Journey to Ihsan: 2nd International Conference on Islamic Spirituality

Journey to Ihsan
2nd International Conference on Islamic Spirituality
will be held in Singapore

2 & 3 September 2006 (Saturday & Sunday)

Ihsan means beneficence, performance of good deeds, but in the religious sense it implies the doing of good deeds over and above what is just and fair. It is indicative of the intense devotion of man to his Creator and Master and his enthusiasm for virtue and piety. The aim of Ihsan is to create a sense of inner piety in man and to train his sensibilities in a way that all his thoughts and actions flow from the fountainhead of the love of God.

Speakers: Shaykh Hisham Kabbani (USA), Sis Aisha Gray (USA), Prof Abd al-Haqq Alan Godlas (USA), Prof Timothy Gianotti (USA), Bro Aftab Malik (United Kingdom), Shaykh Mohd Ibrahim Kassim, Ustaz Uthman El-Muhammady (Malaysia), Ustaz Mohamed Bin Hj Ali (Singapore).

for details about the event pls visit here. and registration link.

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Secret of Male and Female : from your thoughts

In the previous post the thoughts started with Jesus's quote in Gospel of Thomas where he replies to Peter, after Peter makes a suggestion to expel Mary Magdalene from the group complaining against her feminity. Jesus says in his ever enigmatic tone, "I myself will lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven."

i am blessed to receive some wonderful thoughts from different perspective. Blessed be All Encompassing Lord, Who is the source of all knowledge and Who gives knowledge to whom He Wills. Here are the hightlights of the thoughts that came from you all. you can still add more your thoughts here.

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

The Samkhya philosophy talks of the dual concepts of "Purusha" and "Prakriti" - ... "The Purusha is the centre of consciousness, whereas the Prakriti is the source of all material existence.". Literally, Purusha translates to man and Prakriti, a feminine word, translates to nature. We - men and women, are within the realm of Prakriti, and the Lord ( as per bhagavad Gita, chapter 15 ) is considered the Supreme Purusha.

Aspiring love of/union with the Supreme Purusha means genuine desire for liberation - a crucial prerequisite for entry into the kingdom of heaven. For this reason, followers of some hindu sects think of themselves as "women" trying to unite with Sri Krishna. Incidentally, some people also consider the dual modes of Purusha and Prakriti as in some sense identical - like a rope and its wriggly motion. The rope is like the Brahman/Purusha which is the substratum of everything and the motion is like the Shakti/Goddess - this nature is nothing but a manifestation of that supreme consciousness.
- Froginthewell

A key may be provided by Erich Fromm in book "The Art of Love". He talks about the "masculine" and "feminine" within us, about paternal love and maternal love, and how each person is a complex of all thee elements. So when Jesus says "men" - that does not mean people born male; it means people born again and awakened as Men. Similarly, a person born female could as well be a Man in her make-up, and a born male be feminine. Its society that makes arbitrary and limiting and destructive definitions, all of which have nothing to do with inner life, growth, transformation, self-realisation.
- Rama

I read in Cosmic Consciousness by Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke, as Rama mentioned, that the human body has both the male and female qualities. The male qualities of intelligence and power are in the spinal column and brain and then they are surrounded by the female qualities of love and caring that are in the remainder of the body parts. He said that the brain and spinal cord is where one achieves higher states of consciousness, or God-consciousness, whereby the body is the extension of mother nature, which is correlated with love and compassion. Therefore, to achieve God-consciousness/realization, one must focus on the brain/spinal cord and so become more 'male'.
- Kozi Wolf

Just as Jesus said you have to be a child or have the heart of a child to enter the kingdom of heaven, we could be reading something similar here. In other words, Jesus did not say only children can enter heaven. Similarly, perhaps Mary is being taught to bring forward her more male qualities, just as many of us males need to be taught to bring forth our more female qualities.
- Mark Walter

I think it does go to show how sexist the mindset was in the past and lines quoted demonstrate how special a person Jesus was for showing compassion to the perceptions of the men whilst also giving mary respect and allowing her to grow in her own way.
- Amit

Are we sure that he actually said this ? Or could it be that something was lost in translation ? Jesus taught through parables. Maybe he used the words ” make her male ” to teach a more profound concept using the vocabulary and frame of reference of the time.

To know the answer to this question , we also need to have an understanding of what ” to make male ” meant in those days .. It’s complicated. Much is lost in translation and because of cultural differences.

