1.The blind and the seeing are not alike; Nor is darkness and light; Nor the shade and the sun's heat. - The Quran, Chapter of the Angels, 35:19-21
Have you not turned your vision to your Lord? How He does prolong the shadow! And if He willed He could have made it still - then We have made the sun its pilot. Then We withdraw it unto Us, a gradual withdrawal. - The Quran, Chapter of Criterion, 25:46
2.
There once lived a saint so good that the angels came from heaven to see how a man could be so godly (rabbani). This saint went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. His day could be summed up by two words -- he gave, he forgave -- yet these words never passed his lips. They were expressed in his ready smile, his kindness, forbearance, and charity.
The angels said to God, "Lord, grant him the gift of miracles (karamat)." God replied, "Ask what it is that he wishes."
They said to the saint, "Would you like the touch of your hands to heal the sick?"
"No," answered the saint. "I would rather God do that."
"Would you like to convert guilty souls and bring back wandering hearts to the right path?"
"No, that is the angels' mission. It is not for me to convert."
"Would you like to become a model of patience, attracting men by the luster of your virtues, and thus glorifying God?"
"No," replied the saint. "If men should be attracted to me, they would become estranged from God." "What is it that you desire, then?" asked the angels.
"What can I wish for?" asked the saint smiling. "That God gives me his grace; with that would I not have everything?"
The angels said, "You must ask for a miracle, or one will be forced upon you." "Very well," said the saint. "That I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it."
The angels were perplexed. They took counsel and resolved upon the following plan: every time the saint's shadow fell behind him or to either side, so that he could not see it, it would have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow.
When the saint walked along, his shadow, thrown on the ground on either side or behind him, made arid paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale children, and joy to unhappy men and women.
The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. The people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name, and called him "the holy shadow."
3.
This is the ultimate: one has to become the holy shadow, just a shadow of God. This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being: the transfer of the center. You are no longer your own center; God becomes your center. You live like his shadow. You are not powerful, because you don't have any center to be powerful.
You are not virtuous; you don't have any center to be virtuous. You are not even religious; you don't have any center to be religious. You are simply not, a tremendous emptiness, with no barriers and blocks, so the divine can flow through you unhindered, uninterpreted, untouched -- so the divine can flow through you as he is, not as you would like him to be. He does not pass through your center -- there is none. The center is lost.
Finally you have to sacrifice your center so you cannot think in terms of the ego again, you cannot utter "I," to annihilate yourself utterly (fana), to erase yourself utterly. Nothing belongs to you; on the contrary, you belong to God. You become a holy shadow.
- Commentary by Osho
4.
To annihilate utterly in God or fana fi'Llah is not a metaphysical hypothesis to the elect devotees (mu'min) and or the sufis who have achieved certainty of reality (haqiqa), but it is achieved practically and gradually by following the instructions of God and not disobeying what is prohibited in the Quran and by the Messenger. By aligning one's will step by step with the Will of God, one achieve fana or annihilation in God's Will. And after this effacing of impulsive or craving self (ego) occur, then one truly belong to God because 'individuals will' is replaced positively by the Will of God. Then one become holy shadow, subsisting in God, baqa as sufis call it. The metaphor of shadow, the shadow which only exist because of the sun - applies to a true devotee (mu'min) who wills only by the Will of God, the Magnificent Sun, the Grand Center. The shadow only moves as the sun moves in the horizon. And they utter or do nothing but what God wills, Masha'Allah.
'This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being' - as rightly affirmed by Osho, the mad mystic.
The angels said to God, "Lord, grant him the gift of miracles (karamat)." God replied, "Ask what it is that he wishes."
They said to the saint, "Would you like the touch of your hands to heal the sick?"
"No," answered the saint. "I would rather God do that."
"Would you like to convert guilty souls and bring back wandering hearts to the right path?"
"No, that is the angels' mission. It is not for me to convert."
"Would you like to become a model of patience, attracting men by the luster of your virtues, and thus glorifying God?"
"No," replied the saint. "If men should be attracted to me, they would become estranged from God." "What is it that you desire, then?" asked the angels.
"What can I wish for?" asked the saint smiling. "That God gives me his grace; with that would I not have everything?"
The angels said, "You must ask for a miracle, or one will be forced upon you." "Very well," said the saint. "That I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it."
The angels were perplexed. They took counsel and resolved upon the following plan: every time the saint's shadow fell behind him or to either side, so that he could not see it, it would have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow.
When the saint walked along, his shadow, thrown on the ground on either side or behind him, made arid paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale children, and joy to unhappy men and women.
The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. The people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name, and called him "the holy shadow."
3.
This is the ultimate: one has to become the holy shadow, just a shadow of God. This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being: the transfer of the center. You are no longer your own center; God becomes your center. You live like his shadow. You are not powerful, because you don't have any center to be powerful.
You are not virtuous; you don't have any center to be virtuous. You are not even religious; you don't have any center to be religious. You are simply not, a tremendous emptiness, with no barriers and blocks, so the divine can flow through you unhindered, uninterpreted, untouched -- so the divine can flow through you as he is, not as you would like him to be. He does not pass through your center -- there is none. The center is lost.
Finally you have to sacrifice your center so you cannot think in terms of the ego again, you cannot utter "I," to annihilate yourself utterly (fana), to erase yourself utterly. Nothing belongs to you; on the contrary, you belong to God. You become a holy shadow.
