Inspirations and Creative Thoughts

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Call for Submission | Sufi Poetry Carnival | 2nd Edition: 'Knocking from In
2008-07-07 15:16:00
1. HistoryLast year end of May, Sadiq Alam and Tiel Aisha Ansari jointly hosted the 1st Edition of Online Sufi Poetry Carnival . The idea of a Blog Carnival is a collection of blog posts/ site links on a specific subject/ theme.We are happy to announce that the 2nd Online Sufi Poetry Carnival will be jointly hosted at Inspirations and Creative Thoughts, Courts of Lions and Abdur Rahman's Corner sites on August 7th, 2008.2. ThemeThe past round's theme was "Celebrating Divine Love" and this time around it is "Knocking from Inside".Sufi Dervishes are people who live at the threshold of this world and the next, between the visible world and the unseen realm. The truest and deepest expressions of sufi poetry arrive from lived experiences within and it's the ecstasy of soul that knocks from inside on the door of our external world. Daniel Abdal Hayy Moore once expressed: "the province of poetry is a private ecstasy made public."On the idea of "Knocking from Inside" Rumi says (translated...
More About: Sufi poetry , Submission

Who do you really love? | Dara Shayda
2008-07-06 16:06:00
1.Imagine a man trapped in a rocket traveling the dark outer space since birth. One day suddenly he reads the rocket?s controls recording a terrific ?pull? towards something green, which is a large forest visible from the orbit of the earth.In the remaining few minutes the astronaut tries to figure out what is happening. Suddenly the controls have read a powerful force gripping all within the ship and when the astronaut peaks out the windows all he sees is a green forest. Therefore the only viable conclusion: 'The origin of the force is the trees of the forest.'The rocket with much force crashes upon the trees and the astronaut in the remaining few seconds of his life is fully assured - to the point of certainty - that the source of this pull were indeed the trees especially since he is dying amidst their branches! Obviously we know that the force came from something invisible, the gravitational pull of the particles of the earth and not just the trees.In much similar fashion, we ...
More About: Love

already within the Kingdom
2008-07-06 05:49:00
adam and eve's lost children,every moment -ten thousands splits in mindyou do create.how can youclaim to be in union,if all you believe inis separation?in the mirror of yourpure white buddha mind,only if you could seefor a moment -the wholeness of Divine grace,in full glory Christ-breathwould resurrect again - within,at this very moment.the sufis know the secret:'the end is presentat the beginning.'all your fantasies about 'end times'are happening right here, right now.know o lost heart,'that which is not an illusion',is already within the Kingdom .there is an open invitationto be there - within.(c) MysticSaintJuly 01, 2008Boulder, Colorado
More About: The Kingdom

Shaykha Fariha at Boulder | Zikrs of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Dervishes
2008-07-05 01:22:00
1.Its a great honor and privilege really that Shaykha Fariha al-Jerrahi, master for Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order, is scheduled to be in Boulder this coming 20th July to lead Sufi Zikr or Divine Remembrance.The Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order is a community of dervishes within the Halveti-Jerrahi Tariqat, in the lineage and spirit of Sheikh Muzaffer Ashki al-Jerrahi and Sheikh Nur al-Anwar al-Jerrahi, may God sanctify their souls..: About the Program: Remembrance through chant, poetry, movement..: Date: Sunday, July 20th at 4 pm..: Place: Boulder, Colorado at Naropa, Arapahoe Campus (21st and Arapahoe) in PAC (Performing Arts Center) Auditorium with Shaykha Fariha and the Boulder dervishes. check via google map.Invitation: Our planet is in crisis due primarily to our belief in separation. There is a great need for human consciousness to undergo a transformation that will allow us to express our oneness with all that is. The Sufi path is one of love for the sacred nature of life. All Lo...