I think it is interesting, as an exercise of the mind to contemplate a question like this , but as for finding the truth , the via reggia (the Royal Path, Road) is via the heart and soul .. by going within and allowing the stillness of silence to speak .... a direct connection with the source of "ALL THAT IS" that is within us and all around us.
- Mara

To me it's Jesus’ gender equalization thought... In the time of Jesus, he leaded woman empowerment, ... but might have been used into different interpretation for attaining benefit from every possible point of views, in later days.
- Kowshik

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Metamorphosis: Secret of male and female

In the gnostic Gospels there are certain passages that indicate very secret metamorphosis of male and female. one of such passage,

"Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary* leave us, for females are not worthy of life.'

Jesus said, 'I myself will lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven.' "

- The Gospel of Thomas.

* Here Simon Peter is talking about Mary Magdalene, the beloved companion, and as hinted from the gnostic gospel to be the most wise disciple of Jesus Christ (blessed be his soul).

Now i would like you to give your insight and thoughts on this particular text where Jesus says, for every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven. I find it very significant when see the details description of the Heaven found in The Final Revelation, the Quran are mostly talking about male. i just wonder, is there a grand mystical secret itside it which Jesus gave hint here, when Peter asked Jesus to reject Mary from the group?! What did Jesus really meant by saing, 'make her male'?

Quoting the text (pg. 145) from the Book titled, Jesus : the Unauthorised Version (ancient accounts of the unknown Christ), edited and introduced by Mian Ridge (2006). publisher: profilebooks

check the comments section of this post for some facinating views. hopefully soon i will compile them in a separte post. also pls don't forget to add up your thoughts in the comment.

Tag: Secret, Gnostic, Male and Female, Gospel, Jesus Pin It Now!

Zen - Sufi Koan

Caderno das estrelas 14
/A tribute to Lunaryuna/
Star Book serie nº 2
Originally uploaded by magic fly paula.

One Instant.

One Instant is eternity;
eternity is the Now.

When you see through this one instant,
you see through the One Who Sees.

- Wu Men (1183-1260),
also known as Hui-k'ai

Translated by: Stephen Mitchell, from 'The Enlightened Heart'.

Basically a Koan is a paradoxical utterance used in Zen as a center of concentration in meditation. The paradoxical nature of Koans is essential to their function: The attempt to break down conceptual thought. Koans are constructed so that they do not succumb to conceptual analysis and thereby require a more direct response from the meditator or the reader.

It is this inability to provide a satisfactory conceptual response that constitutes the paradoxical nature of the Koan. Koans set up paradox situations in an attempt to provoke a non-conceptual response from meditators. Often it is the Zen Koan that runs very parallel to the paradoxical statements made by the Sufi Masters to hold great truths, thats often not possible to utter directly. The unspoken realities are often veiled by the mystic statements of the Sufis. Its very similar in that sense to Zen Koans. And Philosophically speaking, Zen and Sufi are almost like two brothers that readily speak and understand about the same reality.

Credit: www.poetseers.org/the_poetseers/wu_men

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"He who knows himself knows his Lord" - another mystical perspective

Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi is known as "the greatest Shaikh or teacher" and "the pole of Knowledge" in Sufism. He was born in 1165 in Murcia, Spain and died in 1240 in Damascus. According to Annemarie Schimmel his influence "on the general development of Sufism can hardly be overrated. For most of the Sufis after the thirteenth century his writings constitute the apex of mystical theories." This post is an excerpts from, "The One Alone," which was reproduced from his extensive treatise on the spiritual practice, "What the Seeker Needs."

This article sheds a very different light on the idea of God, our own self and the grand idea of knowing oneself. Please do take note that the truth has many dimensions and without excluding the other dimensions, each can be true. Ibn Arabi was a great philosopher who's spiritual ideas and thoughts were tremendously advdanced even for our age. Here you may find a rare thesis about the whole idea about self and God. I'm just quoting few paragraphs.

In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the One Who is visible with All His beautiful names and attributes in the realm of images.

All praise and thanks to Allah, Almighty, the First with no other before Him. He is the only First, and there is no last but His Oneness. The end is with Him alone, and He is the End. He is all-existing : with Him there is no end. Neither is there nearness or farness; nor is there a will or wish, or time, or above, or below, or place; neither is there a universe. Allah is now as He was before. He is eternal. He is One without oneness and Alone without loneliness. ...

The Master, the Light of the Universe, the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), said: "I know my Lord by my Lord". He also said: "He who knows himself knows his Lord".

By this it is meant that, surely, you are not you, and you - without being you - are He. He is not within you; nor are you in Him. He does not exclude you; nor are you excluded from Him. When you are addressed as you, do not think that you exist, with an essence and qualities and attributes - for you never existed, nor do exist, nor will ever exist.

