Desire end?

THE KASHKUL
From Idries Shah's 'Wisdom of the Idiots'

It is related that a dervish once stopped a king in the street. The king said: 'How dare you, a man of no account, interrupt the progress of your sovereign?'
The dervish answered:
'Can you be a sovereign if you can not even fill my kashkul, the begging bowl?'
He held out his bowl, and the king ordered it to be filled with gold.
But, no sooner was the bowl seen to be full of coins than they disappeared, and the bowl seemed to be empty again.
Sack after sack of gold was brought, and still the amazing bowl devoured coins.
'Stop!' shouted the king, 'for this trickster is emptying my treasury!'
"To you I am emptying your treasury,' said the dervish, 'but to others I am merely illustrating a truth.'
'And the truth?' asked the king.
'The truth is that, the bowl is the desires of man, and the gold what man is given. There is no end to man's capacity to devour, without being in any way changed. See the bowl has eaten nearly all your wealth, but it is still a carved sea-coconut, and has not partaken of the nature of gold in any respect.
'If you care,' continued the dervish, 'to step into this bowl, it will devour you, too. How can a king, then, hold himself as being of any account?'

Silence

Abu Said Abul-Khair's Poetry

How much longer?
Chiseling and polishing the words
How much longer?
Your scattered arrows missing the target
If you have ever read
A single page from the book of silence
Much you had laughed
At the vanity of what was said and heard

http://www.untiredwithloving.org/abulkair.html



Qoshairi Manifest

(Poetry)

While we are apart I think about what to say
Solidifying the reasoning behind every word
I forgot everything when we are face to face
In our conversation talking nonsense all over
(When the Sufi is afar from his Beloved he thinks about many things to say but once facing slight gesture of the Divine Presence Sufi is lost, wordless & bedazzled)

***

(Poetry)

I see how the words adorn you my young lad
Silence proffers him much once he is quiet
Words & conversations bring so many deaths
So the speakers wish they would have been silent

***

(Some selected text)

Some person said, "Silence is the language of wisdom".

Another person said, "Learn Silence as you learned speech, so that if the words show you the way (towards evil?) the Silence shall stop you".

People said, "Virtuousness, continence and abstinence are the language of the Silence. Indeed the tongue is similar to the wild savage beasts if you do not bind them they will attack you immediately."

http://www.untiredwithloving.org/qoshairi_10_silence.html

Knowledge of Sincerity III

THE SUFI AND THE TALE OF HALAKU
(taken from Idries Shah's book, 'Wisdom of the Idiots',)

A sufi teacher was visited by a number of people of various faiths who said to him:
'Accept us as your disciple, for we see that there is no remaining truth in our religions, and we are certain that your are teaching is the one true path.'
The Sufi said:
'Have you not heard of the Mongol Halaku Khan and his invasion of Syria? Let me tell you. The Vizier Ahmad of the Caliph Mustasim of Baghdad invited the Mongol to invade his master's domains. When Halaku had won the battle for Baghdad, Ahmad went out to meet him, to be rewarded. Halaku said: "Do you seek your recompense?" and the Vizier answered, "Yess".
'Halaku told him:
' "You have betrayed your own master to me, and yet you expect me to believe that you will be faithful to me."
He ordered that Ahmad should be hanged.
'Before you ask any one to accept you, ask yourself whether it is not simply because you have not followed the path of your own teacher. If you are satisfied about this, then come and ask to become disciple.'

Knowledge of Sincerity II

THE COOK'S ASISTANT
(taken from Idries Shah's book, 'Wisdom of the Idiots',)