- Commentary by Osho
4.
To annihilate utterly in God or fana fi'Llah is not a metaphysical hypothesis to the elect devotees (mu'min) and or the sufis who have achieved certainty of reality (haqiqa), but it is achieved practically and gradually by following the instructions of God and not disobeying what is prohibited in the Quran and by the Messenger. By aligning one's will step by step with the Will of God, one achieve fana or annihilation in God's Will. And after this effacing of impulsive or craving self (ego) occur, then one truly belong to God because 'individuals will' is replaced positively by the Will of God. Then one become holy shadow, subsisting in God, baqa as sufis call it. The metaphor of shadow, the shadow which only exist because of the sun - applies to a true devotee (mu'min) who wills only by the Will of God, the Magnificent Sun, the Grand Center. The shadow only moves as the sun moves in the horizon. And they utter or do nothing but what God wills, Masha'Allah.
'This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being' - as rightly affirmed by Osho, the mad mystic.
61 comments:
Sadiq,
When you delete posts which are not to your liking, you are not giving nor forgiving.
The world would have been better place if people preached less and practiced more what they preached.
Who was Osho?
Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)
"Rajneesh" Chandra Mohan Jain,
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osho, born Chandra Mohan Jain (Hindi: चन्द्र मोहन जैन) (11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, calling himself Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and taking the name Osho in 1989, was an Indian mystic and spiritual teacher.
A professor of philosophy, he travelled throughout India in the 1960s as a public speaker, raising controversy by speaking against socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and institutionalised religion. He advocated a more open attitude towards sexuality, a stance that earned him the sobriquet "sex guru" in the Indian and later the international press.[2] In 1970, he settled for a while in Mumbai. He began initiating disciples (known as neo-sannyasins) and took on the role of a spiritual teacher. In his discourses, he reinterpreted writings of religious traditions, mystics and philosophers from around the world. Moving to Pune in 1974, he established an ashram that attracted increasing numbers of Westerners. The ashram offered therapies derived from the Human Potential Movement to its Western audience and made news in India and abroad, chiefly because of its permissive climate and Osho's provocative lectures. By the end of the 1970s, there were mounting tensions with the Indian government and the surrounding society.
In 1981, Osho relocated to the United States, and his followers established an intentional community, later known as Rajneeshpuram, in the state of Oregon. Within a year, the leadership of the commune became embroiled in a conflict with local residents, primarily over land use, which was marked by bitter hostility on both sides. In this period Osho attracted notoriety for his large collection of Rolls-Royce motorcars. The Oregon commune collapsed in 1985, when Osho revealed that the commune leadership had committed a number of serious crimes, including a bioterror attack on the citizens of The Dalles. Shortly after, Osho was arrested and charged with immigration violations. He was deported from the United States in accordance with a plea bargain.[3][4][5] Following an enforced world tour during which twenty-one countries denied him entry, Osho returned to Pune, where he died in 1990. His ashram is today known as the Osho International Meditation Resort.
Osho's syncretic teachings emphasise the importance of meditation, awareness, love, celebration, creativity and humour – qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious tradition and socialisation. His teachings have had a notable impact on Western New Age thought,[6][7] and their popularity has increased markedly since his death.[8][9]
“How can you know the other? You can love and through love this miracle happens. If you love the other, great understanding arises on its own. Not that you try to understand the other: you simply love the other as he is, with no judgment.
Judgment is ugly — it hurts people. On the one hand you go on hurting them, and wounding them, and on the other hand you want their love, their respect.
It is impossible. You love them, respect them, and perhaps your love and respect may help them to change many of their weaknesses, many of their failures — because love will give them new energy, a new meaning, a new strength.” - Osho
Enlightened people have never been understood by the majority, by the blindly following crowds. Remember what happened to Jesus, to Mansur Al Hallaj. Osho, too, suffered much misunderstanding and confrontation all around the world.
"My whole effort is to make a fresh beginning. It is bound to create condemnation of me from all over the world. But it doesn't matter - who cares!"
"I am not teaching a way, so you cannot claim that my way is the best way - it is not a way at all. You cannot say that this is the only way, because I am saying there is no way at all. I am simply trying to make you alert to that which is already there."
"My effort is to bring man back to his natural self. I will be condemned, I will be criticized. Every religion, every tradition, every morality, every ethical code is going to condemn me. That does not surprise me! I expect it, because what I am saying and doing is changing the very course of human consciousness." - Osho
As far as i know Sadiq, he hardly deletes any comment, even when its out of the context. But he deletes in rare occasion when someone is making personal attack on others in a naked way without justified reason and based on blind assumptions.
Let there be no personal attacks here.
Alhamdullilah
Sadiq is doing a great work for humanity through this blog ,inspiring so many veiled souls...so lets us all be appreciative of this fact.
I agree with F,Lets us all Savor each and every precious moment we have on this beautiful Earth...and praise Allah(swt) for all he has given us and see how we can do our 1/10000 of a cent to see how we can do some good for others the poor,the needy...
Lets us all see that our behavior is grounded in love, generosity, kindness, gratitude, humility and
sincerity.
There is a wonderful poem called “The Porter” by Rumi:
“The porter runs to the heavy load and takes it from others
knowing burdens are the foundation of ease
and bitter things the forerunners of pleasure.
