The Laws of Karma sucks!

Silence is the way towards having a peaceful and contemplative mind, a mind that can encompass all in one unified point, in the H. ere and Now; the Divine Presence is here. No time or space has any influence over the Spirit, as no time or space can hold on to the ultimate consciousness of this we call mind; only in deep prayer can it be contained. Prayer is the highest form of human expression towards the unknown, that which lies beyond his comprehension. Prayer is the highest form of Yoga, or mental discipline, of meditation. To pray means to submit to give up, to surrender, to humble, my ego, that which I take to rule my life. My small mind as the Zen Buddhist calls it, or the monkey mind as Thich Naht Hahn, the Vietnamese Monk and great Zen Master, calls it. Even an Atheist prays deep in heart, that he is on the right path, perhaps he prays to himself, his higher self.

We are all interconnected Beings We are held together by one  line of thread that holds together a network of threads like a net, a web. The spider weaves its whole web from one single strand of its excretion, through its behind. We originated from one single bang the call the Big bang, before that we were One, perhaps a molecule of Atom floating around in space and time. Our gift above all other creatures seen and unseen is the fact that we have a mind and we are fully conscious, except we choose to fall asleep and exist in a dream we call our waking life. Some claim we are created in the image of God, some even claim that we are indeed God playing the role of who we are, some do not claim anything at  all except to claim that it is all an illusion, that the very I itself does not really exist. What it is that we claim ourselves to be in whatever image we were created from it is our inherent duty as a human to make an effort to discover who we truly are  in our relationship to one another and to the rest of the Universe and dare I say to our Maker, Lord of the Universe, call Him/Her by what name you may.

If and when you have found your true nature, that which was the original Unborn Buddha Nature, or the Ruhulkudus, or the Atman, that which is present in this moment witnessing; you will get to know your Higher Self, the source from which it all started; the strand that exits out of a spider's butt. How the Universe, How God, How Brahman, how thw Tao, the great Spirit is having a good time through you. The journey of a thousand miles begins where you are at and the first step you take might be your last or it will lead you to eternity; how far are you willing to go. Or are your feet nailed to the floor, or you carry such a heavy load that you cannot make it that far, your choice, a free choice to  make, accept life as it is with nothing after or live life fully knowing that what you sow today is germinating and that you are the creator of your paradise or your hell; the laws of karma sucks! 

Islam, Christianity and Buddhism- I am That, I am.

It will not be too long before Islam will become the major religion in the world despite all the adversities that has been and is still being thrown at it by those who are threatened by its very existence.I feel more and more of the younger generation embracing the religion out of their volition especially those who has traveled widely and are exposed to world religions and cultures. These new converts will make the vanguard of the future Muslims and most are coming from the Western countries including the United States. These are the 'disenchanted spirits' and lost souls as well as culturally demoralized individuals of their own home and upbringing.

The Catholic Church is being infested by moral wrong doings of its clergies from the highest to the regular priests with child abuse and pedophilia and Satanic worship among the accusations thrown at it. What Jesus has done for  for Christianity throughout  its history is today being undermined by internal discord and moral abuses. I am not advocating Islam against Christianity or any other religion for that matter, not my vocation nor intention. What my believe and understanding of the various religions of the world is so limited as to be in any position to pass any judgement of one over the other and as far as I am concern all religions no matter what or where it originates from is intended for good. The purpose of having a religious faith is to have some form of coherence over the matter of the human spirit, it also keeps man from  going insane in trying to make sense out of his daily life; at least for those who are on the road towards awakening; those who seek liberation from this cycle of life, death and rebirth.

I will never attain to fully understand religion albeit Islam or Christianity, Hinduism or whatever have you, but I know that I can come to a better understanding of my spirituality, my own self discovered path towards what i deem as the truth. I believe in a 'God' or a Higher Being by whatever name He is called that I am answerable to, this Ultimate Supreme Consciousness, is to me that which makes a spiritual sense and it is very personal. However as a Buddhist by practice I am inclined to believe that all this is still an illusion as much as I am an illusion. As such, or so long as I exist in this form and am not able to detach or discard myself from this physical and mental state I have to abide by the same rules as the rest of humanity; I have to live and play by the rules. These are the rules that I have to understand at the deepest level possible as the fate of my souls rides on this, what else is there more higher a purpose for being alive than to be fully awakened to the mysteries of belief and faith in the human spirit. 