You have not entered into Him, nor He into you. Without being, your essence is with Him and in Him. You were not; nor are you temporal. Without having any identity, you are Him and He is you. If you know yourself as nothing, then you truly know your Lord. Otherwise, you know Him not.

You cannot know your Lord by making yourself nothing. Many a wise man claims that in order to know one's Lord one must denude oneself of the signs of one's existence, efface one's identity, finally rid oneself of one's self. This is a mistake.

How could a thing that does not exist try to get rid of its existence? For none of matter exists. How could a thing that is not, become nothing? A thing can only become nothing after it has been something. Therefore, if you know yourself without being, not trying to become nothing, you will know your Lord. If you think that to know Allah depends on your ridding yourself of yourself, then you are guilty of attributing partners to Him - the only unforgivable sin - because you are claiming that there is another existence besides Him, the All-Existent : that there is a you and a He. Our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "He who knows himself knows his Lord." He did not say, "He who eliminates himself knows his Lord."


:: The complete article is here.

keyword: Know thyself, knowing thyself

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Tao of Islam

Couple of days back (24th Aug, 2006) i was initiated in a Tao temple here in Singapore. i went there to quench my thirst about Tao Philosophy. being someone interested in comparative religion, i found it interesting to co-relate between the Tao Philosophy and Judio-Christian-Islamic philosophy. Tao is one of the most ancient philosophy, also it refers to the ancient/folk religion of ancient China. on the other hand islam is the last major monotheistic religion, the most modern philosophy in terms of religious ideas. yet the fabric that binds the two is amazing and ever refreshing to discover.

The very meaning of Tao is very enigmatic. Literally it means 'the Way', or 'the Path', although it means much more. Those who are familiar with the undescribable nature of the Supreme Spirit (Param-Atma in Hindu terminology) the Abstract description of God, can easily co-relate the idea of Eternal Tao and the unfathomable idea of God. From Taoist sacred texts we find:

The Tao that can be told is not the Eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name.
The Nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.

It is the same Judio-Christian-Muslim idea of God. The idea that God can not be named was so great in Judaic tradition, they still write God as G-d as a symbol of respect and to mean that God can not be named in reality. In Quran we also find this idea of God as an impersonal reality far beyond human intellect. Quran says clearly, "Glory to be God, the Lord of Inaccessibility, above everything that they describe" (37:180) or in simpler terms, "Nothing is like Him" (42:11).

Quoting from the wikipedia on Tao: There is the 'Great Tao', that is the source of and guiding principle behind all the processes of the universe. Beyond being and non-being, prior to space and time, Tao is the intelligent ordering principle behind the unceasing flow of change in the natural world. In this sense Tao gains great cosmological and metaphysical significance comparable to the theistic concept of God (particularly the first person of the Christian Trinity) ; the Greek concept of the logos; or the Dharma in Indian religions.

thus when as a muslim i recognize the symbology of Tao and can relate it to the abstract transcendental idea of God in other religion including that of Islam, it was easier for me to appreciate the Taoists when they say, 'everything comes from the TAO'. i had no problem agreeing with the idea that everything began from the God, Al Azim (another name of God found in Quran, meaning incomparably Great) and Al Badi (the Originator).

Remembering the opening chapter of the Quran, namely AlFatiha - i was saying to myself that in every prayer muslims pray for the Tao. you wonder how?

Remember the quranic verse when it says,
Ihdina alssirata almustaqeema.
Guide us on the straight path. (chapter 1, verse 6, the Quran)

Now Tao exactly means the Path. so if the Quran was in chinese instead of arabic we had to read it as 'Tao' and in essence we basically praying to Eternal Tao (that is the God transcendental) for the tao (the path, the dhamma, the guidance).

Also if you read Tao Te Ching, the way it describes the Eternal Tao, you can co-relate with the names of God mentioned in the Quran, for example: Al Waajid - God The All Perceiving;
Al Badi - God The Originator.

For a more scholarly explanation pls read this article by Sachiko Murata that talks about the Tao of Islam. its a very refreshing article not only for muslims but for all.

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Three Jewels of the TAO

Reading
Originally uploaded by thewretched.

"I have just three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world"

: From Tao Te Ching, Chapter 67

In the Taoist view, simplicity and patience go hand in hand with compassion.

Simplicity is extremely important in Taoist philiosophy in that complex actions generally are destructive and can upset the so called natural balance of the universe by imparting too much intellectual yang structure into a persons actions. Acting in simplicity allows for one to lead a more harmonious life without having to deal with complex social constructs that can arise from living in that complexity. The more simplistic an action, the truer that action can be from that individual.

