posted November 04, 2012 10:38 AM            

It is a patient pursuit to bring water from the depth of the ground; one has to deal with much mud in digging before one reaches the water of life.

What is this mud? It is the impure thought of man, due from the habit of mind being so dependent upon matter and form. Mind may act independent of all these forms, receiving its knowledge from essence. When the intuitive faculty is aroused, one can know all about the earthly conditions and find it possible to improve these conditions, whether directly connected with oneself or pertaining to the world at large.

Purity of thought means to let God do one's thinking, to keep whole-heartedly in devotion to God, which brings all knowledge. So long as one places any value upon one's intellect, one's memory, one's experiences, one cannot reach the highest state. These form the mud and clouds and phantasms of life.

posted November 04, 2012 10:40 AM            

In one's search for truth, the first lesson and the last is love. There must be no separation. No "I am" and "thou art not". Until one has arrived at that selfless consciousness, one cannot know life and truth.

From the study of the heart in the body, we can observe that it is the circulation of the blood which is the continuous process of life. The blood touches every part of one's body and keeps it functioning as a unit. We can tell something about a person if we know the condition of his or her blood. Heart in the body does not separate part from part but considers the whole as a unit.

Such is the nature of love. It can think only in terms of units. From one point of view, this is not thinking, but from a deeper aspect it is the only real thinking. What one calls thought - by which one endeavors to know something of the nature of things - is really a process of analysis. Analysis can only bring knowledge of analyzing; it sees parts but cannot put them together because its nature is to divide. To bring parts together one must be able to efface the nufs of each part; by thinking of them as separate pieces one gives each a nafs/ego, which is the product of human thought.

In fact, the whole world as we consider its existence is nothing but the external projection of this thought-power, and the physical world itself is dependent upon thought-power to some extent. But thought would itself disintegrate when there is not feeling behind it. In fact, this occurs at all times, yet not much attention is paid to it.

As mind analyzes, it cannot put parts together. Therefore it can never apprehend truth, constantly looking at diversity. The enlightened mind is not different from the unenlightened mind except that it perceives unity, yet it is not self-dependent, it is dependent upon heart - in fact it is one with heart.

Now heart expands and contracts, but there is no limit to its expansiveness. Whatever it touches, it regards as itself; it sees no self and does not think of others as separate. We often find little infants looking upon each other as the same person, calling each other by their own names. They have not yet gained the habit of analyzing and separating. The spiritual soul passes again into a stage when one can see above all the distinctions and differences which divide men, when another does not appear to one as another but as projection of self.

This type of love is wisdom itself. When the bounds of limitation are removed, there is no end to wisdom, to knowledge, to ability. However, the real lover does not place the heart upon such things; one loves and it is this love that makes one live. If there are any gains in it, one does not do it for that reason: one loves because it is one's nature to love. This shows the presence of heart which marks the spiritual person. No other person is really spiritual, but all - even sinners - possess this potentiality be it in a smaller or greater degree. Pure thought, real thought, is without any "I" and is the expression of an awakened soul.

posted November 04, 2012 10:42 AM            

By the power of prayer, one opens the door of the heart, in which God, the ever-forgiving, the all-merciful, abides.

Prayer, no matter how selfish it may seem, begins with a petition to a higher power. It admits the limitation of self, and so the Sufi recognizes good in every form of prayer. One also sees the childishness of some forms, but regards the devotee as a child rather than as a sinner. Even so does God look upon prayer. God's forgiveness is unfathomable for it is God's nature to forgive. What prevents humanity from receiving this forgiveness is that every sin - in fact every act - makes its mark upon mind. Until one repents, that mark remains on the mind. Repentance is the sign of the awakening of the heart; it is the blood of the penitent which is called the blood of the Lamb in Christian terminology, which removes the thought-mark from the mind.

Sufis call this process "unlearning" when applied to acts or knowledge having no moral quality and "penitence" when applied to acts or knowledge having some moral significance. It is the awakening of heart which removes sins and burdens. Consequently there is no forgiveness without repentance; even God cannot touch the unrepentant until God is given the opportunity. At least so the Universe operates. While the love of God is beyond analysis, it always produces a maximum of harmony and beauty in life.

posted November 05, 2012 05:01 PM            

To be really sorry for one's errors is like opening the doors of heaven.

So long as one is unrepentant, thought-marks and thought-shadows mar the mind and prevent beauty from making its appearance. Repentance not only removes these marks and shadows, but does the greatest thing possible: it lays the false self low. Thus the poor in spirit are blessed, those devoid of ego attain the gates of Heaven, and only when the mind realizes its possessions can the heart-faculties express themselves in full.

posted November 06, 2012 09:08 AM            

Our soul is blessed with the impression of the glory of God whenever we praise God.