See the porter struggle over the load.
It’s the way of those who see the Truth of things.
Paradise is surrounded by things we dislike,
the fires of Hell are surrounded by what we desire.”
A Good source :http://www.sufism.org/society/articles/Dervishhood%20&%20Adab.pdf
Astagfirullah to all...
Here is the principle of the Messenger of God,
.. whoever believes in God and the Day of Final Judgment, should entertain his guest generously; and whoever believes in God and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet.
I want to add my gratitude and thanksgiving to the beauty of love and its radiance and the inclusiveness it welcomes that I have so enjoyed about having a place where we can meet and linger here in the timelessness of love.....here in the ever flowing inspirations and creative thoughts and loving sharing of Sadiq, who gives his time and energy and prayer, the fruits of his reading and exploring to all of us to share the insights and journeys of seekers from all over the world.
May we honor and care for each other in that life-giving love that brings us to this site....awakening to our own hearts and souls and the beauty shining from within each and every one of us. May we be mirrors to reflect it to each other.
Thank you for your work of love, Sadiq. Blessings Always.
Naomi
The Theme Of Roses
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=11896&post=50844&uid=6576889597#post50844
Aliya,
Please, please, please give me a break. You are comparing apple and oranges when you compare Jesus (peace be upon him) to Shree Rajneesh (Osho). Please leave Mansur out of this. Mansur died for Divine Love, but Rajneesh was kicked out of the US for immigration fraud. Mansur chose to die instead of compromise on principles, but Rajneesh plea bargain to avoid jail in the US.
I am so glad you did not mention Muhammad in same sentence with Rajneesh.
It would have been the greatest disrespect to the Prophet.
Jesus served his disciples. Rajneesh forced his followers to serve him. Jesus walked bare-feet. Rajneesh rode in Rolls-Royces. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. Rajneesh forced his followers to wash his feet. Jesus loved his neighbors. Rajneesh hated his neighbors (asked people in Oregon, USA. He filed lawsuits to harass, intimidate, and engaged in terrorism). Jesus gave to poor. Rajneesh took from his poor of the poorest disciples. Jesus taught love. Rajneesh taught hate (hate your ego, hate your self, hate organized religion). Jesus died. Rajneesh fled. Where are the similarities? What I need is “intellectual honesty” on your part when you are responding to this post instead quoting sweet sounding quotes from Rajneesh.
Comparing Rajneesh to Jesus does not make him Jesus. O Jesus, I prefer your worn out sandals to the Rajneesh’s brand new Rolls-Royce. Aliya, I know Jesus; Jesus is friend of mine; Rajneesh is no Jesus.
“Enlightened people have never been understood by the majority, by the blindly following crowds. Remember what happened to Jesus… Osho, too, suffered much misunderstanding and confrontation all around the world”.
Just because Rajneesh suffered and was misunderstood does not make him enlightened. I would put him in the same category as David Koresh and Jim Jones.
Rajneesh borrowed from many holy books or should I say engaged in much plagiarisms. He borrowed from many and made commitment no one, not even his poor of the poorest disciples. He was absorbed in himself, not in The Ultimate Truth. Many called him narcissistic. If he was a “mad mystic”, then what are his followers? He message was: Just do it. If it feels good, do it.
If it makes you feel good to kill, it is okay to kill too. Forget about self-restraint and taboos. If it makes you feel good, rape someone. Raping someone is ultimate sexual experience.
Aliya, in summary, you have learned three things from Rajneesh: hate, hate, and hate (hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religion). Perhaps you should move over to Rabia’s side.
“Rabia was asked, “Do you love the Lord of Glory?” She said, “I do.” Then she was asked, “Do you hold Satan as an enemy? She replied, “No.” The questioner was astonished. “How is that?” Rabia said, “My love for God leaves not room for hating Satan.” She went on: “I saw the Prophet in a dream, and he said to me, ‘O Rabia, do you love me?’ I said, ‘O Prophet of God, who is there who does not love thee? But my love to God has so possessed me that no place remains for loving or hating any save Him.”
As for me, I don’t surrender to any sheikh or guru. Quran is enough for me. God is my sheikh. I only surrender no god but God and prostrate before One and only One God. God keeps his promises. The promise He made to me is in verse 18:65 (Quran). That promise is enough for me. Thank God I have been saved from so many false sheikhs and gurus by that verse. I have given up all the sheikhs and gurus of the past, present, and the future for the promise of that one verse.
Tell me Aliya, What good is false sense of humility, hate of self, hate of ego, and hate of organized religion or religious institutions? This pretty much sums up Rajneesh’s teaching.
AV
The Holy Shadow sounds a lot like the little alien from the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial :)
Ya Haqq!
there are indeed lessons to learn from this short story!
thanks sadiq bhai
And i m more thankful to AV !!!!!!
Dear AV,
Why do you waste so much of your energy for judging other people? You better use this energy for your inner transformation and spiritual growth. If God "made promises to you" in person,as you claim it, is not it enough of a gift for you? Why do you leave God alone and go searching for others' faults? If someone found God, what else can he search for??? And AV, do not you know that God is the others, too. How do you dare judge Him, the Beloved and the Dearest to our hearts?