Patience is also key in Tao Philosophy in that the lack of patience is caused by wants, of which those that are frivilous are considered unhealthy and again upset a natural balance, Such as greed versus a general populace. To have patience is to act by in-action. By this less action against nature is required to attain ones goals and objectives.

Compassion as aforementioned goes hand in hand with simplicity and patience. Love, as an alternative translation to compassion is simplistic in itself and often requires much patience with that in which one has compassion for. A key taoist belief is that all things stem from the same source, this being the Tao itself. As such, to have compassion for all is akin to having compassion for yourself, your loved ones as well as the earth and or universe itself.

Therefore these "Jewels of the Tao" have become major tenants to grasping that to which Lao Tzu claimed to be impossible to understand for it to be the truth.


Credit: wikipedia

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Pursue your most important dreams

Blowing-butterflies
Originally uploaded by t1gerbee.

People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them.

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.

Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor's being severely tested.

- From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
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Model of our universe and Mystical Paradoxes

Mystics always talk about paradoxes. Though at the surface, paradoxes contradict common sense and conflict with each other, but yet again the whole creation is created on paradoxical principles. There are examples of good and bad, light and darkness, day and night, belief and non-belief, matter and anti-matter.

Many people wonder, if God is good then, how come there is bad, illnesss, sufferings? Those who ask these questions, if they think a little bit deep enough they will find the answer in the working of human mind and how human intellect works. It is the contrast that enables our mind to grasp an idea. The absence of light make us understand both darkness and also the very light. When night comes only then a child know what is day.

Paradoxes are similar. Often they look totally opposing in nature, yet those conflicting pieces of truth collectively hold the complete picture of the Reality.

Interestingly as scientists are revealing more inner secrets of our universe, the cosmos; even more scientifically fascinating paradoxes are revealed. One of such scientifical paradoxes is

Einestein's General Theory of Relativity vs. Quantum Mechanics.

Take a look at this video titled The Elegant Universe and pls have patience till the video ends. you will see what it means by the very word 'paradox'. (here is another format of the video if the above link doesn't work). Take a close look at the real micro world which may really blow you away. You will realize and say to yourself, how amazing is the creation!

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The shadow of emptiness

[ The Downward Spiral ]
Originally uploaded by
LaserGuided.

everyday you collect sands
on the shore of your life.
yet, they are not sands indeed,
they are the moments you are killing
all the time.

everyday the winds keep coming
and let you know this message:
at the end of the spiral stairs
there are no other friends
but the Grand Emptiness.

you wonder:
why people with so much void in their heart,
keep running their worldly shows,
being so blind in life?

so helplessly you keep staring
at the full-houses.
slowly the fanfare,
the laughter fades away.

amidst all of these:
thousand suns can never stop
this question that keep coming,
again and again:

'Who are you?
and where is your journey?
do you know for sure,
what’s your destiny?'


(c) Masha and Sadiq

www.somewhereinblog.net
a bangla collective/community blog platform from Bangladesh
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Spiritual, Religious blogs and websites

:: A beautiful realization that Surrender is the shortcut to God - A hindu guru's thoughts, also here.

:: The official website of Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda

:: 2 beautiful Spiritual Blog - Anony Sufi and Spreading the Deen

:: Bruce Lee's A Moment of Understanding and
also the Tao of Gung Fu

:: The website of the religious authority, Sayyed M H Fadlullah

:: God, Faith, and a Pen: The Official Blog of Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa, who is a belifenet columnist.

:: Of the Divine Wisdom - Ibn Arabi

:: Islamica Magazine - a quarterly magazine with worldwide distribution, including USA and Jordan.

:: Inspire Magazine - a beautiful magazine published from Canada.
:: The influential life of Malcolm X - an article from Inspire Magazine. Pin It Now!

A Muslim's Prayer

♥ عيدكم مبارك
Originally uploaded by Digi Butterfly.

Allah, My Lord ! Hidden and Manifest, Creator Supreme and Fashioner Superb !

Thine is the world I know and Thine the worlds I know not. Thy Mercy envelops creation and Thy Light dispels gloom. Burden me not with what I cannot bear and forgive me when I err. My life is a waste: let me not squander Thy Bounty and lose hope in Thy Loving Beneficence. Unto Thee I flee and cry in anguish. Hold me close when my feet fail and lead me with the righteous to victory.

Why should I grieve and fear when Thou art nigh and why should I complain against Thy decrees when I know not what Thou hast prepared for me?

Ignorant as I am, I know not the joy that may lie hidden in sorrow and the sorrow that may lurk in joy.

I pray for those who have gone before me and beseech forgiveness for my parents, in whose loving care I grew.