I am here to serve, to serve humanity in the name of God,(Allah), the Higher State of Consciousness, whatever. I am here to become useful for the benefit of sentient beings if not the Planet itself, in no matter how small a service i can offer; this is my role, this is my purpose, this is my covenant; I am not here to be served. This I hold to be the truth although not the whole truth of the purpose of my existence, there is more to my being here in this form and playing this role for nearly 70 years now and perhaps i will be able to discover to realize the whole truth before i exit the stage in my final cut. Right or wrong is a sickness of the mind, the Buddha is said to have said, and for whatever it is worth I have played my part as best i could and am able to share my experience through this Blogging. 




















 

Splendorous Light Within...

-In The Beginning...Spirituality was Before Religion---
In ancient times .. human spirituality enjoyed a sublime Awareness of Oneness, with Divine Being. This Awareness of Oneness sprang from our own Divine-Self awareness. Before visiting here on the earth-plane, when we existed in what is currently called a heavenly etheric dimension we were fully aware of our Divine-Essence, and we brought this awareness with us (this powerful Self expression) when arriving into the uniqueness of this Earth-living."
from --'Splendorous Light Within'--
available all over.

I cam upon this posting on the group link that I have been following and the whole lengthy article is like a nail hammered home into what my mind has been trying to express but could not find better expression. I could have downloaded the whole article here but decided that it might be too long and infringe upon some technical ruling about posting someone else's ideas. I like what is said very much though and so I am still posting a few excerpts here just to share some similarities of what i have been trying to find in my practice and understanding. Anyone having followed my Blog over the years will by now see how my mind has changed over the years from one belief to another from one understanding to another, however I have yet to arrive at a final commitment towards what truly is my faith or how do I accept God in my life. Hence I will be sharing a few excerpts from the article although I  have no idea of except what is quoted at the end of the posting.

"Religion is one of the poorest ways to feel God.
The metaphysics of native indigenous cultures feels Oneness in God more deeply - "

Having being born and raised a Muslim and Buddhist in a rural rustic community before electricity was available, I was exposed to an almost primitive environment where religion and superstitious beliefs played a a critical role. Fear of the unseen and the unknown was a part of our daily phenomenal experience and we had learned to deal with. Hence it is not a simple matter of letting go when it comes to matters pertaining to or inherent believe system. It has taken me many years of self exploration and digging into the nature of my believe that I have evolved to this level of acceptance of what is truly right understanding of who or what I truly am. This years of Blogging tells part of the story on this journey, my struggle to find out and it may not as yet be over.

"This ONE is the infinite,divine invisible Eternal Consciousness.
In our oneness with Divine Being we Also are infinite, invisible
and eternal, but in our Individual expression, as Light Beings,
we manifest our individual self-hood as finite and local beings.
We are in fact a ‘Center’ of God-Consciousness, and because God is Eternal, we are too."

This is one of the most positive all inclusive views i  hae come across thus far in my search for understanding, it claims not to belong to any one particular faith or religion but encapsulates all. I am not saying that it is one hundred percent valid but thus far it is one of the most viable, makes sense and closest to what i envision.  In the words of Terence McKenna.

You are a divine being. You matter, you count. You come from realms of unimaginable power and light, and you will return to those realms.
Terence McKenna

 





  











 

If Belief Patterns Reality -Jean Huston.

""Belief patterns reality." an off the cuff statement I extracted from a Jean Huston talk which I thought is pretty profound is its simplicity. What you believe, you create and how many of us really believe that and how often do we think about it as we go about our lives day to day doing what tis that we are doing fulfilling our obligations as humans. In my quest for a thorough understanding of who or what I am over the years I have noticed the gradual transition of the mind from one belief into another as I get older and the human psyche evolves around me. The knowledge and wisdom I have gathered and my own insights and understandings has brought me to this juncture where  old belief systems are giving way to a more developed and thoroughly analyzed and investigated ideas of how the human mind operates affecting life in and around me. Scientific research and spiritual transcendence are merging into one new paradigm replacing all the old belief that had been held on to as the truth. 
Religious dogma and principles are gradually being shelved for good in most cases where the latest in scientific discoveries of the inner workings of the human brain and genetic codes have replaced most religious revelations and assumed truth or so it seems. However God is not dead, not yet and for those like me of the old school God is very much alive closer to home more so than ever before. What science is revealing only helps to confirm the existence of a higher being, a super mind that governs the whole. It is like peeking into a microscope and discovering the innate nature of being to be an essence of that which is the source of all existence. We are consciousness itself, even the scientists are getting around to accepting this notion as they venture closer and closer to the core of our being and unraveling the mysteries of our inner workings and how it relates to our external physical nature.  We are more than meets the eye.