Aliya,
You always shift the blame to someone else and beat around the bush. Please respond to this: Tell me Aliya, What good is false sense of humility, hate of self, hate of ego, and hate of organized religion or religious institutions? This pretty much sums up Rajneesh’s teaching.
AV
I am surprised that you consider Osho as mad mystic. His life is not shrouded in msytery, it is an open book. We all know about his life style. A guru with 93 Rolls-Royce. I understand the concept of acceptance, love, compassion but that does not mean i have to surrender my basic intelligence.
Rabbi Zidni Ilma
Ahmed
Its a great story. I liked it very much.Keep me updated with such posts. I am highly benefitted with this site. May I request you to post something on Mansur Hallaj.
Gaze on the sky
When it is midnight
You will see me
Among the smiling stars
If you really love me.
Look at your innerself
Touch your mind
You will see me within you
If you really love me.
"If you really love me.
Look at your innerself
...
You will see me within you
If you really love me" - DevilPoet, thank you for this insightful poem.
That is what Osho and all the enlightened beings who have ever walked and will be ever walking on this Earth invite you to look for. Enlightened beings like Osho, like Mohammad, like Jesus, Budha, Mahavir, Krishna, the blessed ones have been all inviting you to go for an inner journey,to go inwards and to remember who you are, to regain your love for yourself and your self respect. Once you connect to the inner most core of your being, what follows is - the bliss, the exstasy, the Union Mystica with the Divine. Because in the inner most core of your being lies the center of the Universe, too. There is nowhere else to go but in. The inner journey is an arduous work, because to meet yourself request sincerity, authenticity, courage. The inner path is not for cowards, cowards are affraid of facing their repressed for lives fears, cowards prefer burrying deep inside of them their wounds instead of exposing them to the freash air, to the healing power of their awareness and self consciousness. Cowards prefer judging others, finding faults in others, because it is easier a job, it satisfies the ego tremendously, it hides their fear of being judged and exposed themselves.
And AV, you talk so much about hate and blame in your posts - did you noticed how many times you have used these words? I never mentionned these words in any of my comments. Why you, do you feel so much attracted to these words? Have you ever thought that it must be expressing something deeply repressed inside of you. Before going outside for judging the others, why do not you first settle it with your own inner being?
People say they love truth, but in reality they want to believe that which they love is true.
Who are we in this complicated world?
if we come to sleep
we are His drowsy ones.
and if we come to wake
we are in His hands.
if we come to weeping,
we are His cloud full of raindrops.
and if we come to laughing,
we are His lightning in that moment.
if we come to anger and battle,
it is the reflection of His wrath.
and if we come to peace and pardon,
it is the reflection of His love.
who are we in this complicated world?
- Mathnawi, Rumi
Aliya,
You still did not answer me. You went on a tangent. Rajneesh is no Muhammad, no Jesus, No Mansur, No Krishna. Rajneesh is to the spiritual world as Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
I did not label Rajneesh as a "mad mystic". Sadiq labeled Rajneesh as a "mad mystic". If Rajneesh is a "mad mystic", what should we call his followers?
Aliya,
We are committed to the truth on this site. Why do you keep avoiding the answers to the question below? It is you who is afraid of truth. Commit yourself to "intelectual honesty".
What good is false sense of humility, hate of self, hate of ego, and hate of organized religion or religious institutions? This pretty much sums up Rajneesh’s teaching.
AV
Dear AV,
For me your questions are not real, existencial questions. They are simply your own onvention, a byproduct of your confused mind pretending on "intellectual honesty", but in fact blinded by your past conditionning and prejudices. The questions you asked show only one thing - that you have collected much mind junk and rubbish during the years and this junk is the veil hiding the Truth from your eyes. The real questions and their answers are within you, but first find your own being, which, I can clearly see, is suffocating under the smoke of your enormous Ego. Everything else will follow on its own accord. It is all about you,not about the others, AV, is not it?
Aliya,
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions? Truthfully answering this question will liberate you.
AV
AV, Do you call a personal attack a friend reminder to look after yourself, to connect to your own inner being? Is it so difficult for you to empty your mind of your self invented unreal questions and to meet the silence of the Being? I have already answered your being. You are so much preoccupied with your chattering mind, that you missed hearing my answer. Drop it, drop your ego and only then you will hear my answer.
Let me tell you a zen story:
A professor of philosophy went to a Zen Master, Nan-in, and he asked about God, about nirvana, about meditation, and so many things. The Master listened silently--questions and questions and questions--and then he said, "You look tired. You have climbed this high mountain; you have come from a faraway place. Let me first serve you tea." And the Zen Master made tea.
The professor waited--he was boiling with questions. And when the Master was making tea and the samovar was singing and the aroma of the tea started spreading, the Master said to the professor, "Wait, don't be in such a hurry. Who knows? Even by drinking tea your questions may be answered... or even before that."
The professor was at a loss. He started thinking, "This whole journey has been a wastage. This man seems to be mad. How can my question about God be answered by drinking tea? What relevance is there? It is better to escape from here as soon as possible." But he was also feeling tired and it was good to have a cup of tea before he started descending back down the mountain.
The Master brought the kettle, poured tea in the cup--and went on pouring. The cup was full, and the tea started overflowing into the saucer, but he went on pouring. Then the saucer was also full. Just one drop more and the tea would start flowing on the floor, and the professor said, "Stop! What are you doing? Are you mad or something? Can't you see the cup is full? Can't you see the saucer is full?"