Independence Day | only freedom can work such miracles
2008-07-04 17:31:00
Excerpt from a Romaninan newspaper, Evenimentulzilei article, called "Ode to America," written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu. via God, Faith and a Pen blog of Dr. Hesham Hassaballa. ~ An Ode to America ~"Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about. Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as ...
More About: Freedom , Work , Independence , Miracles , Independence Day

a gentle rain or, a mighty flood of illumination
2008-07-03 18:47:00
1.Now no soul knoweth what delight of the eyes are kept secret in reserve, as a reward for the beautiful works they used to do!- The Quran 32.17Creativity (is) Where the Divine and the Human Meet.- Matthew Fox2.Mystical, or if you will, "spiritual" art does not come unbidden, rather it is a choice the artist makes. To make him/herself available and open to the motivating grace.... it is often more difficult than "conventional" art. One can be utterly aflame with the need to DO and be physically drained by the power of it. God is often not gentle with artists, but a deluge of light and love that challenges even the brave.It should be remembered, that all form is only the light that makes up all things. All we see is light, as light is the source of all sight. The same would be true of music and writing also. A gentle rain or a mighty flood of illumination. As the Beloved wills.- Michael Zulli, artist and darvish at heart. comment from the post: The Sacred Meaning of Mystical Expres...
More About: Rain , Mighty , Gentle , Flood

the phantom 'i' and Real "I"
2008-07-02 16:16:00
1.one of the most common thread among mysticism of all traditions from ancient religion of Indus valley (or hinduism) to islamic mystic school of tasawwuf or sufism is the enlightenment and realization of the questions: Who is the Real Doer, Who is the Real "I", Real Being?in the islamic mysticism, the deepest core of mysteries revolve around the question of our identification of self (Nafs) and its illusory nature. gnostics of all ages ultimately arrived at the enlightenment of heart where it was show to them that our individual "i" is a phantom, is a great veil. Gautama Buddha's 'Nibban' (in original pali language) or 'Nirvana', literally meaning Passing Away nevertheless addresses the same reality.O, friend! Nobody veils you, but yourself.In your path there is no thorn or weed, but yourself.You asked: shall I reach the beloved or not?Between you and the beloved there is nobody, but yourself.- Awhadoddin KermaniYou do not have to struggle to reach God,but you do have to stru...
More About: Phantom

The Escape from Darkness
2008-07-02 11:02:00
And whosoever withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Universally Merciful One, We assign for a devil who becomes his comrade. And lo! they surely turn them from the Path, and yet they deem that they are rightly guided;At length, when such a one returns, he says: O would that between me and you there were the distance of the East and the West; an evil comrade!When you have done wrong, it will avail you nothing, that Day, that you shall be partners in the doom!What! can you then make the spiritually deaf to hear or guide the blind in spirit and him who is in manifest error?- Quran, The Final Testament, chapter Az-Zukhruf, The Luxury, 43:36-40Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but He sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beg...
More About: Escape , Darkness

Story of Wisdom from Sufi Master Bawa Muhaiyaddeen | Acknowledging the Real
2008-07-01 09:12:00
1.There was a wise man, a great Sufi gnäni (gnostic) who had attained an exalted state. But one day the thought came to him, "Whatever may happen to anyone, I will protect them. I will help them."Now for many years satan had tried to trip him up but never succeeded. However, the day this thought entered the gnäni's mind, satan saw his opportunity and rejoiced, "Oh ho! Now I can finally get this man." So satan clapped his hands and called for his companions.All the satans gathered in readiness. "Why did you call us? What do you want us to do?""This is our chance to catch one of our enemies, a Sufi's gnäni named Ahamad. I want you to change into a snake with fangs containing a very potent poison made from all eight kinds of evil poisons from the eight directions. With this poison in your fangs you must go to the Sufi's gnäni and say, 'O Ahamad Kabïr, I am in danger. Protect me, take care of me.'"He will tell you, 'I will take care of you. I will protect you.'"Then say to him, ...
More About: Story , Wisdom , Real , Master

glad tidings
2008-06-30 06:18:00
in the secret garden.......of yours,......while kneelingbefore the rose,you beheld the luminous emptiness.bewildered,......you tastethe fragrance.......arrivingfrom essence of the Essence.someone iscalling your name...... somewhere.a turkish robinsings the glad tidings:..... here! here!(c) MysticSaintJune 29, 2008+ dedicated to friend and artist, Michael Zulliart collage: Sadiqkneeling before the rosedigital mixed media
More About: Glad