Praising God is the real purpose of the Message; there is no other Message than this: that humanity should lay no stress upon itself and see all values in God. The very nature of soul requires this praise, and its cessation brings all unhappiness. But this praise is not for the sake of happiness although it may bring it; the soul praises because it is its nature to praise.

posted November 07, 2012 09:27 AM            

Yes, God is ever ready to receive us. One look at our own hearts, one feeling of sympathy for another, one small prayer and God takes us in God's arms.

posted November 09, 2012 02:54 PM            

When the rich young man came to Jesus Christ for advice and was told to sell all that he had and give to the poor, he did not understand the words of the Master. At that time, it was quite common for the rich to come to spiritual teachers and surrender all their worldly goods. This has been a custom through the ages and there is nothing strange in the story - only the European mind, accustomed to different traditions, has not always understood it.

Now anybody is rich in a worldly sense who is intoxicated with life and places values in things - be they riches, possessions, worldly honor, fame, knowledge or anything which does not lead one to the realization of God. It is almost self-evident that a person cannot serve two masters, be they God and Mammon or any two masters. The real truth about wealth is that one is never the possessor of such wealth, one is the servant of such wealth. If one possessed it, one could take it with him or her both on earthly travels and beyond this plane when one departed. Obviously this is impossible and it teaches that one does not own things but serves them when he or she claims such ownership.

Now to renounce what one does not own is not a surrender; to renounce what is one's possession is a surrender. The nufs is nothing but the thought of self and this stands in the way of all spiritual realization and perfection. Giving that away, throwing one's spirit down makes it possible to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. The miser on earth, though he or she possesses a farthing, cannot reach the gates; the kindly person, though he or she have millions, may be blessed by Allah.

posted November 09, 2012 02:55 PM            

The more elevated the soul, the broader the outlook.

One of my favorites

This is both a maxim and a dictum. It is a maxim in the sense that as one progresses in any direction the vision increases. If one travels far physically, the physical vision increases and one becomes more tolerant of people. If one studies much and learns the world's knowledge, it often broadens the mental vision, increases the understanding and frees one from the toils of time and space.

But if one loves much - or better be it said, if one truly loves - there is no horizon, the whole universe is one's play toy. Conversely, this is a dictum to the Sufi - to see from all points of view as though one had traveled in every country and understood all speech, habits and traditions; also to be tolerant and humble as if all worldly knowledge were but an idea of the possible knowledge of humanity. Finally, to know through love that it is love which can give us the widest outlook in life and that there is no limit to that outlook.

posted November 10, 2012 09:42 AM            

Mastery lies not merely in stilling the mind, but in directing it towards whatever point you desire.

The first process is to free the mind from influence from outside forces, and the next is to free the will from control by the mind. This is accomplished in meditation. At that point the mind is asleep and needs to be awakened. This is done by the growth of the heart faculties. What is meant when one says "you desire" is that ideal which can be persistently pursued. For this purpose, the Sufis practice concentration. But this deep desire is of the heart and is possible when the will and the heart direct the activities of mind.

We can see these stages in Zikar, the first part of which declares, "La illaha" - the meaning of which is that there is no divinity in things, in created objects. This part of Zikar frees mind from illusion and stills it. The next part of Zikar, "El Allahu" - is the positive portion which points directly to God. By it one directs the mind toward the supreme desire and so toward any other beneficial desire.

posted November 11, 2012 09:41 AM            

Our thoughts have prepared for us the happiness or unhappiness we experience.

The average person under the influence of ego casts shadow thoughts over the heart so that the heart does not experience bliss. Happiness is not to be confused with momentary pleasure. One way to distinguish them is this: any act, speech or thought which, while bringing some pleasant result also affects one at some point in an unpleasant manner - that is to say, the result is alloyed - is not of the nature of happiness. A happy condition is one unalloyed, when there is nothing to mar it, when it is one whole, complete and consistent experience of joy.

By repeating "Toward the One" it is possible to get one complete effect from every cause, and this makes possible later - when a happy result is either desirable or given one by Divine Grace - that it is a pure state, unaffected by mental shadows or thought forces. Purification of heart helps more than anything else in this direction.

posted November 13, 2012 11:32 AM            

When the mind and body are restless, nothing in life can be accomplished. Success is the result of control.

This control is in two parts: first, the practice of Darood, including all spiritual exercises by which one voluntarily assumes control over mind and body; second the activating of heart by which all success and all attainments come to one. This is the positive spiritual life, which is broader than the ordinary life and which is not a negation but a more complete condition.

posted November 13, 2012 11:33 AM            

When speech is controlled, the eyes speak; the glance says what words can never say.

