hidden meanings that i ever read. I am currently reading it and would love to recommend you all who is a seeker and is interested in mysticism.

http://www.masterofthejinn.com

The term 'Darvish' is used to address mystics and lovers of God who turn away from the cravings of the material world and become ascetic for the sake of Beloved God. Also written as "Dervish".
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Written words

Would you not agree that although it is true God is infinitely present in nature, that the written word, is also a gift from God that lets us to understand, and extrapolate knowledge of nature and God?

- Salma Mohiuddin
Editor, Inspire Magazine

Compiled from some thoughts sharing.

I agree. Nature being the open book to declare the glory and to manifest the infinite presence of the Divine, yet the written words inspired to mankind namely as Torah, Upanishad, Gita, Gospels, Quran all have its own share of the glory.

And because the written words are a wonderful blessing to mankind from God, if we look back into the traditions of how written words were respected ... in Jewish, Babylonian, Egyptian or even ancient societies, it was only the holy men, high priests who had the permission to read the wrtten words. It was a symobology to make us realize its sacredness (that is to say, its importance).

In the same manner, when the Last Testament to mankind, The Quran was inspired to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the Prophet taught that before reading or even touching the Divinely inspired texts - one should baptize (purification ritual with water which symbolize purity) himself or herself (perform oblution or wudu in islamic terms). This shows the inner significance of how knowledge infused in written words are to be respected.

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Long before you were born

Walk alone II
Originally uploaded by True_Bavarian.

Long before you were born
you chose to be here in this moment, right now.

Long before you were born
you chose the pathway you would follow.

Long before you were born
you chose this lifetime's lesson.

It may be you are just now remembering standing before the One
and asking to learn.

It may be you will never remember
standing before the One, and in that case you will still learn.

What comes my way will be.
Grace is in knowing this
and this alone.


- Tommy Crenshaw
http://isaiahknows.blogspot.com
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Sufi Music Festival and Awakening Love

In london this month, July 15 - is going to held a workshop on Sufism.

Also there is this Sufi Music Festival from 28 July - 31 July, 2006.

Credit: www.caravansary.org :: Check this link for event details.

Also check this sample audio track from Awakening Love album. It contains, the mystical poetry of Rumi and Hafez in Dari / Farsi and English with musical accompaniment Pin It Now!

A Beautiful Prayer from the Quran

Mosque (Taj Mahal)
Originally uploaded by Knapster.

In the name of the Beloved One

"O my Lord !
Let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honour,
and likewise my exit be by the Gate of Truth and Honour;

and grant me from Thy Presence a sustaining Power"


The Final Testament
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/
chapter 17, verse 80
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weekly spiritual clicks around the web

>Introducing you to a beautiful Darvish Blog. This particular post about Wisdom and Adab from Quran is worth reading.

> Da Vinci Code : Cracking the code by Muslic Scholars, an interesting website comparing what the church teach and what was Jesus's real teaching with reference from Quran, the Final Testament.

> A Christian Perspective of Islamic Thought / Some thought provoking Christian Muslim Dialogue

> Toward the One: The Tao of the Sufi

> Few interesting books from Amazon

> Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

> Sufistic Blog > A site that contains Sufi Stories

> Sufi Circle website > Universal life church

> Manner of Life from Quranic Inspirations

> Find Religion

> Interesting story from a Rabbi of Makhachkala synagogue

:: Blogs of interest
http://reedemer.blogspot.com

http://kabobfest.blogspot.com/2006/07/sufi-power.html

http://sufisms.blogspot.com/2006/03/sufism-in-india.html

http://shoreless.livejournal.com/163000.html

http://sufilife.blogspot.com/ Pin It Now!

from 'The Secret Rose Garden'

Sympan
Originally uploaded by Meloses.

By God, sun never rose or set but Thou wert
My heart's desire and my dream.

And I never sat conversing with any people
But Thou wert the subject of my conversation
In the midst of my comrades.

And I never mentioned Thee in joy or sorrow
But love for Thee was mingled with my breath.

And I never resolved to drink water, when I was athirst,
But I saw an image of Thee in the cup.

And were I able to come I would have visited Thee,
Crawling on my face or walking on my head.

- Mahmud Shabistari,
The Secret Rose Garden


Thanks to Dear S. B. for the mentioning of the beautiful poem encapsulating sublime beauty.
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What is Sufism : A wonderful lecture by Zia Inayat Khan

There are many concepts in this world which words can never explain, let alone define properly. Sufi or Sufism is a terribly misunderstood term both in east and west. The Sufi Idea is a reality, that has no form or ritual. As a result people fail to grasp the concepts about it. Sufism is a reality that transcend all doctrines, all faith or dogams. It can be called the religion of heart which is immersed in Love. For Sufis religion is nothing but the Beloved God. This lecture by Zia Inayat can help u realize the reality of Sufism in its essence.

Zia Inayat Khan is a very well known spiritual personality of our time. He is the grandson of Sufi Inayat Khan. He gave this lecture in the 2005 Sufi Conference. The lecture is infused with some very beautiful definitions of what really Sufism or Sufi is. In the process of explaining he also mentioned several beautiful sufi stories in the lecture which are worth listening.

The lecture can be downloaded by clicking here. Its a mp3 format audio file. File size about 44 mb. (right click on the link above and selcect Save Target As... to save it in the harddisk).