The Sacred Meaning of Mystical Expressionism, Art and Beauty
2008-06-29 15:51:00
( art. wild birds. by Zed )1.Lo! Indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with beauty ...- The Quran 37:06Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovelyis made for the eye of one who sees.- Rumi, Mathnawi I:2383The nature of creation is that it is progressing always towards beauty. 'God is beautiful, and He loves beauty', says the Prophetic tradition. The nature of the body is to beautify itself; the nature of the mind is to have beautiful thoughts; the longing of the heart is for beautiful feelings. - Sufi Master Inayat KhanAllah, Al-Musawwir God, The Shaper of Beauty , The Fashioner, The Grand ArtistAllah, Al-Bari' God, The Maker of Order, The Maker from NothingHe... creates every thing and determines its nature in accordance with His own design. - The Quran 25:22.The goal of the practice of mysticism is contact with the Divine through various meditative and spiritual disciplines. In mystical painting, the artist cultivates a meditative state clear from thought, ima...
More About: Meaning , Sacred , Mystical

keeper of a laughing heart
2008-06-28 19:35:00
in keepinga laughing heart,the elect onesaffect their quality of being.when you can do that, lo!you have perfectedthe highest art of being already.becomethe keeperof a laughing heart!(c) MysticSaintthe esoteric law of mirroring promises this simple spiritual truth: the moments when we become the keeper of a laughing heart, life and everything in our personal universe laugh back at us. the challenge is to sustain those moments and expanding it in whole of life to the extent that it becomes integral element of our being.in far eastern buddhist iconography the archetypal spiritual figure of keeper of a laughing heart is the image of laughing buddha. inside all of us we carry a laughing buddha too. when we become the keeper of a laughing heart, we are already manifesting the laughing buddha within. may your laughing buddha be-come too!. Image of his holiness Neem Karoli Baba, the one who embodied a laughing heart in his whole of being. may God sanctify his soul.. Neem Karoli Baba
More About: Heart , Keeper , Laughing

arrival of majestic presence
2008-06-27 11:22:00
Beloved o' mine, arrival of Thine majestic presence in the heart-space dims all stars, sun and moon in cosmic-space. all false pride give away, all illusions return to nothing, my whole body and spirit starts singing like a single instrument string. rising an indescribable bliss in the nectar of my being! lo! all flowers in my garden gather at Thine feet, O Beloved. my eyes remain still, nothing else in this world are worthy; amidst my heart-space, all i see is Glory of Thine Beauty. O King of the infinite! in my heart-space blessed be Thy Presence . (c) mysticsaint 27 June, '08 Los Angeles, CA Inspired by Tagore's song, titled: Maharaj eki shaje, ele hridoyo puro majhe (in Bangla) [>] Listen to the song here via Imeem God declares: "Neither My heaven nor My earth could contain Me, but the pristine, humble heart of My believing servants can contain Me." - sacred saying mentioned by Al-Ghazali in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din. "Truly, God has vessels from amongst the people of the ...

Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis
2008-06-27 02:37:00
In the Name of the Transcendent, the Holy Jesus , as a Prophet of God, manifested the human qualities of sincerity, purity, love and charity. Prophet Muhammad always referred to him as a brother and Quran makes repeated mention of him with the highest praise. The Sufis have attempted to preserve the memory of Jesus as he really was, alive in their minds, and in the minds of others, and to keep him in their hearts. In Sufi literature, Jesus is the paragon of a perfect human being and the example par excellence of a true master. Throughout the centuries, the master of sufism presented him as a perfect sufi. The hermitage of Jesus .... Is the Sufi's table spread; Take heed, o sick one, .... Never forsake this doorway. - Rumi, Mathnawi :: The Spiritual Station of Jesus The gnostics amongst the Sufis distinguished four kinds of sainthood (welayat, literally means friendship with God): 1. that which is the inner dimension of prophethood (nabowwat). 2. that which is confined to (moqayya...
More About: Eyes

Vision of Christ | Sharing of Sacred Experience
2008-06-25 21:00:00
1.I had a vision just as I was awakening several years ago. Jesus was standing before me, and I stood in front of him trying to take the vision in and comprehend what I was seeing. It was that mystical time between sleeping and waking, before I am completely awake. Jesus was wearing the crown of thorns, and there were drops of blood on his forehead where the thorns were piercing his skin.I reached up to touch him, to feel the blood on his skin, and it was warm and real. I asked him if it is painful all the time. He told me that it was not painful, not anymore, because he was lifted beyond it. We didn't speak aloud, but it was communicated telepathically, in that I knew his thoughts and answers, and he knew mine. It was the communion of love.Since he was more than just the physical body, I asked if it would be possible if I could look through his eyes to see what he sees. He told me that I could do that. I was to direct my vision and thought to move inside his form and image, and...
More About: Experience , Christ , Vision , Sharing , Sacred

the sudden awakening you can't help
2008-06-24 18:43:00
a baby giraffeenters the world.from six feet abovedropped to the ground.existence just found!from dark womb worldto realm of bright light.it can't helpsudden awakening!the zen masterwith closed eyesannounces slowly:S a t o r i.the sudden awakeninghas got nor e s i s t a n c e.either it drops on youor you drop on it,by complete (paradoxical) chance.(c) MysticSaintDenver Int'l AirportJune 24, 2008Trivia: Mother giraffe often gives birth while standing so that the newborn's first experience outside the womb is a 6 feet drop! In the birthing process, the embryonic sack usually bursts when the baby falls to the ground.Satori is a Japanese word used in Zen Buddhism for the phenomenon of Sudden Awakening , that Place where the distinction between Experiencer and experience, Knower and known, is erased, and the separative sense of personal self ("I am me, and you aren't") is extinguished. A similar word Kensho is also cited in Zen to signify the experience of awakening or of self-realiza...

Love Thine Enemies
2008-06-23 11:10:00
1.Love thine enemiesbecausethey are the instrumentsof your destiny.- Joseph Campbell2.a good friend of mine recently shared the following insight which probably has the same theme about people whom we consider an obstruction, shadows, enemies, not-friendly in our life adventure; think again, who they really are for you... my friend wrote:The author of ?eat, pray, love? (elizabeth gilbert) on Oprah was talking about one of her life-changing realisations, regarding the concept of a soul-mate. She mentioned very ?really? that her expectations were biased by what she had seen in movies and read from books, as someone who is alike to you as they complete your sentences and bring mostly joys. Yet a soul-mate is really someone who acts as a mirror of your good and bad? someone who enables you to grow from that. It can be someone volatile and quite temporary in your life she said.sometime we are at a stage of our life, where some of our worst habits / weakness that have been our sole burd...
More About: Enemies

God's Benevolence and Severity | Being mindful of both
2008-06-22 19:40:00
Man 'ashiq-e lutf o qahrash bi-jedd;ay 'ajab man 'ashiq-i een har do zedd.I am a lover of His Benevolence and Severity;it's amazing that I am loving these opposites.- RumiIt is admittedly difficult to taste the rahma (mercy) lying within the core of the fruit of God's anger (ghadab/ghazab) or severity. So we seek refuge in the Sustainer of humanity, the Possessor of humanity, the God of humanity (Rabb in-nass, Malik in-nass, Ilah-in-nass), remembering that His mercy outstrips and is in fact the foreground for His severity (sabaqat rahmati ghadabi), remembering to seek refuge as did the Prophet Muhammad, may God's mercy be upon him, in God from God (audhu bi-ka min-ka).- a precious comment made by 'Abd al-Haqq (Dr. Alan A. Godlas), may God be pleased with him, in Sufis without Borders Yahoo Group.... I the Lord, your God Am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject Me, but showing steadfast benev...