If one studies telegraphy, it will be found that the transmitted word or letter is formed by breaks in the current. In other words, energy is transmitted until and unless there is a break, and by these breaks word and letter symbols are formed. The same principle holds true in thought transmission, whether by speech or telepathy. The Divine Energy is always present; speech comes by breaks in the mental magnetism or electricity, by making shadow in the intellectual light. Thus words are formed which convey thoughts.

Pure thought is much deeper and cannot well be expressed into words. Nevertheless by a flow of spiritual magnetism through the lights, this purer light flashes out from the inner being. Without word or gesture, when there is attunement between minds and hearts, the thoughts flash back and forward by "makes" and "breaks" in it. This is the same principle as in telegraphy but the vibrations are much more subtle.

posted November 14, 2012 09:07 AM            

Words are but shells of thoughts and feelings.

**One of the most important bowls of saki for the internet forums. For every insincere statement or petty words, may this "bowl" render them harmless. **

For they are conventions which guise thoughts and feelings. Of themselves they are nothing but social arrangements of letters or symbols. It is the thought-force in the word which makes it a living thing. This holds true for things other than words but it is most evident in words which, without that inner essence, are utterly dead.

posted November 15, 2012 07:06 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by juniperb:
Bowl of Saki for November 14 (319)

[b]
Words are but shells of thoughts and feelings.

**One of the most important bowls of saki for the internet forums. For every insincere statement or petty words, may this "bowl" render them harmless. **

For they are conventions which guise thoughts and feelings. Of themselves they are nothing but social arrangements of letters or symbols. It is the thought-force in the word which makes it a living thing. This holds true for things other than words but it is most evident in words which, without that inner essence, are utterly dead.

[/B]

---

I love this.

posted November 15, 2012 09:35 AM            

There is always a person behind the screen and we owe our selves and them the integrity of using those "symbols" to reflect our hearts , truths and make them living positive actions.

posted November 16, 2012 02:50 PM            

Wisdom is not in words; it is in understanding.

As words are caused by breaks in the transmission of energy, they cannot possibly be of the nature of light and they can more certainly be of the nature of shadow. Wisdom is pure light, which can flash steadily through the eyes or atmosphere of a personality. It contains all it would convey as a unity, which cannot be readily analyzed. Yet it can inspire and strengthen and enable the mind to broaden its horizon.

posted November 16, 2012 02:52 PM            

The message of God is like a spring of water - it rises and falls and makes its way by itself.

For the Message of God is destined for humanity. One is blessed who willingly becomes an instrument of the Message. As there is more energy in humanity than in animal, more in animal than in plant and more in plant than in rock, so the spiritual electricity always tries to flow through one who offers less resistance to it. When one is unwilling to serve God, the animal or plant or mineral kingdom may take his place. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the elements when the people scoffed at the Message, and Palestine flowed with milk and honey when the people listened to God.

posted November 17, 2012 11:16 AM            

Average people consider their eyes and ears as being open, but really they are practically blind and deaf. For instance, neither can one's hearing be compared to that of the blind person nor one's sight to that of a deaf one. It is only when one is deprived of the use of the senses that one can realize the value of one of them.

The mystic does not have to be lacking in sense proclivity to learn the value of every part of the body, to see all the Grace with which God has endowed it; neither is one dependent upon the senses. To take full advantage of the capacity of a faculty, it is necessary to coordinate it with the breath and heart. Sufis have many practices by which magnetism can be increased in any part of the body, but the real difficulty is the shadow thrown across the part by the nafs/ego.

Most people do not realize that lack of interest falls as a shadow upon the mind and the sense. The mystic, being indifferent, neither increases the interests nor diminishes them but finds in all things a relation to the perfect whole. This prevents the nafs/ego from throwing any shadow upon any faculty. There is a mysticism in sound and in sight which the seer is cognizant of at all times. By keeping in Darood and so letting the Divine Spirit through the breath touch every part of the being, and by concentration in the heart, one brings vitality to every vehicle and every portion of each body. Then one can receive knowledge even from name and form

posted November 18, 2012 09:51 AM            

The soul of all is one soul, and the truth is one truth, under whatever religion it is hidden.

Beautiful Truth of Unity

Ishk (or love) unites one to another. One does not regard the fingers as having any reality apart from the body. So the life in one is that which unites one to another. Life is impossible without holding some relation to plant, animal or human. We are all interdependent, showing that the reality in us is greater than any conception we may hold. Without Ishk we would not be.

Yet Ishk is force not personality and it is not dependent upon personality. That person which is the source of Ishk is none other than God or Allah or Brahma or Dharmakaya. This knowledge is vouchsafed to no one so long as that one is considered apart from all others.

posted November 20, 2012 09:11 AM            

Narrowness is not necessarily devotion but often appears so.