And the Zen Master said, "That's the exact situation you are in: your mind is so full of questions that even if I answer, you don't have any space for the answer to go in. But you look like an intelligent man. You could see the point, that now even a single drop more of tea and it will not be contained by the cup or the saucer, it will start overflowing on the floor. And I tell you, since you entered this house your questions are overflowing all over the place. This small but is full of your questions! Go back, empty your cup, and then come. First create a little space in yourself."
Aliya,
The things you accused me of is really your own experiences projecting it to me.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions? Truthfully answering this question will liberate you.
AV
To AV,
In your last comment directed to Aliya you ended with saying, "Truthfully answering this question will liberate you."
Isn't there pre-supposition that you are in charge of other's liberation and isn't your ego thinking that by answer 'your' question the other will get liberated.
Even the Highest Prophet's was told 'you are not responsible for others, your only task is to deliver the message,' so how come you charge other and demand them answer and more so, you say the answer will liberate other.
Pls take care of your nafs (false ego). Lest we forget, on the Day of Final Judgment all will cry "Ya Nafsi", "Ya Nafsi", nothing else.
God Alone is in charge of Liberation of being, not anybody else.
Even a drop of pride ruins all good work and faith. May we learn to be humble even when we see apparent fault / mistake, lesser / difference in others.
Its worth reminding ouselves, blessed sayings of Khwaja Mu'inuddin Chishti:
A friend of God must have affection like the Sun. When the sun rises, it is beneficial to all irrespective of whether they are Muslim, Christian, or Hindu.
A friend of God must be generous like a river. We all get water from the river to quench our thirst. It does not discriminate whether we are good or bad or whether we are a relation or a stranger.
A friend of God must display the hospitality like the earth. We are raised and cradled in its lap, and yet it is always under our feet.
Peace to you and all.
Silent Observer,
Someone also said, "Truth shall make you free". Instead of Aliya dealing with her own demons, she is projecting it to me. She is accusing me of the very demons she possesses. She is projecting her own demons to o others.
AV
"The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. The people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name, and called him "the holy shadow.""
Beautiful story.
Who would of thunk that the shadow could be holy, dispensing virtue, perfoming miracles and shedding light on those in darkness.
Forgotten, forgetting, remembering, rememberance.
Remembered by the Beloved...
La ill aha ill allah
We all shine like stars and then we fade away.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/santana/putyourlightson.html
I am completely new to this site and have very little knowledge regarding the sufi path and its followers. However while I was reading this post, I was a bit surprised by the comments between Aliya and AV.
AV doubts the credibility of "Rajneesh". Why can no one answer his questions? I myself was curious to see what Aliya or anyone else would answer, but it seemed to me that everyone is sidestepping certain points and focusing on some higher spiritual plane that is not concerned with these "unreal, unexistential" questions.
I will begin researching more on sufism myself but I don't understand that for "sufis" who are supposed to be solely concerned with their own spiritual enlightenment and search for truth and God, why they look to other teachers, saints, etc for so much guidance. Shouldn't our devotion come from within? Do we really need all these saints and guiders to show us truth, devotion, spiritual enlightenment through their lives, which are as ordinary as ours? Their struggles, simply because they are on a larger scale are no more grander than ours. We have the same capacity, nothing differentiates them from us, can we not be the same? Achieve the same struggle and state of nothingness? So why are we so in awe of them? They are simply human men and women.
AV, although not as knowledgeable as everyone else here, I agree with your statement "As for me, I don’t surrender to any sheikh or guru. Quran is enough for me. God is my sheikh." It is nice to read all these thoughts and motivations from other men, but the I believe fact remains, the only Divine guidance comes from the Quran.
Please correct me or inform me if I am misguided. Once again I am new to this site, this concept and am simply a student stepping in to new territory. I hope to learn much more.
Salaam.
Mariam K,
I am requesting Sadiq Bhai to respond to your post. I believe he is the best person to answer your questions since you are first time visitor to this site. Please let Sadiq answer this.
Thanks and salaam,
AV
Dear Mariam,
Salam to you as well.
Thank you for your newly visit and your thoughtful comment and question.
Your question, "...for "sufis" who are supposed to be solely concerned with their own spiritual enlightenment and search for truth and God, why they look to other teachers, saints, etc for so much guidance. Shouldn't our devotion come from within? Do we really need all these saints and guiders to show us truth, devotion, spiritual enlightenment through their lives, which are as ordinary as ours?"
and thank you AV for your generous words.
and allow me some time to post a post (which I am afraid might not do justice to this serious question, but as briefly as i can would try to touch upon it)
I would like to post this as a separate post in the blog rather than just comment. So pls see the Home Page for a brief discussion or answer on this.
and God knows the Best.
Sadiq Bhai,
When you put back the post about Jesus laughing and John weeping, you can address it then.
I was thinking about getting your insight/interpretation for the last few days regarding, “I Am as My servant thinks I Am.” I find it interesting that you would mention it few days later in your post.