Approach to an Unknown God: Religion collapses back into Mysticism | Sanctu
2008-06-21 11:40:00
1.Eli, Eli,lama sabachthani?- Jesus Christ at the Cross at ninth hour, Matthew 27:46My God , My God, why have You veiled YourSelf (from me)?- a mystical interpretation of mysticsaint2.In the end, religion collapses back into mysticism as it recognizes that after we have said all we can say about God, we are still surrounded by an imprenetrable silence. Thomas Aquinas devoted his most rigorous thinking to trying to establish how we could speak about God based on analogies taken from human experiences.But after our minds have erected the ladder of analogy as high as possible toward God, he concludes, "we remained joined to Him as to One Unknown ." Augustine, after writing endless words trying to explain the Trinity, admitted in the end, "I only write in order not to be silent."Mysticism counsels us to follow the via negativa, to honor the infinite distance that separate the finite and the infinite, to live within "the clouds of the unknowing" (Jacob Boehme), to respect the silence of th...
More About: Religion , Back

Shams of Tabriz | Spiritual Portrait
2008-06-20 00:41:00
Shams of Tabriz: A Fire of Roses by Zedmedium: graphite1.The extra-ordinary spiritual portrait of Shams is by artist and darvish, Zed. During the birthing process of the painting, the artists heart was open to Shams e Tabriz's spirit-guidance. It is not simply a portrait, but embodies a higher meditative quality of the boundless spirit of Shams, the mad lover of God. (for larger version of the art, click on the picture above)My deep appreciation to Zed for sharing this beautiful art work of heart. May your path and work continue to be guided and blessed.2.If everyone could see what love is,each would set up a tentpole in the ocean.The world's population pitched and livingeasily within the sea!What if inside every lover's tear you saw the faceof the Friend: Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha,the impossible-possible philosopher,the glass diamond one, Shams Tabriz?- Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks3.Show me the way to the Ocean!Break these half-measures,these small containers.Let my house be ...
More About: Spiritual , Portrait

Meetings with Remarkable Men | Gurdjieff's Search for Hidden Knowledge
2008-06-19 09:56:00
In 1920, an unknown man appeared in Europe having lived through some extraordinary experiences in the East. His name was George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff.Meetings with Remarkable Men is the story of his early years. It is the second volume of the All and Everything trilogy, as well as Gurdjieff's personal autobiography, originally published in 1963.The book takes the form of Gurdjieff's reminiscences about various "remarkable men" that he has met, beginning with his father. They include the Armenian priest Pogossian; his friend Soloviev, Prince Lubovedsky, a Russian prince with metaphysical interests, and a couple of others. In the course of describing these characters, Gurdjieff weaves their stories into the story of his own travels, and also into an overarching narrative which has them cooperate in locating spiritual texts and/or masters in various lands (mostly Central Asia). Gurdjieff calls this group the "Seekers of Truth".Gurdjieff's referring to Sufis by the term "Seekers of Tr...
More About: Search , Knowledge , Hidden