Thanks to GoldenSufi.org for giving the permission to host the lecture's link on this blog. More audio lectures can be found here. I would recommend you to listen the lectures by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.

The GoldenSufi Center is located at Inverness, California, USA.

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The teaching of immortality is to awaken

He who depends upon his eyes for sight, his ears for hearing and his mouth for speech, he is still dead.

- Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

It is the soul that sees, but we attribute sight and hearing to the eyes and ears. In absence of the soul neither the body nor the mind can see. When a person is dead the eyes are there, but they cannot see; the ears are there, but they cannot hear....

When the eyes are closed, do you think that the soul sees nothing? It sees. When the ears are closed, do you think that the soul hears nothing? It hears.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/V/V_10.htm

If we depend on our eyes for sight, and our ears for hearing, and our mouth for speech, we are still dead. But we sometimes experience in life that which we see without eyes, hear without ears, and express without speech. If we have once seen without eyes, does it not show that we can see without eyes? Can we not see in a dream without eyes?

The teaching of immortality is to awaken. We must rise above the physical and material conditions if we are to live at all. We must aim at being independent of physical sight and hearing. We know that if we really want to understand a thing, we close our eyes because we can see it better. If we are thinking in this manner, it means that we are listening to some thought coming from some other plane. At such a time we want to cut off and stop outward sound or sight. All the meditations and concentrations of the mystics, as well as their dreams, are their journeys to the inner planes. It is necessary, if the soul has the desire to know the past, the present, and the future, to satisfy its desire by a contemplative life. The more tired and exhausted the mind, the more is meditation needed.

Sages, such as St. Francis, have spoken with rocks, birds, and animals, not as we talk, but by means of an insight into things. And every object expressed itself to them, speaking to them about its past, its present, and its future. ... The seer will see all in his consciousness, and wherever he casts his glance, he will see still more clearly.

As Sadi says, 'Each leaf of a tree becomes a book of revelation to the one who sees. And he reads the whole of nature as a book.'

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_20.htm

There is an interesting mystical saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, where he says, "The world is like a dream that a sleeping man sees."

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Innocent laughter

So if you know life, you know that life is not serious at all. Religious people have made it serious because they are anti-life. But to me, that is not religion at all. That is just a metaphysics for suicide. To me, religion means a very non-serious attitude: very childlike, very innocent…

If I tell a joke, I create tension in you, expectation. curiosity. What is going to happen? How will it turn out? You become tense with expectation. You become serious, your mind begins to work. How is the joke going to end? if it ends just as you expected it to, you will not laugh because then there is no release. But if the end turns out to be completely unimagined, if it is a complete turnabout; if you never expected that this could be the end, then the tension that has been brought to a climax is released. You laugh. But the laughter is not innocent because it is just a release of tension. Every joke has to create a tension in you. Then, when you laugh, you feel released.

Innocent laughter is something very different. It is not a release mechanism, it is a way of living.

It is just a way of living! Take laughing as a way of living. Exist as laughter, you will be absolutely nonserious. It may be that you will not be able to achieve anything, but what is the meaning of achievement? Even one who achieves—what does he achieve? Even when achieving, nothing is achieved… This I call a religious mind: nonserious, playful, innocent—without any struggle.

- Osho, Credit


Be as intelligent as serpent, but be as innocent as dove. - Jesus Christ, Secret Gospel

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Wisdom from Caterpillar and Butterfly

toukka2
Originally uploaded by Marko_K.

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."

- Richard Bach


Often we think we have seen it all, we have touched it, we have reached our destination in the quest ... but how often thats a maya, an illusion!

Just as at the end of caterpillar, behold there is this spectacular butterfly waiting for its breath-taking beginning, so is the 'nature of Reality'. Its always unfolding itself in so many beautiful dimensions, in so many unexpected surprises.

May The Ultimate Reality grant us the vision to comprehend the lesser realities which finally leads to The One. Amen.

Inspirations & credit: www.wellnessgoods.com
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Quranic Inspiration : Turning towards the goal

In the name of the Loving One

And everyone has a direction to which he turns himself,
therefore hasten to do good works;
wherever you are,
God will bring you all together;

surely God has power over all things.

(The Quran 2: 148)

This is a very striking verse from the Final Testament (Tanakh being the Old Testament, next is the New Testament ... and Quran is the Final Testament, the Final Revelation given to mankind). The first sentence is really worth giving careful thoughts because it directs to something really great.

Our soul is really born with certain purpose, with certain tendency. This tendency leads us to our own direction and it is within our own self we have to realize. In the verse the mentioning that '... which he turns himself' is very interesting. It shows that it is us, and with our own realization we turn ourself to the very path.

That is why religion or anything, if we don't realize it within, we can not achieve much. We may be busy all our lives in ritualistic prayer, external religious duties; but without self realization the real progress is little.

The line 'therefore hasten to do good works' after 'everyone has a direction' is very significant as well. Its a sign that says, diversity of opinion in human being is not a problem, but rather a builtin characteristics of man. What is important is to do good, or in other word, to be a good human being. Thats what make our life fulfilled.

It is this attitute of 'hastening to good work' which counts. This is the most practical thing that all religion motivate people to do on earth so that the kingdom of God is perfected here.

'Every soul is born for a certain purpose, and the light of that purpose is kindled in his soul' says Sadi. Pin It Now!