Are we not creating God in our own image? Could not the interpretation of this hadith lead to abuse of God and “mock the Almighty.”(1) Let us suppose someone is a Muslim. He says to himself/herself that he/she does not have to fast, pray, but is allowed to drink alcohol because he/she thinks of God as Loving, Kind, Understanding, Reasonable, Forgiving, Compassionate, Merciful, etc. God loves him/her unconditionally. Being a Muslim, all one has to do is to think well of God and forget about keeping the commandments of the Islamic faith. Thinking well of God is enough. Discard the commandments of five daily prayers, fasting, zakat, etc. because it is an unnecessary restriction. The Bible also affirms it in Proverbs 23 verse 7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”
James Allen opens his book titled As A Man Thinketh with the statement:
Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.
1. Forty Hadith Qudsi, selected and translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies, Copyright 1980 by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies (Abdul Wadoud), p. 78.
The translators of the above book added a little footnote to the hadith you quoted, “Another rendering of the Arabic is: “I am as My servant expect Me to be”. The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty.”
Please elaborate. What is your interpretation of above hadith?
Thanks,
AV
Salam AV.
Inshallah we can discuss on the very hadith you raised. Yes just like every single verse of any Holy Scripture can be mis-understood and mis-interpreted, so can this hadith Qudsi.
No wonder we are suppose to take refuge in God from the accursed deluder by saying, Auzubillah himinash Shaitanir Rajim, O God I seek refuge in You from the accursed Devil - before we read the Scripture so that our mind is not confused contrary to right guidance. May God keep us safe and show us things as they truly are.
Pls bear with me to come back to his Inshallah and thank you.
Sadiq Bhai,
I understand. I don't want you to rush nor delay!
Thanks,
AV
Dear Mariam K., Do you really think AV asked questions? I do not see any question in his statements and prejudiced definitions he gave about Osho and his "followers". His opinionated mind is not really interested in Osho and his words. If it was so he would have been more open for Osho words and would never qualify an enlightened being with his own mind qualifications as "hate" or "blame" or "falshood". And Mariam K., why should one remain restrained in his view and deny all the other existing experiences? Is Allah Al-Quran only? Do not you see Allah in everything and everyone around, in the trees, in the birds, in the people, in the stars? Do not you notice that this whole Existence is one organic unity breathing with your breath? Why do you so much want to cut it into pieces in order you label them with different names - suffism, islam, christianity, budhism, jainism, and other "-isms". Do not you see the ridiculousness of such division? Can you cut Allah into pieces?
Aliya,
The things you accused me of are really your own experiences projecting it to me. You are now throwing mud, but it is not going stick. This is a classic style of Rajneesh's followers. They try to harass, to intimidate, and to terrorize.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions? Truthfully answering this question will liberate you.
Don't be a jack of all trades, and master of none! If you want to quench your thirst, don't run from one fountain to another instead choose one and drink and drink some more. Those who take some from this and some from that lack one value: Commitment. As they say in the East, you can fall in love with one (the Moon), not thousands (all the Stars)! Make commitment to One. If you are not making commitment, you are not loyal. Price of Love is Loyalty. Can you serve two lovers/masters?
AV
Aliya,
Stop this foolish talk of "My heart has become receptive of every form. It is a meadow for gazelles, a monastery for monks, an abode for idols, the Ka`ba of the pilgrim, the tables of the Torah, the Qur'an. My religion is love - wherever its camels turn, Love is my belief, my faith." What is Love without Commitment? It is called promiscuity. I respect and revere all those, but I found home in the Quran.
I wish my brothers and sisters well who resides in the Monasteries, Temples, Mandirs, Churches, Gudwaras, and Synagogues. I am happy with the Ka’ba and the Quran as my home. What Monasteries, Temples, Mandirs, Churches, Gudwaras, and Snyagogues can offer me that Ka’ba and the Qu’ran have not blessed me with? Making commitment to One is not prejudice as you put it. You can make commitment to One and still have deep respect and reverence for others. You are terrified of making commitment to One. We in America are afraid of the “C” word.
AV
AV, You claim "I found home in the Quran". What about Allah, AV? Is not Allah your home, your source, your beginning and your end? The Quran gives you the direction as all other holy books do. Are you sure, AV, you read and interpreted Quran in the right way? If you really did you should have known by now that a book is a book, a scripture is a scripture. They are only the fingers pointing out to the moon for you. Do not look at the fingers, do not get stuck in the words, go beyond, reach the vast Existence. The holliest book is the Existence itself and if you have an innocent heart full of religiousness you will read the signs of Existence. Because Allah is pervading it and if you trancend your past conditionning you will see with clear eyes his lovely face (wherever you are, even in USA:).
Aliya,
Please don’t change the subject. You have tendency to go on a tangent. This is an example your unwillingness to make commitment to anything.
The things you accused me of are really your own experiences projecting it to me. You are now throwing mud, but it is not going stick. Calling me prejudice, does not make me prejudice. When people have nothing better to say, they then start calling names such as prejudice, narrow-minded, egotistic, etc.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
AV
AV, Who is throwing mud now?
Aliya,
You are. Read your responses.
Please don’t change the subject. You have tendency to go on a tangent. This is an example of your unwillingness to make commitment to anything.
The things you accused me of are really your own experiences projecting it to me. You are now throwing mud, but it is not going to stick. Calling me prejudice, does not make me prejudice. Calling someone Jesus, does not make him Jesus. When people have nothing better to say, they then start calling names such as prejudice, narrow-minded, egotistic, etc.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
My position has not changed, and you have not answered the questions I placed before you either. Instead, you resorted to personal attacks.