Sacred Movement of Gurdjieff
2008-06-18 11:22:00
1.G. I. Gurdjieff (Jan 13, 1866 - Oct 29, 1949), the brilliant spiritual master and mystic developed the sacred movement based on ancient temples (sufi tekkes or lodges) dances he witnessed in Central Asia among Sufis whom he called Seekers of Truth. Gurdjieff took the sufi movements to a new height by incorporating principles of cosmic law which he discovered in his extensive spiritual searches throughout Asia and the Middle East."Imagine that in studying the laws of movement of the celestial bodies, let us say the planets of the solar system, you have constructed a special mechanism for the representation and recording of these laws. In this mechanism every planet is represented by a sphere of appropriate size and is placed at a strictly determined distance from the central sphere, which stands for the sun. You set the mechanism in motion, and all the spheres begin to turn and move in definite paths, reproducing in a lifelike way the laws which govern their movements. This mechani...
More About: Sacred

Time to live now, Shams meant
2008-06-16 22:45:00
Rumi the poet was a scholar also.But Shams, his friend, was an angel.By which I don't mean anything patient or sweet.When I read how he took Rumi's books and threw theminto the duck pond,I shouted for joy.Time to live now,Shams meant.I see him, turning awaycasually toward the road, Rumi following, the booksfloating and sinking among the screeching ducks,oh, beautiful book-eating pond!- from Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award winner poet, Mary Oliver's book 'What Do We Know: Poems and Prose Poems'.: graphics collage: Rumi, Shams and Drowned Bookby sadiq, inspired by Mary Oliver's poem
More About: Live

Body as Mirror of the Soul
2008-06-16 00:01:00
1.A sacrament is a visible sign of invisible grace. The body is a sacrament.All our inner life and intimacy of soul longs to find an outer mirror. It longs for a form in which it can be seen, felt and touched. The body is the mirror where the secret world of the soul comes to expression.The body is a sacred threshold; ... this sense of the body is wonderfully expressed in an amazing phrase from the Catholic tradition: The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. To describe the human body as the temple of the Holy Spirit recognizes that the body is suffused with wild and vital divinity. This theological insight shows that the sensuous is sacred in the deepest sense.The body is your only home in the universe. It is your house of belonging here in the world. It is a very sacred temple. To spend time in silence before the mystery of your body brings you toward wisdom and holiness.We should avoid the false dualism that separate the soul from the body. The soul is NOT simply within the bod...
More About: Body , Soul , Mirror

give yourself up without regret | meditative Rumi
2008-06-13 18:50:00
listen, o drop,give yourself up without regret,and in exchange gain the OCEAN.listen, o drop,bestow upon yourself the honor,and in the arms of the SEA be secure.who indeed should be so fortunate?an ocean wooing a dropin GOD'S NAME, IN GOD'S NAME,SELL AND BUY AT ONCE!give a drop,and take this SEA full of pearls.- Rumi may God bestow upon us, the sleeping ones, the blessed realization of Mevlana Rumi, connect us with his spiritual haal (hate) and bless his soul. may we all taste what it means to give up the drop and gain the OCEAN - Hu Allah. La ilaha illaAllah.Balaa man 'aslama wajha-huu lillahiwa huwa muhsinunfalahuuu 'ajruhuu 'inda RabbihWa laa khawfun 'alayhimwa laa hum yahzanuun.Nay, but whosoever gives up his own desireswhile serving God and does good acts,his reward is with his Lord;They shall have no fearsAnd neither shall they grieve.-- Qur'an 2:112.: photo credit via flickr
More About: Give , Regret , Meditative

on politeness | a sufi story
2008-06-12 15:58:00
This true story is from my guide Sidi mentioned in his eloquent book, Music of the Soul. Sidi's full name is Muhammad Sa'id al-Jamal ar-Rifai as-Shadhuli. He is the Head of the Higher Sufi Council in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. He is also teacher at the Holy mosques at al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.This story is from the time when he was with his own guide, Sidi ?Abd ar-Rahman, may God be pleased with them both, in Damascus at zawiyya or sufi lodge. 1.There was a troublesome man there, everyday who would throw stones at the zawiyya. This was an old man and each time the incident of stone throwing happened, Sidi's guide would say, "Send him mercy. If he wants food, give him food. If he wants clothes, give him clothes. If he wants money, give him money. Give him what he wants."When Sidi according to the advice of his guide provided him, he would gather his sons and would throw more stones at the zawiyya.Sidi asked, "What is the wisdom?" Then he would further go to this old man and gave him...
More About: Story