Informed with wisdom let me grow in knowledge that comes of Thee. Suffer me not to envy the pleasures that others have and to languish in grief at the loss of what I have. Guard me against pride and lust and make me not vain and hypocrite. Let not passion make me wild and let not power blind me to the transient state of all that life offers.

Blessed is he who has surrendered his all unto Thee and who has won his peace in Thy Pleasure. May my tears in constant remembrance of Thee sustain the heart and bring deliverance! Bless me with the fullness of life on earth and when the time comes make me return unto Thee united in the fellowship of Thy Loving ones, Lord! Grant me above all, I pray, the vision of Thy Countenance that Thou hast promised for those who are Thine.


:: Dr. Syed Vahiduddin (1909-98)
Philosopher, India

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The action of NO ACTION

Doing nothing is an important spiritual discipline over which we most of the time struggle. the mind never stops, but it needs to be still. "Be still and know God", says the Psalms. Yet this becoming still is one of the most challenging part for a person living in modern society. let alone "knowing God", the first step of becoming still is so so so hard.

All the time we are bombarded with this and that. ask people and you will increasingly find that nobody has any spare time when he or she can be still, or have time to do NOTHING. This doing 'nothing' is not derived from lazyness. A lazy person on the contrary, does more things, waste more energy. i am talking about consciously doing Nothing. you can translate this to meditation, sitting on the prayer rug with inner silence or just watching the night sky absorbing the grandness of creation. all serve the same purpose: to be still.

Zen masters knows the secret of nothingness and doing nothing. The Sufis will readily say that the silence and no-action is the highest mode of remembrance. from my personal experience i can tell i have a very scattered mind. it refuse to concentrate on one thing, thus hardly can focus energy. yet i feel from within i need to do that badly. so much energy is wasted each moment. God forgive me and bless us!

Living in modern days is a blessing yet a big challenge for those who values bigger things than just watching the desperate housewives, apprentice or another saturday night tv series. So, my friend try cultivating the practice - becoming still, the effort for No Action. struggle if needed, but its worth an effort. pls switch off that stupid tv, and look at the beautiful sky just outside.

As human being living in modern time we are collectively missing our stillness. let us not lose it completely!

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The difference between Zionism and Judaism

"Judaism is a religion of spirituality, to serve God...Zionism is an apostasy, it is a rebellion against God, and a rebellion against the Torah, it is blasphemous..." - Rabbi Yisroel Weiss

Many of us often don't understand the difference between Zionism and Judaism. Here is an interesting interview of Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Yisroel Weiss. Watch and listen carefully what he has to say about Zionism and how this secular materialistic ideology has hijacked the spiritual Judaism. Also know that how Zionism is against the true teachings of Torah and direct violation of God's will as stated in Talmud.

Here is the interview at Fox News from youtube (approx. 4 minutes).

Another audio interview where the Rabbi is giving answer to the question: People are sometimes confused between Zionism, Judaism and Jewishness. Can you please clarify? The real player audio lecture is here.

For detail of the explanation the following videos may be helpful to have a better picture.

Video1. Video2. Video3. Video4.

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss is the spokesperson for the Neturei Karta International - Jews against Zionism. He is descended from Hungarian Jewry, his grandparents were exterminated by the Nazis at Auschwitz.

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An Offering

To My Beloved Reflection,
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
from Bhakti

What is it about the moon

That beckons me back to you?

My love --
You are a reflection
of my great Self--
The sun of all suns.
The light of all light.


© 2006 D.L. Bhakti Brophy

whoever you see in the world is a reflection of your self.

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Book Review: Irving Karchmar’s Master of the Jinn

He who knows himself knows God – is one of the greatest secrets of mankind. This knowing refers to self realization. The self-realization along with the path of Love and the infinite mercy of God is the central theme of the novel – ‘Master of the Jinn’ by Irving Karchmar.

For those readers who love mysticism - the hidden meanings and mystic wisdoms in the book are perhaps the best attraction. The journey is triggered when the Sufi Master is visited by an Israeli Professor of archeology and an Israeli intelligence officer, Captain Simach. The Captain had several mysterious incidents and visions, which may point the way to the legendary ring of King Solomon – the greatest treasure of the ancient world. In a quest to salvage the immensely mysterious treasure, seven people start their journey into the unknown territory of the desert.

Soon they arrive at a lost city where the mystery of Solomon’s ring is revealed. The journey from the beginning to the end and everything in between has deep allegorical significance. At the end of the journey, it reveals not only the fate of the Jinn, but also some greater truths. And I felt that to realize the inner meanings, the book deserve more than one reading. No doubt readers will find the book spellbinding.

