Friday, September 17, 2004
Are you a knowledgeable person?
If you want to know how knowledgeable a person is, don't ask him a question but watch his action, because an action is the biggest measurement of knowledge.
The Art of Happiness
Among the greatest of blessings is to have a calm, stable, and happy heart. For in happiness the mind is clear, enabling one to be a productive person.
It has been said that happiness is an art that needs to be learnt. And if you learn it, you will be blessed in this life. But how does one learn it? A basic principle of achieving happiness is having an ability to endure and to cope with any situation. Therefore you should neither be swayed nor governed by difficult circumstances, nor should you be annoyed by insignificant trifles. Based on the purity of the heart and its ability to endure, a person will shine. When you train yourself to be patient and forbearing, then hardship and calamity will be easy for you to bear.
It has been said that happiness is an art that needs to be learnt. And if you learn it, you will be blessed in this life. But how does one learn it? A basic principle of achieving happiness is having an ability to endure and to cope with any situation. Therefore you should neither be swayed nor governed by difficult circumstances, nor should you be annoyed by insignificant trifles. Based on the purity of the heart and its ability to endure, a person will shine. When you train yourself to be patient and forbearing, then hardship and calamity will be easy for you to bear.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Petikan Dari Mathnawi (Jalaluddin Rumi)
Saat ini aku berada dalam sebuah keadaan
Di mana aku tidak dapat membezakan
Muatan dari keledai.
Aku berada dalam keadaan hari ini,
Di mana aku tak tahu mana duri
Dan mana mawar
Cintaku membawaku pada keadaan ini saat ini.
Aku tak tahu siapa Pencinta
Atau siapa Yang Dicinta.
Kelmarin, kemabukan mengantarkanku
ke pintu cinta.
Tetapi sekarang tak kutemukan
Pintu atau rumah itu.
Tahun lalu aku punya dua sayap.
kecemasan dan harapan.
Sekarang, aku tak tahu sayap-sayap itu,
Tak tahu bagaimana caranya terbang,
Tak tahu kecemasan-kecemasanku yang telah hilang.
Di mana aku tidak dapat membezakan
Muatan dari keledai.
Aku berada dalam keadaan hari ini,
Di mana aku tak tahu mana duri
Dan mana mawar
Cintaku membawaku pada keadaan ini saat ini.
Aku tak tahu siapa Pencinta
Atau siapa Yang Dicinta.
Kelmarin, kemabukan mengantarkanku
ke pintu cinta.
Tetapi sekarang tak kutemukan
Pintu atau rumah itu.
Tahun lalu aku punya dua sayap.
kecemasan dan harapan.
Sekarang, aku tak tahu sayap-sayap itu,
Tak tahu bagaimana caranya terbang,
Tak tahu kecemasan-kecemasanku yang telah hilang.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
What do we serve?
The human being has two purposes in life: one is to develop his or her creative expression to the utmost, and the other is to put that in the service of something greater than him or herself.
We are always serving something or someone. So what do we serve? Is it that tyrant within ourselves?
We are always serving something or someone. So what do we serve? Is it that tyrant within ourselves?
Pertolongan Tuhan
Pertolongan sentiasa diberikan kepada manusia. Kita senantiasa dikelilingi dengan pertolongan dari Tuhan. Persoalannya sekarang adalah: kemampuan kita untuk menyedarinya; kerana ketika ia tidak diketahui, tak banyak gunanya.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
The Wisdom of Ibrâhîm ibn Adham
A man came to Ibrâhîm ibn Adham, may Allâh be pleased with him, and said, “Abû Ishâq, I am unable to control my lower self. Please give me something to help me with it.”
“If you accept five conditions,” said Ibrâhîm, “and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem.”
“Just tell me what they are, Abû Ishâq!” the man said.
“The first is that when you want to disobey Allâh you do not eat anything He provides.”
“Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!”
“So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?” replied Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the second condition?”
“When you want to disobey him, move off His land.”
“That is even more difficult!” Exclaimed the man. “In that case where will I live?”
“Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?” asked Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the third condition?”
“When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there.”
“What do you mean, Ibrâhîm? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!”
“So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?”
“It certainly is not!” the man replied. “Tell me the fourth condition.”
“That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, ‘Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allâh.’”
“But he won’t listen to me!”
“Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?”
“What is the fifth?”
“That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.”
“They will take me whether I like it or not!” exclaimed the man.
“So how can you hope to be saved?”
“Enough, enough, Ibrâhîm! I ask Allâh’s forgiveness and I turn to Him!”
The man’s repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died.
“If you accept five conditions,” said Ibrâhîm, “and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem.”
“Just tell me what they are, Abû Ishâq!” the man said.
“The first is that when you want to disobey Allâh you do not eat anything He provides.”
“Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!”
“So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?” replied Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the second condition?”
“When you want to disobey him, move off His land.”
“That is even more difficult!” Exclaimed the man. “In that case where will I live?”
“Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?” asked Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the third condition?”
“When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there.”
“What do you mean, Ibrâhîm? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!”
“So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?”
“It certainly is not!” the man replied. “Tell me the fourth condition.”
“That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, ‘Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allâh.’”
“But he won’t listen to me!”
“Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?”
“What is the fifth?”
“That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.”
“They will take me whether I like it or not!” exclaimed the man.
“So how can you hope to be saved?”
“Enough, enough, Ibrâhîm! I ask Allâh’s forgiveness and I turn to Him!”
The man’s repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Where is the truth?
The man who lies to others has merely hidden away the truth,
but the man who lies to himself has forgotten where he put it.
-- old Arab proverb
but the man who lies to himself has forgotten where he put it.
-- old Arab proverb
Our True Self
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
- Teilhard de Chardan
- Teilhard de Chardan