AV
AV, Who is "engaging at personal attacks and accusations" now?
Aliya,
Please answer the questions. Why are you repeating things back to me?
You are. Read your responses.
Please don’t change the subject. You have tendency to go on a tangent. This is an example of your unwillingness to make commitment to anything.
The things you accused me of are really your own experiences projecting it to me. You are now throwing mud, but it is not going to stick. Calling me prejudice, does not make me prejudice. Calling someone Jesus, does not make him Jesus. When people have nothing better to say, they then start calling names such as prejudice, narrow-minded, egotistic, etc.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Instead of answering my questions, you are now engaging in personal attacks. Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
My position has not changed, and you have not answered the questions I placed before you either. Instead, you resorted to personal attacks.
AV
AV, I understand how impossible it is for you to calm down your restless mind and to look honestly unto yourself. Inside of you there is a blessed silence. I wish you to find it, "if Allah raad" (with God will).
"Don´t blame others. Whatsoever they are, they are.
In fact, all the cunningness of the world
and the trickery of the world helps you to be aware.
If this world cannot help you to be aware;
then what world will ever be able to make you aware, to be cautious?
It is a good world — it gives you a tremendous challenge to be cautious." - Osho, the Beloved Master.
Dear Sadiq,
Thank you for this lovely story!!!
Kindest wishes,
mo'in
Aliya,
What is so difficult about answering questions? Please answer the questions. You continue to dodge the questions, beat around the bush, and dance around the questions.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
AV
Dear AV and Aliya, going by your comments i used to smile but now its kinda sickening
you see, i m now more interested in Bernard Madoff!
to all d others, Chill guys there's more to the world than Aliya and AV, than Rajneesh and Madoff, than their perspectives...
but thanking you two, its been a learning experience
(read Kahlil Gibran)
The saints of God are known by three signs: their
thought is of God, their dwelling is in God, and their
business is with God.
Let Allah (swt) grant us this station and we are able to reach our makam ....
Ameen
Khalil Gibran said,
I have learned silence from the talkative,
toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind;
yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
I THOUGHT I SHOULDNT B, SO thank you dear Aliya and AV !
plus for lessons in psychology too.
May Allah guide us all, Ameen.
Hey such a nice story Adi, Thanks so much...
Dear AV.... see if you can find any answer about 'Osho'.
To my knowledge, George Gurdjieff never reached the extremes of self-indulgence of Rajneesh, and he even warned his disciples not to have blind faith in him.
Gurdjieff wanted his students to be free and independent, with the combined abilities of clear mental reasoning and cosmic consciousness. Rajneesh, by contrast, seemed to believe that only his thoughts and ideas were of value because only he was "enlightened." This was a grand error in judgment and revealed a basic flaw in his character.
Unfortunately, when Rajneesh achieved the ability to fully channel the power of the Atman, he failed to apply the needed wisdom of self-restraint.
His human mind so rebelled against Asian asceticism that he failed to ensure that his borrowed power was only used for the good of others. Rajneesh was driven by strong personal ambitions, not just compassion.
"Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac." - Henry Kissinger
And its already said in one of Adi's(Sadiq) posts:'Silent Darshan of Mother Meera'
[Hi Cailean,
Thanks for the point. Thats why I kept my writing from the perspective of an observer, not necessarily a devotee and trying to explain the idea of darshan, rather than advocating for mother.
incidentally i was reading Sun at Midnight last night and it very deeply touched me.
there is obvious a danger of "avatar" .. thats why ppl in their body when claim to be avatar could easily become a path to fall.
i hv heard about mother meera and an opportunity came up, so i did meet her.
i was talking to a gay friend of mine and she very intelligently pointed out the fact that what mother told Andrew Harvey was very specific to him. it can not be generalized because thats the nature of teacher and student relationship, often its very one to one level. (and my friendly rightly pointed out that Mother Meera had and still has a lot of devotee who are homosexual)
i do hold high respect both of Mother Meera (since i haven't got any other reason not to) and for Andrew Harvey. but surely while reading Sun at Midnight made me feel sad about the whole situation.
if personally anyone ask me, whether someone should take a guru path where you venerate a guru, i personally would say no. (guru path may at one time very suitable when it comes to sincere teachers, but in our time its an outdated model)
the model of guru path is not for our time and it has its own inherent danger, which is very real. but at the same time, some personality will be drawn to this mode of adoration.
best wishes always.]
As per my knowledge, Osho had great potential. Its a pain to see it failed. But lets be optimistic and as Osho says finally everyona will reach the destination. Hope in his next birth Osho will take lession :-) Buddham sharanam gachhami.
Dear Subhasmita,
Thank you for answering my questions indirectly. However, the person who can really answer those questions is Aliya, but so far she has refused to say yes or no. I doubt it she would take well to your post either.
AV
Beautiful and inspiring Sadiq. Thank you. Kenza.