A certain famous, well-liked and influential merchant came to Bahaudin Naqshband. He said, in open assembly:
'I have come to offer my submission to you and to your teaching, and beg you to accept me as your disciple.'
Bahaudin asked him:
'Why do you believe that you are able to profit by the teaching?'
The merchant replied:
'Everything that I have known and loved in the poetry and the teaching of the ancients, as recorded in their books, I find in you. Everything the other Sufi teachers preach, extol and report from the Wise Ones I find in actuality in you, and not in completeness and perfection with them. I regard you as at one with the great ones, for I can discern the aroma of Truth in you and in everything connected with you.'
Bahaudin told the man to withdraw, saying that he would give him a decision as to his acceptibility in due time.
After six months, Bahaudin called the merchant to him, and said:
'Are you prepared to appear publically with me in an interchange?'
He answered:
'Yes, by my head and eyes.'
When a morning meeting was in progress, Bahaudin called the other man from the cirle and had him sit beside him. To the hearers he said:
'This is so-and-so, the distinguishable King of Merchants of the city. Six months ago he came here and believed that he could discern the aroma of truth in everything connected with me.'
The merchant said:
'This period of trail and seperation, this six months without the glimpse of the Teacher, this exile, has caused me to plunge even more deeply into the classics, so that I could at least maintain some relationship with him whom I wish to serve, Bahaudin El-Shah, himself visibly identical with the great Ones.'
Bahaudin said:
'Six months have passed since you were last here. You have not been idle: you have been working in your shop, and you have been studying the lives of the Great Sufis. You could, however, have been studying me, whom you regard as identifiably one with the Knowers of the past, for I have been, twice a week in your shop. uring this six months during which we "have not been in contact", I have been forty-eight times in your shop. Many of those occasions passed with my making some kind of transaction with you, buying or selling merchandise. Because of the goods and because of a simple change of dress and appearence, you did not recognise me. Is this "discerning the aroma of truth"?'
The other man remained silent.
Bahaudin continued:
'When you come near to the man whom others call "Bahaudin", you can feel that he is the truth. When you meet the man who calls himself the merchant Khaja Alavi (one of Bahaudin's pseudonyms) you can not discern the aroma of truth from that which connected with Alavi. You find perceptibly in Naqshband only hat others preach and themselves are not. In Alavi you do not find what the Wise are but do not appear to be. The poetry and the teaching to which you have referred is an outward menifestation. You feed on outward manifestation. Do not, please, give that the name of spirituality.'
This merchant was Mahsud Nadimzada, later a famous saint, who became a disciple of Bahaudin's after he had submitted to studying under cook of the Khanqa, who was quite unintstructed in poetry, spiritual talk or exercises.
He once said:
'If I had not studies what I imagined to be a spiritual path, I would not have had to forget the numerous errors and superficialities which Khalifa-Ashpaz (the cook) burned out of me by ignoring my pretensions.'

Knowledge of Sincerity

THE BOOK IN TURKI
(taken from Idries Shah's book, 'Wisdom of the Idiots',)

A would-be disciple went to Bahaudin.
The master was sorrounded by thirty of his students,
in a garden, after dinner.
The new comer said:
'I wish to serve you.'
Bahaudin answered:
'You can best serve me by reading my Risalat (Letters).'
'I have already done so.' said the newcomer.
'if you have done so in reality and not in appearance,
you would not have approached me in this manner.,' said
Bahaudin.
He continued:
'Why do you think that you are able to learn?'
'I am ready to study with you.'
Bahaudin said:
'Let the most junior Murid (disciple) stand up.'
Anwari, who was sixteen years of his age, rose to feet.
'How long have you been with us?' asked El-Shah.
'Three weeks, O Murshid.'
'Have I taught you anything?'
'I do not know'
'Do you think so?'
'I do not think so.'
Bahaudin said to him:
'In this newcomer's satchel you will find a book of
poems. Take it in your hand and recite the entire
contents without mistake and without even opening it.'
Anwari found the book. He did not open it, but said:
'I fear that it is in Turki.'
Bahaudin said:
'Recite it!'
Anwari did so, and as he finished the stranger became
more and more affected by his wonder -- a book being
read without being opened by some one who did not
know Turki.
Falling at the feet of Bahaudin, He begged to be
admitted to the circle.
Bahaudin said:
'It is the kind of phenomenon which attracts you --
while it still does, you can not really benefit from it. That
is why, even if you have read my Risalat (Risalaat /رسالات) , you have not
really read it.'
'Come back,' he continued, 'when you have read it as
this beardless boy has read it. It was only such study that
gave him the power to recite from a book which he had
not opened, and at the same time prevented him from grovelling in wonderment at the event.'

Purpose of Life

What is the purpose of life..


there are many views like:


*obeying religion.. (wrote-learning.. no practice?)
*eating eggs.. (how many eggs to be eaten in a day.. how long?)
*loving & taking pitty.. (how many hours there longs love within 24 hours?)
*a best-seller novelist says: it is a Pilgrimage (obscure answer?)