Often among the conversations between the characters, readers can find treasures of timeless wisdom that can at once penetrate a reader directly to the heart. One of such is, “The less you are burdened by possessions, the lighter will be the anchor of your self-indulgent nafs (false ego)” - one of the central teachings of Sufis. Likewise, Karchmar quotes verses from the Islamic Holy Book Koran, Jewish wisdom and beautiful mystic Persian poetry that contains deep spiritual reflection.

For someone who is not familiar with the mystical path, especially those of the Sufi mystics, the book gives a rare inside look at their community and how the interaction, love and harmony between the master and the students happen. Also, their inner practices, attitudes and the process of initiation, which are often veiled from the outside world, are interestingly revealed in the book. Karchmar, himself being a darvish of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order, has taken this wonderful opportunity through his eloquent description, not leaving out any of the finer details. The richness of the details shows the research behind the book and also the author’s mastery of the subject matter.

The message of Love and Harmony of the Mystic Path that transcends any religion, faith or boundaries can be summarized by quoting this text from the novel, spoken with the voice of the Master: “Know, O dervish, that love is the foundation and principle of the way to God, and that all states and stations are stages of Love, which is not destructible so long as the Way itself remains in existence.”

____________________________________

• For details, pls visit the book's website http://www.masterofthejinn.com

• The author also maintain a beautiful blog: Darvish.
  

My deep appreciation to Irving Karchmar, the author for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful book and to review it.

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AerosolArabic: Inspiring Art Work

AerosolArabic is the artwork of artist Mohammed Ali. Born and raised in Birmingham, UK. His work is influenced by both Urban-Street graffiti as well classical islamic calligraphy, himself being once part of the underground graffiti scene within the UK, but has since left this and concentrated on painting canvas and exhibiting his work throughout the UK as well as abroad. Pls watch this video from youtube.com. His calligraphy artworks are awesome. Good example of Spiritual Islamic Artwork.

AerosolArabic official website. Check out the download section for some beautiful resources.

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Today i met a soul ...

Flames and Angels

Originally uploaded by Sushma Sabnis.

Today i met a soul,
whose light showered my path
even from the other side of the world.

Today my love of Self as One
became realized as a love of One
Oneness without boundary

Today i spoke with a soul,
the voice came rushing
right into my heart
and melted my whole existence.

Today a faraway stranger
rekindled my love for the knowledge
that nothing is neither near nor far
here nor there
just is.

one heart sang in tune with another.
who said, we are far?

The light of God
raining upon two souls
focusing their vision of Oneness into Reality

i know i have been given this blessed touch
to reunite with a close soul, i knew already
long back in some unknown lives.

'Just about to give up sharing my mysticism
for fear of being deemed MAD
in an outward looking world

so we unfolded our wings of love eternal
embracing to unite the two souls
and looked at the Glorious Light,
the Source from where all souls descend on.

And the 'who', 'what', 'where', and 'why' disappeared
into the ether
and all that was left was
nothing
but
Light.

© July 18, 2006, Bhakti Brophy and Sadiq Alam

The story behind this poem is very interesting (to me, atleast). This is a poem, me and my divinely mad friend Bhakti Brophy wrote together. It was written on 18th July, 2006 after we cross each other's path almost like a miracle (indeed everything is a miracle). First paragraph written by me, followed by Bhakti; and next again by me and so on.

Bhakti's blog: http://jaibhakti.blogspot.com

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Our hearts have a lot to say...

Our hearts have a lot to say...
Originally uploaded by carf.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war, that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

- Martin Luther King Jr.
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Dharmapada and my apologies

The Dharmapada: Tribute to Buddha

Instead of a thousand words,
Better just one,
One that brings peace.
Instead of a thousand verses,
Better just one,
One that shows beauty.
Instead of a thousand songs,
Better just one,
One that spreads joy.


Beloved Friends,

May i take this opportunity to ask forgiveness to you all? i ask forgiveness to you all for posting so much things in this blog. i even posted those things which i even until today can not live upto, i am still a learner, a student on the path; Heaven be my witness that all my intention was to spread the truth and realizing the truth together. Pls consider the posts as sharing only, some food for thought - amidst this ever fleeting world.

i ask forgiveness because of reading this beautiful dharmapada (the lines of path) by Buddha which, after reflecting my heart on it made me shameful of my posts in this blog. So i ask forgiveness from you o my all beloved friends. will you not forgive me in the name of the Most Forgiving One?

So instead of so many things, my friend let us together just ask for one and be fulfilled beyond measures. its upto you to ask that one. and then forget the rest for a moment please. Pin It Now!

Who sees more?