Mankind has arrived by leaps and bounds at the very edge of the precipe where he is challenged to take the leap of faith into a new dimension of existence, a new mode of perception and new from of belief systems if he is to survive the next millennia. Even if the old Gods are being swept away from the human consciousness and understanding, a new one is in the making. mankind will elect a new God that will rule the whole of the human race collectively and this God has yet to be named. The new God will be one that is the end product of our collective consciousness, with no attachments or identity, not related to any religious denomination but its own self. The God of so called modern man ia a God of the collective human mind generated from eons of evolution of the spirit through trials and tribulations of the collective human spirit and the scientific discoveries. Unlike the Gods of old this god will not be identified with any race, color or creed, no institutionalized ideologies nor adherence to symbols and dogmas; the God of tomorrow will hold the universal truth to be that of Unconditional Love and Compassion towards all sentient beings on the face of this Planet seen or unseen. 

Will come a time when man will stop bickering over who is right or wrong and whose faith and belief system works better; man will face life with a unified determinism that the survival of the whole is tantamount to the highest divinity. If 'belief were to pattern reality', then man will have to renovate, upgrade and modify his belief system in accordance with the call of the whole and not the national, religious or individual call. If we do not obliterate this our planet with a nuclear holocaust or end it with natural disasters through our wanton negligence of the environment, we might be able to save ourselves and move into the next phase of our evolutionary path, where the merger of science and spirituality becomes symbiotic  reality.

          

The Noetic Mind?-Atma Vichara..

" From the Greek noēsis/ noētikos, meaning inner wisdom, direct knowing, or subjective understanding. As defined by the philosopher William James in 1902, noetic refers to "states of insight into depths of truth unplumbed by the discursive intellect."

After all the insightful thoughts and revelations of our ancestors throughout our human history, we are still groping in the dark, not knowing or having any idea of where we are headed for or where we came from. Suddenly we are here despite what science and evolution theorists say. In spite of what religions have to say or whatever Philosophers believe, we as a human race is on the brink of extinction as we will annihilate ourselves simply because we can and intend to. It  sounds like a doomsday preacher calling out the End of Days, but sadly enough it is not far from the truth. It takes short of a miracle to get humanity back on track heading towards peace and stabilization. There is no words strong enough to spell out the urgency that we face, we do not need much more convincing than has already been exposed to; we got to be really  insensitive towards our lot if we ignore this while living our lives out in denial. 

Humanity has its ways of standing up to adversities in the past and many has come forward in out times of need to act as buffers and providers for those in need. Today we are in an urgent need for a greater number yet of man and women of good faith and and clarity of hearts to step forward on to the stage and take the role of a caretaker and preserver of this our whole Planet and every sentient that lives in it. Today more than ever we need to throw off our cloaks of ignorance and apathy towards our fellow man and the fate of this planet we call home. We are watching insects being wiped out and fishes from the largest whales to the tiny plankton being systematically removed by our very own waste products. The climate change is gathering momentum as scientists reveals the true nature of what is curing in and around the world. We need to  seriously look deep into ourselves and ask the same question over and over again, who am I and what is my role on this stage of human evolution and the life of this Planet. More critically, what will leave behind me as a legacy for my children and theirs after them

Let us not walk or crawl off this stage before we have at the very least established to ourselves what roles we played to the betterment of our fellow creatures and this Planet of our while we shared its lodging. Let us at the very least have a glimpse of self realization as to who we ttruly are and take that small step towards making it right for the rest of humanity, that which we deem as wrong or unjustified. Let us at the very least awaken to the reality around us that we are not alone and that we can together offer make the changes much needed today. We are each and everyone of us are endowed with the body, mind and spirit, we are the gifted souls that the Highest of    Most High had created to take charge of this Planet we call home; let it be so. 