So many comments about Osho followed this post! Is not it a proof enough by itself that Osho is somebody really very special, a rare being? When somebody comes across such blessed beings, one is certain – he/she cannot remain untouched. AV and Subhasmita wrote much accusations against Osho, however, all of their accusations were based on something heard, something likely to have happened, somebody else has said that … and so on, and so forth… Neither Subhasmita nor AV have ever come in close touch with Osho, none of them has ever savored his divine wisdom and brilliant intelligence coming from the beyond. When enlightened beings come to the earth they have to talk, there is nothing wrong in their talking. Enlightened beings are so full of the Divine, that they are like rain clouds which are bound to rain, to shower flowers of wisdom on whomsoever comes their way. The rain drops not always fall on a fertile ground, sometimes they fall on rocky and dry soil, but it is not of any consideration for the clouds, they rain for all. Whoever has ears will hear and whoever has eyes will see.
And Subhasmita and AV, who are you to judge the others, to give them ugly labels? There is only one Judge and all the other attempts to give floor to the judgmental and opinionated mind are simple arrogance.
I cannot avoid remembering this saying of Jesus:
“Do you imagine I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather conflict.”
Lk 12:51-53 Mt 10:34-36 Th 16 - 44 -
Aliya,
What is so difficult about answering questions? Please answer the questions. You continue to dodge the questions, beat around the bush, and dance around the questions.
“So many comments about Osho followed this post! Is not it a proof enough by itself that Osho is somebody really very special, a rare being?” Just because we had many comments about Osho, it is not proving anything. The only thing it proves is “spiritual immaturity” on your part. We also mentioned Bernard Madoff many times. Does it make Madoff a special being? No. We are not into number theory, statistics, and number games. One of the visitors wrote that he is moving over to Madoff instead of Rajneesh. What do you think of that? It should tell you something about Rajneesh. People in America know more about Madoff than they do about Rajneesh. Does this make Madoff better than Rajneesh? If you use your own logic, you should move over to Madoff! Poll people in your neighborhood. Ask them about Rajneesh and Madoff. Let us know about the result.
You seem to be into “celebrity/name recognition spirituality”.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Why don’t you answer the question? What is your Ego telling you now? It is your
Ego telling not to answer the questions.
Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
AV
Allah, your Mercy is infinite as you have created them the way they are. Who am I to interfere?
Aliya,
Allah will say answer the questions. Allah rebuked Muhammad for ignoring a blind man. Is Allah going to treat you differently? Allah helps those who help themselves!
What is so difficult about answering questions? Please answer the questions. You continue to dodge the questions, beat around the bush, and dance around the questions.
Rajneesh is to the spiritual world what Bernard Madoff is to the financial world.
Rajneesh teaching is based on hate ego, hate self, and hate organized religions. What good is false sense of humility, hate of ego, hate of self, and hate of organized religions?
AV
Good night, AV:) Sleep well:)
Aliya,
I will sleep well, but what about you? You are taking the answers with you.
AV
Dear Aliya. Osho is really special as he himself says everything & everyone is special
I am no one to judge anybody.
But I am true to myself and I am not happy with the way this great potential ended :
[On his last day on earth, Rajneesh is reported to have said "Let me go. My body has become a hell for me." ]
No doubt he is a great teacher and I am inspired a lot by him.
See his ten commandments:
Never obey anyone's command unless it is coming from within you also.
There is no God other than life itself.
Truth is within you, do not search for it elsewhere.
Love is prayer.
To become a nothingness is the door to truth. Nothingness itself is the means, the goal and attainment.
Life is now and here.
Live wakefully.
Do not swim - float.
Die each moment so that you can be new each moment.
Do not search. That which is, is. Stop and see.
I don't know abt others bt these are the things I really follow.
And every master, all the religion say the same thing bt things go wrong when the 1st commandment is violeted.
When it forces to obey, it falls... its true for all the masters and religions as well.
And finally with all due respects I would like to say,I am sorry if I am judging anything and anybody. As I know things had to be like that only.
During this visit to mother earth Osho got his lession and taught us too!
Osho never born never died, visited planet earth between 12/11/1931-01/19/1990.
A sincere salute to a great soul.
Dear Subhasmita,
Your sincere post touched me deeply. Yes, Osho had much health troubles as his body was poisoned with thallium by the administration of the jail in the USA. In spite of all the physical pain he had to suffer, till his last minute of life he kept talking to his disciples. Osho was not attached to his body. After his enlightenment he himself said that he no more felt being really in his body, he was feeling like hanging over his body. That is the status of every enlightened being. The ties with the body and the mind loosen and the center moves to the center of the Universe. None of the enlightened beings have been much concerned with his body. Ramakrishna has died from cancer but till his last moment his eyes were full of happiness, Mansur Al-Hallaj’s body was cut piece by piece by his murderers but he was laughing till his last breath.
Enlightened beings, including Osho, in fact dye for the material world before they are really dead. If they choose to stay a bit longer on this shore before joining the Ultimate for ever, like Buddha, like Osho, they do it because their heart is full of compassion for the other people, who have not yet attained.
“The body belongs to the earth, you belong to the sky. The body belongs to matter, you belong to God. The body is gross, you are not. The body has limits, is born and will die; you are never born and you will never die.” - Osho
The endless argumentation going on and on in here is getting tiresome! Is this a forum now, a discussion board, where people build chasms rather than bridges??!! And people showing off, and people provoking only for the sake of it...
Some arguments are downright bigoted and intellectually dishonest; not worthy of reply. Why bother?
I think that Sadiq is well within his right to delete whatever he sees fit (specially if the delete button serve as a huge asprin for headaches) This is his house!! A place to come to for comfort, Love, prayer and uplifting inspirational messages, not bickering.
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