Then like the blind man
that God gave back his sight
Originally uploaded by Suleyman.

few days back, i was walking in the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during a short trip there. i was observing people on my way to buy a return ticket. unexpectedly i came across a blind person walking with his wife presumably.

he had one of the most beautiful smile on his face. for a very short period of time i could gaze on his glowing face, beholding that smile which was out of this world. when i looked at his smiling face i was overwhelmed because i felt, he was seeing something which we so called 'not-blind' people don't see or can't see. the smile was full of bliss. no wordly person can smile like that and he was smiling simply while walking holding his wife's hand.

immediately the thought that strikes in my mind is "who really sees more?" is it us - 'the more blind people with functional eyes' or this blind person who sees even without his external eyes?

perhaps, it's not the blindness of our eyes that prevent us from seeing. it's the blindness of our heart, which is the main obstacle.

- Sadiq, Singapore Pin It Now!

On ego

Life is what it is,

you cannot change it;

but you can always change yourself.
- Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
In Sufi terms the crushing of the ego is called Nafs Kushi. And how do we crush it? We crush it by sometimes taking ourselves to task. When the self says, 'O no, I must not be treated like this,' then we say, 'What does it matter?' When the self says, 'He ought to have done this, she ought to have said that,' we say, 'What does it matter, either this way or that way? Every person is what he is; you cannot change him, but you can change yourself.' That is the crushing. ... It is only in this way that we can crush our ego.

Every time that we notice its pinprick, every time that its thorns appear before our eyes, we should crush it and say, 'What are you? Are you not thorns, are you not the cause of unhappiness for others and myself as well? I do not want to see my own being in such a form, in the form of thorns! I want my being to be turned into a rose, that I may bring happiness, pleasure, and comfort to others.'

If there is anything needed in spiritual teaching, in seeking truth, in self-realization, it is the refinement of the ego. For the same ego which begins by being our worst enemy, will in the end, if developed and cultivated and refined, become our best friend.

from http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VII/VII_40.htm

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Each remembrance is a prayer

The Sound Guy does Meditation
Originally uploaded by premasagar.

O my beloved friend,
Know now that each remembrance is a prayer.

Divine awaits,
awaits ever patiently
when you will again remember Her.

Know now, everytime you remember Her
She remembers you,
inside and outside of you.

Cause, its the Essence of the Divine
that encompasses everything,
and nothing emcompasses Her.

Behold! Each remembrance is a prayer.

So my friend, remember in silence,
in the inner cosmos of yours - inside.

Again come out to this world,
and remember in all your deeds
and in all your needs.

In your deeper consciousness -
with each remembrance,
let the Divine come to you
with Her tender Embrace.

Indeed, each remembrance
is a beautiful prayer.

So lets dedicate all true remembrance
to Her, only for Her.


(c) MysticSaint. August, 2006. Singapore
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"I am the Truth" - what did Mansur Really meant? - Study on Mansur al Hallaj (4)

The great Mystic, Manur al Hallaj was martyred on 26 March, 922, partly because of the following saying that expressed the nature of his mystic union: ana'l –Haqq (meaning "I am Truth"). Mystic Mansur would go into trances often, intoxicated with Divine Love and during one of these trances, he would utter ana'l-Haqq, and also, "In my turban is wrapped nothing but God?" which was taken to mean that he was claiming to be God, as Al-Haqq is one of the Ninety Nine Names of Allah. In another statement, Hallaj would point to his cloak and say, "Maa Fil Jubbati Illa-Allah" meaning "There is nothing inside the cloak except God."

This utterance would lead him to a long trial, and subsequent imprisonment for eleven years in a Baghdad prison. In the end, he would be tortured and publicly crucified (in some accounts he was beheaded and his hands and feet were cut off) by the Abbasid rulers. Many accounts tell of Al-Hallaj's calm demeanor even while he was being torture and even he went to his execution dancing in his chains.

Here is a beautiful explanation of the statement "I am the Truth", (Anal Haqq), and the reality behind the utterance. It is quoted from spiritual-health website.

‘Ana’l Haqq’ is, in fact, entailed by, and an expression of, the central meaning of the first pillar of Islam in which one is required to bear witness that there is no reality but Divinity. To say there is 'no god but God’ (La ilaha illaAllah), does not get to the heart of the matter, for one must ask what is Divinity, and when one addresses this question in essential, fundamental terms, the answer to that inquiry is that God is the basis, and cause, of all manifested possibilities. In short, there is no reality but Divinity, and any statement to the contrary is in error.

All of Creation is nothing but a multiplicity of manifested permutations and combinations of Divine Names and Attributes brought together through Divine Purpose. There is no aspect of Creation whose nature, qualities, character, form, potential, possibilities, capacity, behavior, and duration are not a function of the manner in which Divinity arranges Names and Attributes in order to give expression to manifestation of one kind, rather than another.