  

Collective Consciousness.

Your Qiblat is the source off light within you, your true target. The Heart is the temple of the Living God and within it resides the the Luminous Spirit, the Essence that is God. This is the Divine Light out of which you were created and is still alive on this plane of existence; don't let this light be extinguished. When you pray, look to this point in you that is your Maker; you do not need to go to Makkah or Madinah to feel any closer to Him. The House of God that Abraham and Ishmael built in the middle of nowhere in the Arabian Desert is carried with you wherever you be and whatever your position is life is; this is true of all the three religions of the Book, The Children of Abraham. Allah is All Knowing and All Merciful, The Fair and Just.Humanity especially the, The Jews, The Christians and the Muslims will one day face the consequences of the decadence of the human quality of life to  such a low level around the world that the worth of a life is the cost of a bullet. I seriously think we as a whole if not individually have some explaining to do to our Maker when all is said and done.
, 
Tat Tvam Asi... That, I Am.
Some scientists says, we are holographic images floating around in the empty space of time itself. Some say we were brought here from outer space somewhere and others insist we were Apes at a certain period of our evolution; nothing wrong with that, better than be evolved from a bull frog. but the question still remains as to who or what are we, who am I, what am I made of, capable of am I created in the image of my Lord, like it is said in the Scriptures, and yes, free will and the rest of it. I am omni science, loaded with all the knowledge and wisdom accumulated along the way, some lost to memory while some remains as my self identification of who I am presently in this form, me looking at myself wondering what or who is truly real in nature, "I am that, I am..where form is emptiness and emptiness is form...God spoke unto Moses. 

Sadly enough the human suffering the Planet Itself all around us is gathering momentum more and more intense and critical; mankind will not survive too long if  there is a major shift in the human psyche as a whole towards healing and respiration; man has to come together as one mind, a collective mind and will it so that we can save and make this Planet more of a heaven to live in, this is our legacy for those who are inheriting what we leave behind. Let's join our hands together and take this journey of self realization to a limit uncharted before; let us all as one awaken to ourselves, in body mind and spirit. For those who seek for the same answers to the question of life, the fate of Humanity and the rest of the Planet bullshit time si over , it is time to act, do whatever it takes   in an effort towards saving this Planet we call home, this form we call 
human being or being human from a premature demise.

There are not enough or us who have attained Awakening and those who do lack the opportunity to share their wisdom with those who could use them, we talk of nothing in particular, and our mind is filled with videos of YouTube and fb and this is how we stay in touch; we chat, we show what we ate and where and how cute our children and grandchildren are, but we truly share very little, but little as it is is more than enough to shake the world if the Collective Human Mind is unleashed synchronized  like an orchestral music winding up in crescendo towards a climactic end, we can move mountains if we have to. Yes we can! We are geared towards this event but ever so slowly even with the advent of the computer, we are still dragging our feet, those of us who have touched upon the subject along this path, we have chosen, and there are many of us at all levels of humanity; wwe can bring a few more towards the 'Intention',  of our Collective Consciousness, 

We crap on the same plate we eat.

As a Muslim I am sad to say that my faith has been shaken like it has been hit by , a tornado and I am sent reeling out into outer space wondering if there is of there is not a God or if I am lost as I have always been in a state of limbo in ignorance. I feel elated sometimes when i pray silently sitting on my pillows in the wee early morning hours, I even feel the Divine in me touching my being, but when my thoughts take a flight over the whole earthly scenario of what is going on in my life as well as the world as a whole, I feel hopeless. I feel like the God that I have laid my faith inot has abandoned humanity if not me personally; I feel like my being here is just to witness the life of humanity's pain and suffering, the Planet's decadence and demise of life of species becoming extinct one after another. There is none to blame and how can I blame my Maker, afterall He has given Man free will, to choose his own fate.