Narrowness is concentration of ego; devotion is concentration of heart. God is not the thought of humanity, and a strong voice or manner do not necessarily mean a strong will. That is to say, one may apply or employ external force yet the result may not be satisfactory. Being out of harmony with Nature, one cannot forever be successful. The devotee, losing himself in the ideal, can never make this mistake.

posted November 20, 2012 09:13 AM            

It is the soul's light which is the natural intelligence.

What is called "Nur" is the Universal Light which touches every part of the universe. Without this Light there would be no universe: it is the aspect of Ishk, which we call Intelligence because it becomes the light of the Mind. Although Ishk is all light, it is Oneness: in it there is no Mind although there is "Buddha-citta", the essence of Mind. By an accommodation in the Supreme the light produces forms, but these forms are made out of the vibrations of the light-self. Then the light appears within these forms and enables them to perceive phenomena.

It is, however, the soul, which sees, whether through an individual - be that individual rock, plant, animal, man or planet - or whether it be the sight of body, mind or heart.

posted November 21, 2012 09:49 AM            

The wave is the sea itself; yet when it rises in the form of a wave, it is the wave, and when you look at the whole of it, it is the sea.

Soul, forming a center in the Universal Light, produces heart. In heart soul sees directly, thus producing Universal Intelligence. But as God has produced matter outside the realm of absolute intelligence yet impregnated with Universal Intelligence, the soul - to experience it - must produce a vehicle capable of apprehending it. So the Light-Intelligence is agitated and the waves on its surface produce mind.

Mind being made up of coarser vibrations than heart can look directly upon matter and see it as matter. Heart may perceive matter but would not distinguish matter from spirit because heart does not distinguish. So mind sees all these differences, but when one wishes to look beyond the differences one must see with the heart. When one further wishes to become that which one sees, one enters upon the soul-life. Then sight, seer and seen are all one.

posted December 01, 2012 10:36 AM            

It is not the solid wood that can become a flute; it is the empty reed.

From the standpoint of body, body is at its best when it is kept clean from poisons within and contamination without. But the same holds true for mind. We keep on filling the mind with all kinds of thoughts. This does not enlarge mind, rather it puts tremendous weight upon mind. Through meditation mystics clear the mind from all extraneous thoughts until it becomes like a polished mirror. This polished mirror may reflect the light from above or the shadow from below. This is the real use of mind unaffected by self.

Pure mind is the result of the unity of one within oneself, when the light of the intelligence pouring from and through the heart lightens every part of the being. In Christian terminology, this light is Logos, which lightens every one who has ever come into the world. This makes all genius, all music, all human intelligence possible.

posted December 01, 2012 10:37 AM            

Reason is learned from the ever-changing world, but true knowledge comes from the essence of life.

The rational faculty is dependent upon something which is not in and of the mind itself. Either it accepts "a priori" concepts or intuitions or else it produces "a posteriori" conclusions drawn from external observations. The idea of "a priori" conclusions - that is to say, conclusions drawn prior to experience - is good when they are founded upon faith, that is to say, the attunement of heart. But even intuition is of no value unless it is put into practice in life.

So far as the mind depending on the senses, not even the scientists do this. Some philosophers have falsely drawn conclusions by this method, but when the philosopher's reasoning is examined, it is generally found that he has assumed "a Priori" that conclusions must be "a posteriori". In other words, it has been something other than reason which has proclaimed the value and supremacy of reason. This is the fallacy and dilemma of all worldly thinkers.

posted December 01, 2012 10:38 AM            

God is within you. You are God's instrument and through you God expresses God's self to the external world.

How is "a priori" reasoning possible? How is "a posteriori" reasoning possible? There must be something beyond mind to do this. If mind is greater than reason, then mind is essence and mind can of itself apprehend all things - then mind is creator and destroyer. In other words, Mind would be God. But since we actually find mind limited and mind learning through reason, reason must be greater than mind.

But what is this reason? It is Logos, the Universal Sense. Intuition is not different from reason or antagonistic to it, but it is free from time- processes and also from spatial and egoistic influences. In other words, it gives the answer immediately, but it is the same answer as would come through reason.

This shows that there is something much deeper and more fundamental than mind, which mind cannot conceive but which mind can reflect. This is soul, which is nothing but God. Mind is dependent upon reason and reason upon soul. In other words, God is the true experiencer of all things, Who uses man's mind as an observing station. Man is only man's thought of himself; when man's thought is identified with God's thought, man becomes God. Such a one is called a Buddha, sometimes Mahatma.