When the wind howls shaking one's house to its very foundations, does yelling back at it do any help? or rather does sinking your foundations very deep and making your house very resilient, pliable and strong not mitigate and weaken the force of any wind that comes along?
The Buddha once said, “Anger is the wind that blows out the lamp of the mind.” Yelling at the wind, only fans the flames of anger.
Tian Xin.
This quote perhaps from one of the Chinese Chan masters was posted on my facebook link by Xian Tzu, about two hours ago. I enjoy receiving such quotes every so often and it helps me keep being reminded of my connectedness to the teaching of Buddhism or more closely Zen perception of what is. Off course others reminds me of how great the prophet was in His administration of the daily life of a Muslim, the Internet has allowed thoughts and aspirations to be shared in abundance from all corners of the world and from sources that one would never have thought possible. Quotes happens from the ancient Taoism to the modern scientists and philosophers and they each in their own way are meant to touch the right note in your heart and often times open a window in your sense of perception to see things in a newer and better view; there are those who even attained a Satori after stumbling upon a quote posted randomly on facebook.
Astaghfirullah Al Ghofururrohim!
In the Name of Allah Subhana Watala, Lord of the Universe, , the Lord of Mercy and Compassion: in the Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of Allah.
Two more days left of the Ramadan, the fasting month, it seems just zipping by, poof one month went by where you did some mental and spiritual discipline as ordained in the scriptures. The you, is addressed at me, it is just the way I think and write, or so it seems. It has become a tedium, an effort to put in print what goes through my mind so I will take a break from this habit and visit my siblings on the second day of Hari Raya, first Raya in Penang, second day in Kuala Terengganu, InshaAllah!
I do not look forward to the long 8 hours bus ride through the night from Georgetown to Kuala Terengganu, I always end up with a bad case of lower back pains a few days after, but, such Is! The Month of Ramadan this year is the most memorable month in a more positive way, especially in my spiritual purification, outer and inner being. It has brought even closer to The Lord, in Form and in Spirit; I feel His Presence in me and I can only say, Astaghfirullah, forgive me my Lord, forgive me my sins, big and small, known and unknown, committed and will be, I now fully avow...I surrender my being unto You. On the morning of the 27th of the month of Ramadan, I bear witness that there is No god! Only Allah (SWT) and that the Prophet Mohammad, is the messenger of Allah.
Yes, there are times when the when things don't go well, there is something you can lay the ultimate blame on; God is not fair. This is when the simple practice of mindfulness in attention kicks in; caution, take a deep breath and don't get carried away trying to justify God; it is a losing game that the mind is so into and thus the Fasting Month. It is during the Fasting month that you get to confront your worse nightmare, and that is yourself. Your habits, your tendencies, your expectations and your dreams, your thoughts and ideas, your belief and faith, in short it is through fasting that you are forced to witness your nafs or ego. Even if the Buddhist mind says there is no self to cater to, the Muslim Spirit says only The Lord knows the Truth, the Reality, the Whole Story; my consciousness says it is the truth; I am born again in mind body and spirit. I feel His Grace more than His Anger, more His Love and Compassion that His Wrath...or something to the effect...I like how I feel.
It is a tired feeling of fulfillment in some small ways, small miracles do happen if you are aware if and when it happens; this is Being in the Here and Now. The act of fasting, not eating or drinking or smoking or ingesting anything at all into the body from sunrise to sunset, is One Month Seshin as according to Zen Practice or any other Buddhist schools of Practice, Hinayana or Mahayana or Vajrayana, Ramadan is a month if intensive Practice on purifying the body mind and spirit. Bringing the Spirit closer to the Source of Power, knowing that without this Source of energy, life is lost, you just stop breathing, the curtain falls and end of story. And what have you to say for yourself, my friend? The 70 odd years of your allotted time on earth, what have you got to show for yourself? Any Legacies to speak of? Great accomplishments? Charitable, kind and full of human waste, at times but salvageable to turn to good manure for the next compost pile. What did you do with your-Self? What silly questions? I stayed alive, keep figuring out, I keep asking questions I keep looking into my mind and discover if I can, who I truly am. How far or how near am I towards attaining the next level of spiritual attainment, or is there such a thing even as levels of attainment, to what? Awakening? Liberation? Heaven or Hell?
Who is asking? The Monk asked?
Who is listening, the Master replied.
I just made that up.
No comments:
Post a Comment