Now I tell you the three interviews which best explain each other

(1)

*an Islamic religious scholar says: it is to serve the Lord, which includes both religious practices and caring others (ok, this answer is good for shaping the society)..
he didn't explain more because he had to go to see his guest. he left



(2)


*I met a drunkard dervesh and asked him: "what is the purpose of life?"
he recites a she'r:
taskeer-e-kaa'inaat k haseen jurm per
khud bhi haNsta hoga yazdaaN kabhi kabhi
(on the beautiful crime of creating the universe..
God himself would certainly have been laughing at)
then he said: Be the part of the creation
i asked: do you mean as if we have come in this world for nothing.. without any purpose.. just come and go..
he got angry and replied: Mr! why doesn't your mind accept such a minute fact like this.. i've told you "just become part of the creation.. live.. engoy.."
Then he explained nothing more about this.. (His answer has some weight but still incomplete and obscure)


(3)


I met a Simple Black Man with a sacred heart and asked: "What is the purpose of the life?"
He said: "Just to come and go"
I asked: "it can be a good 'meaning' of life, than being it's 'purpose' "
He said: No, it is purpose of life. Death is purpose of life..
He explained more: A soul come in this world, lives and then at last tastes the taste of death. Similarly, a soul came to this world for one minute and then departs. What do you say about it's purpose? it's purpose is Death. it is better than many souls who have not come in this world..
I asked: It is just as if you are sitting now in Islamabad city, and you take bus and leave for Lahore city (World), you stay there for 1 minute(Life) and then come back(Death). According to your theory: you left for Lahore just to come back .. it seems rubbish & useless .. you left just for coming back!!
He was listening quitefully. After a pause, I started again
We can find "purpose" of that 1 minute by reviewing what you gained or lost in that 1 minute. You gained or lost nothing.
Still there is one way.. if we add a new character in the example.. the new character is that of "Master".
Your master ordered you to go, stay for 1 minute, and then come back. You did nothing but one thing and that is to fulfil the order of your Lord (Allah).
but here a question arisese, for what purpose the Lord ordered you to go and come back.
He replied: to show his supremacy! (his grandeur)

"Purpose of life is to come and leave, to fulfil the word of Lord, to show His Supremacy"

Note: This was about purpose of life, not purpose of human beings, which is yet to be discussed.

(Research in progress)~

A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
Suddenly
(yet somehow unexpected)
he arrived
the guest...
the heart trembling
"Who's there?"
and soul responding
"The Moon..."

came into the house
and we lunatics
ran into the street
stared up
looking
for the moon.


Then-inside the house-
he cried out
"Here I am!"
and we
beyond earshot
running around
calling him...
crying for him
for the drunken nightingale
locked lamenting
in our garden
while we
mourning ring doves
murmured "Where
where?"

As if at midnight
the sleepers bolt upright
in their beds
hearing a thief
break into the house
in the darkness
they stumble about
crying "Help!
A thief! A thief!"
but the burglar himself
mingles in the confusion
echoing their cries:
"...a thief!"
till one cry
melts with the others.

And He is with you27

Qur'an 4:57

with you
in your search
when you seek Him
look for Him
in your looking
closer to you
than yourself
to yourself:
Why run outside?
Melt like snow.
wash yourself
with yourself:
urged by Love
tongues sprout
from the soul
like stamens
from the lily...


But learn
this custom
from the flower:
silence
your tongue.

Diwan-e Shams, v.V.ED. FURUZANFAR, P., 2172
(translated by Peter Lamborn Wilson)
The Rumi Collection, edited by Kabir Helminski


http://www.khamush.com/divan.htm

Questions of Love!

What is love? What for love? Is it necessary to attain the beloed?..
like this there are many questions.. we seldom sort time to think about, but sometimes (or I say manytimes) become very important to be answered especially when our lives get concerned to the feeling of love!

I shall try to find out answers to some of these questions. Inshah Allah

Poetry of "Pir Meher Ali Shah" :

(ABOUT LOVE FOR GOD)

Translation:

The wine of (Allah's) Unity was bestowed (as a favour) upon those who were intoxicated by the memory of 'alast' (Am I not?)
[The reference here is to the Covenant mentioned in Ayah 172 of Surah VII of the Holy Quran, according to which Allah brought forth the posterity of the children of Adam from their backs on the Day of Creation and made them testify about themselves, saying: "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yea (Thou Art)! We testify].