Consequently, if the ‘I’ of "Ana’l Haq" - that is, ‘I am the Truth’, is a realized reference to the Divine nature of manifestation - human or otherwise, and if ‘Haq’, or Truth, is one of the Names of Divinity - which it is - then, in reality, the statement in question is actually an alternative way of stating the very same truth which is contained in the Shahadah - the declaration that there is no reality but Divinity. Although the public declaration of ‘Ana’l Haq’ constitutes a violation of Shari‘ah, nonetheless, the statement is only heretical or untruthful when it is said through a human being who is not in a realized spiritual condition** of tawhid."

Source link

** Indian Vedantic Philosophy very much stress this importance of self realization, because without self-realization of the truth, everything else is just theory. When Einstein was asked, "Do you believe in God", he replied, "No i do NOT believe in God." pausing he said, "I know there IS a God." To me this is a beautiful expression of realization within. compared to which, just believing without realization sounds very illusory.

Here is another very important saying of Hallaj which reflects the sincerity of his special heart, Allah, Most High, is the very One Who Himself affirms His Unity by the tongue of whomsoever of His creatures He wishes. If He affirms His Unity in my tongue it is He Who does so, and it is His Affair.

Otherwise, my brother, I myself have nothing to do with affirming Allah's Unity.

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Creative Thoughts Koan

It was asked, "How is life?"

and so came the answer,

"Life is like my memory,
always forgetful."




What is Koan?

Koan is a paradoxical, and often senseless, question or expression posed in Ch’an or Zen Buddhism to aid in meditation or understanding. “What is the sound of one hand clapping” is a well known koan.

Details here. // Another Zen Koan studies page.

this koan was captured during a msn messenger conversation with my dear friend Sha. So the credit goes to her. Be in your bliss, my friend. Pin It Now!

Study on Mansur Al Hallaj (3): An attempt to Demystify

In the series of posts on an weak attempt to study Mansur Al Hallaj, blessed be his soul, one of the greatest mytics that mankind have ever known ... i was asking question regarding Mansur's trial. Explaining this, a good friend Segovius pointed to a very important aspect.

Segovius said... "In my opinion, the point about Hallaj having 'left religion' is not sustainable when one looks at the evidence and is a misinterpretation. The official reason for Hallaj's execution we know from extant records and manuscripts: it was that he taught the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) could be performed at home and one did not need to go anywhere - least of all Mecca!

Other subsidary accusations were that he was a Shi'ite agitator and that he claimed he was divine but the main one was the hajj teaching.

It follows that the 'leaving religion' tag is essentially a 'leaving Sunnism' position and there is much evidence that Hallaj was in fact a Shi'i. So I would tend to view any statements about his orthodoxy or otherwise as stemming from this.

There is also the correlation with Christianity. Like Jesus he was crucified and his famous 'I am the truth' (anal Haqq) is essentially no different from Jesus's 'I am the way, the truth, the life'. The phrase 'I am the truth' is also found in this direct form in Greek Magical papyri (1st century CE) and Hermes Trismegistus.

Actually though there is also a fair bit of evidence that he did not say this. Many scholars argue that he in fact said 'I see the truth' which is very similar in Arabic.

The reason that Hallaj was later accepted as a genuine mystic was because of the work of great Sufis like Ibn Arabi and al-Ghazzali who established publicly and to the satisfaction of the orthodox that Sufism was compatible with Islam - once this had been achieved a more subtle point was made about Sufi practice: that when a dervish was in ecstasy then he was not responsible for anything he might say.

Al these views were later accepted as legitimate aspects of Sufism that were in now ay in conflict with Islamic religion.

I think Hallaj has undergone a certain 'romanticizing' process by Massignon who was such a brilliant scholar that many accept his ideas (the 'I am Truth' one was a kind of obsession for him) without criticism and it has become a kind of 'Holy writ'.

But there is far more to it than that and the whole issue is a very interesting one that needs much more research. Bayazid, for example, was a kind of similar figure to Hallaj but earlier and said very similar things but without causing as much trouble.

There were certainly political factors at work in Hallaj's case."

image credit


:: Previous and related posts
1. Mansur Al Hallaj : Studying
2. Study on Masur Al Hallaj (2)
3. Secrets of Mansur Al Hallaj and Reality

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The color of the water is the color of the receptacle

... in prostration
Originally uploaded by Dharma37.

If the believer understood the meaning of the saying 'the color of the water is the color of the receptacle', he would admit the validity of all beliefs and he would recognise God in every form and every object of faith.


:: Fusûs al-Hikam, Ibn Arabi
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