bless the space between the hearts
2008-06-11 20:55:00
words rising from mindstimulate and openknowing in new ways,but know, o lost traveler!words given birth from heartarrive like a zen arrowfrom bow drawn backby hands of angelsthat lets an arrow flyclosing the gap betweenone heart and another,blessing the space between.when you feel the blessinglike that,lift your hands, o friend!and hold them over your heart,witness love'svibrating essence.let go of all self-seeking in lovebut hold fast to heart's longingthat summons the purity of divine lovethrough forms and faces.behold the secret!right there,right there it isthe highest creativity,the deepest capabilityin this human form.what else could you ever dothat flows so beautifullybetween hearts given to Godthan to treasure theseprecious moments.o drunk lovers!ask no more,ask nothing else,but ask to bless -the spacebetween the hearts.(c) Naomi and Sadiq.: art credit. Michael Green's illuminated rumi prints
More About: Space , Hearts

assembly of remembrance | zikr
2008-06-10 09:54:00
No assembly ever meets to remember Allah which is not attended by the Angels and not covered by Allah's Mercy and where Allah the Almighty does not remember those among them who are close to Him.- saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon himAbove is a hadith or islamic tradition, along with inspiring Quranic verses on remembrance of God, are the basis of the assembly of remembrance or zikr (also written as dhikr) practice as preserved by the sufis, gnostics and also by muslims who don't necessarily call themselves sufi.Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of God and of the Truth which has been revealed .. - The Quran 57:16And remember God in abundance that you may be successful.- The Quran 62:10... and certainly the repeated remembrance (Zikr ) of God is the greatest. - The Quran 29:45The sacred tradition of assembly of remembrance was also practiced by Jesus Christ, son of Mary, with his holy ...
More About: Assembly , Remembrance

Gathered Memory | the spiritual wisdom of Hafez
2008-06-09 16:36:00
So long as on Earth you live,do value your strength;the wheel of life buriesall weakness in the end.In the school of transformation, in the tavern of alchemy, each seeker has its own course, unique pathway. Still, there are one curriculum common to all of humanity, past and present ... is what mystic philosopher and sufi master Hafez calls, Khater-e-Majmou, the Gathered Memory .The gathered memory is a condition of unity created by weaving disparate thoughts, emotions and personalities into one sharply focused images. It emerges both from within and without, arising in each person as the world of both one's self and one's double - that ancient metaphysical shadow being that is said to be an image of the self as it appears in the spirit world.You sometimes may experience gathered memory as completely relaxed composure. It is a peaceful state obtained through a momentary, yet complete flash of aggregate memory. You know who you are, where you've come from and who and what you are re...
More About: Spiritual , Wisdom

Reincarnation | Islamic Perspective | part.2
2008-06-08 01:09:00
1. Beyond our historical mindOne of the challenges of human mind is that its often caught in historical mind. That also explains, whenever an enlightened person, a new prophet arrived, a new concept was put forward, masses are caught in their historical mind frame and fail to see the truth, fail to think outside the box and the ignorance sometime turn into arrogance. "Alas for My servants, there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him". - The Quran 36 :31When it comes to bridging the universal truth found in different religions in all of humanity, its again the historical mind that blocks us to even be ready to listen, let alone realize. For thousands of years, all religion has trained systematically to reject spiritual truths, just because its found or pre-exist in another faith tradition, ignoring the universality of the truth.When it comes to the idea of Reincarnation, if we are talking about spirit entering and re-entering the flesh, then the very concept is always th...
More About: Islamic , Part , Perspective