When I started reeling about in intoxication, my rivals appropriated this intoxication from me.

The Image of Truth (i.e., God) appeared in the world of 'imkaan', i.e., "Possibility"; The universe was brought into submission through that Image.

With the love of Him except Whom none else exists (in real terms), Were the beginning and the end (of the universe) signaled.

(ABOUT LOVE FOR THE LAST PROPHET MUHAMMAD- Be Peace Upon Him)

Translation:

Why is it that the yearning for the Loved One (i.e., the Holy Prophet) is especially strong today?
Why is my heart sadder today than even before?

Why does longing penetrate every tissue of mine?
And why are the eyes shedding tears like a shower of rain?

His shining face appeared to me in a vision,
And fragrance emanated in profusion from His tresses;

I fainted from the sight of these visions;
The hordes of his eyes overpowered me.

His face shines like the full moon;
A brilliant light radiates from his brow;

His hair is black, and his eyes are bewitching and intoxicated.

His two eye-brows are like cross-bows,
Hurling darts of pointed eye-lashes (in all directions);

His lips are red like rubies of Yemen;
His white teeth like a string of pearls.

I am not sure whether I should call his face the essence of life;
Or life of the entire universe;

The truth is that it is (like) the glory of God,
From which all other (worldly) glories originated,

[ Note : This refers to the Holy Prophet's well-known hadith:
"Allah created (everything from my light, and I am from the Light of Allah"]

This face (of the Prophet) emerged from the Faceless One (i.e., Allah);
The Faceless One manifests Himself through this face.

The Colourless (Reality) has been revealing itself through this image,
Ever since Unity exploded into Diversity.

It is this face (of the Holy Prophet) that guides (mankind) to the path of Faceless One (i.e., Allah);
Nay (not the path only but) to the Ultimate Reality Itself.

However, understanding this (secret) is beyond the capacity of the simpletion;
Only the select few succeed in discovering and capturing the Pearl (of Truth).

May this Face (of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H)) remain before my eyes,
In my last moments (of life) and on the Resurrection Day!

Then (also) in my grave, and at the time of crossing the (razor-sharp) Bridge (on the Judgment Day as a test to separate the virtuous ones from the sinners);
Only then shall the fake ones become pure (in the sight of Allah).

Thou (O Holy Prophet) hast been blessed (by Allah) with the promise to grant thy desire (in full);
And we (thy humble followers) have full faith in Allah's assurance that thou shalt be happy with the Bounty of Allah.

[Note: Reference here is to verse 5 of Surah XCIII of the Holy Quran:
"And presently (i.e., in the Hereafter, as also in this world) thy Lord shall grant unto thee (O Prophet ! rich and abundant reward) so that thou shalt be well-pleased].

The Gracious One (we hope) shall declare us successful (in the test of earthly life);
Because we have correctly understood the Divine words: "Intercede and thy intercession shall be accepted".

[Note: Here the reference is to the Prophet's divinely inspired hadith (hadith-e-Qudsi), in which Allah reassures the Prophet (P.B.U.H) with the words i.e., his intercession for the forgiveness of sinning believers shall be accepted by Allah on the Judgment Day].

Be gracious enough to remove from thy face the sheet of Yemen (O Prophet !),
And grant us a glimpse of thy endearing face.

Repeat once again those sweet words,
Which thou hadst uttered in the valley of Hamra.

Come (once again) from thy cell to Mosque,
For everyone longs for a glimpse of thy image full of light;

(And) denizens of both the worlds (i.e., this world and the Hereafter) are laying their eyes in thy path -
Human beings, angels, the houris and the fairies.

For the ones yearning and pining (for a glimpse of thine);
Who are ready to sacrifice (their lives) for thy sake;

For these slaves ready to sell themselves out without any price (in thy path);
May those moments of bliss come back once again!

Glory to Allah, who created thee (O Holy Prophet!) in the most beautiful, the best, and the most perfect mould.

Who is (the humble) Meher Ali to chant thy praises;
How (presumptuous and) impudent his eyes are to aspire to the heights of thy love!