Islam, from my personal observation is a religion of the afterlife, it seems life on this earth and time is but a passing phase, a borrowed time to be utilized to prepare man in the afterlife; the eternal. This to me is fine and dandy for so long as the Earth does not suffer from any consequences of this transitional or 'transit ;lounge' mentality that has little or no care for the temporary space that the traveller occupies, leaving it worse than when they first arrived. It is like a park after being used by a beer guzzling party of college kids. As much as Muslims would deny it, the fate of the environment, the very future of this Planet is of very little concern to them knowingly or otherwise; it is after all a transit lounge. "Dunia ini hak mereka, Akhirat kita punya." a common Malay Muslim saying meaning, this world is theirs, ours is the afterlife. 'Dunia ini hanya sementara, Akhirat, selamanya.", this life is temporary, the hereafter is eternal.

Most religions, like Islam considers heaven out there somewhere where one ends up in the afterlife if one is deserving. Having lived life in the here and now accordingly to the dictates of one's faith, one is rewarded with a resting place far removed from the like of this Earth.Hence my point is that the care for this earth and its well being is never and will never be of paramount importance to those who live for the afterlife; it is not their fault however. I have grown up among people who have a disdain if not nonchalant view of the fate of the environment, just like the beer guzzlers in the park. For these people there will always be someone else who will do the cleaning up after them. In Islam it is said that cleanliness is next to Godliness, but from my personal experience this si far from the truth when it comes to practice. It is not a matter of being lazy as such but  it has become a mental state after hundreds of years of believing in the same principle or dogma without deeper understanding of the ramifications that it entails. 

Islam also is said to have declared that mankind were created to become the vicegerent or caretakers of this Planet in charge of the whole solar system as well as the unseen; if so man has failed miserably. Instead of being the caretaker and caregiver, man has become a self server and ultimately the destroyer of that which he is charged to care for simply because he has lost his sense of priorities and misunderstood his  appointed calling to being here.  as mandated by his Maker   Why he is here to the religious is to live for the the afterlife, to live life so that when he dies he will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, regardless if he had left behind a mess of a Planet going out of control from neglect and wanton disregard for check and balance. Instead of being the cure and care giver man has become the very cancerous virus that is slowly but surely destroying his own habitat; his home.  

   

I am an Artist-- after 70 years.

I have almost completed five acrylic paintings, 3'x3'  and two on a 3x4 feet in size, except for the final touches on each which will happen as i move along with my 2019 project and that being getting some new updated works ready for my solo exhibition at the Sri Mutiara Art Gallery or better known among locals as Soo Kaw's place. What used to be the Rope Walk area at Aceh Street kitty corner from what today is a beautiful well kept park is where the gallery is located. It is one of the most respected gallery in Georgetown, run by an artist and one time Art teacher, Mr. Khaw Soo Kaw. One of the most passionate artist and Art lover who has dedicated his life to Art. I am honored to have been given a slot to show my works in August  and the opening day being on the 11th, of August a day before my 70th.Birthday, the same day of Aidl Adzha or Hari Raya Haji. 

With the help of Mr. lebeene Khai's sponsorship in the purchasing of new art materials I am able to have twenty pre-mounted canvasses and panting materials. Lee Has always been my patron and i am indebted to his patronage. This exhibition is dedicated to my close friend and brother who trust and believe in me. I am privileged to have a close friendship with his family. I met Lee one afternoon at the Penang Little Street Market where he ended buying a few pieces of my mono-prints and our friendship grew from there. I have promised Lee who is today the Chairman of the Penang State Art Gallery that I would donate all my Sketch Books to the Gallery if they would accept them. I this way I know these works of mine will be well cared for and might be a source of aid to those interested to know aht an art's life is all about at least for one artist. And so, in this year of the Pig I will 'Pig-Out!' with as much paintings as I can.

It is my hope that this year will bring some creative energy that will carry me through to the end. I owe it to many and especially to myself to walk my talk or my Blog and share the best of what my mind is capable of. This is my Art, the Art of Living as an Artist. To quote Star Trek, "To boldly go where no man has gone before... to seek New Frontiers...yadaa yadda! Being an artist for me is more than just being able to be a masterly painter, or a master sculptor, it is about being able to tell a story about your life that others may share, to set your own standards in life even if they are contrary to the norm, to dare touch the forbidden and transgress the divine mandates; it is matter of testing all limits and write a conclusion coherently at the end of the day, where those that read can take lessons from them. I would like to leave a legacy of my own as an artist.