Hazrat Syedna Pir Meher Ali Shah (R.A)
The last days
Istighraq (State of complete spiritual absorption)


Links:
Official Web of Golra Sharif
Life of Pir Meher
Poetry of Pir Meher

Concentration: Lost

For God's sake.. Remember your love!!

Laila was a beautiful girl born in a rich family. Being no less than a princess, she was expected to marry a wealthy boy and live in grandeur and splendor. She fell in love with Majnu, a poor lad. The two lovers were banished from seeing each other. Laila's parents married her off to a wealthy boy and she lived in a big mansion. She couldn't bear the separation and committed suicide. Majnu became a madman and ultimately died on Laila's grave. Text Credit: external link



Photo Credit:Mary_K

Majnu's love with Laila was examplary. Majnu gone made after her that he started wandering in the streets of Arabian city

Once majnu crossed in front of the a worshipping man. (according to islamic law, it is not fair to cross a worshiping man within a certain distance because it may divert his concentration towards God). That man scolded majnu for this false. "Majnu replied, I was so much carried away in the love and memory of Laila that I could not differentiate/see if someone were praying in the way. What about you, your concetration towards God..or me?! "

The sufis breath nothing but love


Photo Credit: stitchwitch

Ajmeri Dervish

"The sufis breath nothing but love"





In the hand the goblet
In the goblet wine
In the wine a reflection of the Friend's beauty
In sin I am seeing the face of virtue's reward





Someone's beauty has preoccupied my heart
Life's burdens before his inspiration possessed my eve-heavy life.

I see my Friend, I see nothing but my Friend
Love's wine transports me with his ever-present sight.

Eternal life which so interanimates one's limbs
Someone's love bestoved on me with ever-quickening grace.

Banished is desire for wine, goblet and decanter
The Friend's grace imbues me with ever-entracing delight.

Thank God for freedom from dying
My annihilation revived me with ever-refreshing life.

A single glance initiates such ever-abundant grace
Neither world knows deficiency since he filled me from his ever-plenty eyes.

Communion with the Profet is the blessing of this threshold
Of course the dust from Ali's doorsteps is my ever-dearest prize.

Death forever exiled, shall never have access here again, Oh Khadim,
Once perfect love bestows its ever-living miracle.




(Mystic Poetry of Ajmeri Dervish - Gudri Shah Baba III )

Poetry Source: sufi-mystic.net
Photo Credit: j.warmack , stitchwitch

Once in a blue moon (he became a loser for the love)

It's a story, and also strange one. I do not know whether to mention this post under the category of love or not.. but it has something which gives this story a burning effect.. an awe.. a craving.. some feeling.. some tears.. some strange kind of worth at it's back! It is story of a loser.. who was was ready to lose everything for the sake of his worldly love! though the worldly love may not always deserve such sacrifice, but the passion in this story is worth-mentioning.

Allah loves the people who are ready to give sacrifice of their lives for His cause and His true Real love. Allah deserves of being loved by the people with the true selflessness .. and only He can always value it!

photo: silent shot

Shafo and I were sitting under the moonlight at the front of a temporary rainwater pond. The moonlight was reflecting on the shimmering water ripples in pond. I could feel a pang of terrible grief in his voice..

he started telling:

There were some street boys in a big city..
daily sitting in some open park..
sharing shameless company of each other..

Once there came a handsome boy..
so much bewitching attraction he had. that, I have not enough words to describe it!

The street boys planned to fulfill their lust..
they conspired and succeeded to got his friendship,
then they demanded him to let them fulfill their lust..
he refused..
and left them..

he didn't come back
until two weeks passed and he returned
he was in a miserable state

Street boys asked, what happened?

he replied, Friends! I fell in love for a girl
that I can not sleep well for some nights.. So much, I miss her!
i need to meet her today..
she lives out of the city..
our meeting was proposed to take place today
but i have not enough fare to reach there..
friends, i need 100 rupees (between 1-2 $) only..
Kindly, lend me that money?

Street boys:
No
but we can.. if you consider our earlier demand!



And then..
".. .. ....."
they gave him 100 rupees
and he went away
to meet his beloved..
poor guy!!

Shaffo concluded the story..
I asked him: What was that?
Shaffo: I do not know but I wept much after listening this story!
I could feel a pang of terrible grief in his sound!

Related Post:
Selflessness & service