Yesterday evening i attended the Aidil Adzha makan or food fair where all kinds of meat from the Korban or sacrificial offerings where a number of cows and goats, camels among other are slaughtered and the meat distributed to one and all especially the needy and the destitute. I could not not eat any because I felt full and had no appetite to eat as I have eaten earlier. But I was there as I told a few of my friends who were sitting at a table I was there to honor the The Aidl Adzha among friends even if I felt not like having any food. On a deeper level when I thought about it I felt strange why wasn't I able to eat I realized that I had eaten too much meat in the last few days to last me a good heart attack. I did not think about it before and what is worse kept having this guilt feeling of rejecting a offering that was sacrificed to the All Mighty commemorating an event where Nabi Ibrahim alaiiSalam, or Abraham was asked to sacrifice His eldest son as a profession of absolute faith to his Lord. This event not only was significant in its message of Faith and Devotion it also set off the rift between Judaism and Islam with who was it that Abraham chose to sacrifice, Ishmail his eldest son by his maid servant or Ishak, Isaac for the sacrifice" The Judaic Christian narrative quoted Isaac while the Arab Muslim tribes says it was Ismail. Not that it is of great importance anymore as the die is cast and history has taken its course; the children of Abraham will never cease to kill each other till the end of Days. That's why i like to every so often look at life from the Buddhist point of view, it is less dramatic and right to the point; if there is no I there is no conflict{pain}Thus far i have yet to come upon any article or podcast on the subject, perhaps it is for the better it is alreaady bad and getting worse between the so called Abrahamic lineage.
I cannot help but keep asking myself, what is God's purpose in setting up this whole epic adventure that we call life and living. The late Reverend Thich Nhat Han once said in his talk at a Vipassana Retreat he had Green Gulch Farm Zen Community, "To walk is a great miracle in itself, who is walking?" God does not need a purpose that is why He is God, I keep telling myself too, but to understand what is real and what is not one has to dig deep to find the answers even to the simplest of doubt or question, the mind will not let you. Unless off course you are a mystic able to claim he does not think, like Krishnamoorthi and Sadguru among, of which I seriously question of have my doubts with. Not thinking at all means you are egoless, your ego is dead killed by silence itself and this the ego or as Islam calls it the Nafs, will fight tooth and nail to stay alive; THINK! Who is thinking? Who is the thinker... I'm. Thoughts brought me here!
It reminds me of story I heard or read a long time ago and it originated from The Yerer Tribe in Africa aand it so happened that an hunter was out snooping in the bushes for a possible meal when he suddenly came upon a human skull bleached all white sitting in the bushes ,"What brought you Here!" the hunter jumped falling on his butt backwards, "Talkng brought me Here," replied the skull. "What brought you here!!" the hunter yelled at the skull, "Talking brought me here!" yelled the bleached skull back! The hunter in all excitement run as fast as his feet could back to the Kraal or village and headed for the chief's residence, shouting and screaming at the top of his voice with what he had discovered. The Chief being a busy man who had many wives to entertain was annoyed at this unruly intrusion into his quiet day eventually ordered his guards to accompany him with the hunter back to where he had made his amazing discovery. When they got to the skull the Chief ordered the hunter to make the skull talk. "What brought you here?! What brought you here! What brought you here! The hunter desperately tried to talk to the skull but no answer! the short of the story is, where there was one skull now there is two left in the bushes. Our thoughts are what keeps us here through the five skandhas or senses, manifesting and projecting images and ideas, dreams and nightmares. Only the great Roshis and Rishis and those 'who have crossed over to the other side' have the capability to not think at all, maybe; I think therefore I am may not all be untrue. It is a major part of the practice of Meditation and Yoga, the Prayer of five times a day, may have an effect on lessening the chattering of the so called 'monkey mind' that we all have some more than others. It is an open secret that the ability to enter into a state 'Silence', is what most practitioners seek to achieve through whatever form of practice one chooses. In Silence it said that you might be able to hear God talking to you; that is if you so choose to listen to the Divine in You.
In the verses used while we pray the name of Abraham was the only other name that is mentioned other than that of the the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad the Messenger. Ibrahim as we say it Arabic is accorded a highest distinction after the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah. No big deal except the three Abrahamic religions originated from this Father figure. Oh, Happy Father's Day to all dads out there! I always believe that a man is not a real man until he has raised a few kids till they become men. This is the criteria i accept a man, not that i really give a hoot about it, it is just a passing thought. With whatever the cards is thrown at you you do your best to become a father to your children. Sometimes your best is not good enough, you say 'fuck it! I tried. I made myself present at the Aidil Adzha Makan invitation even if I could not eat, suddenly lost my appetite, no desire for meat! What's this? And I end up trying to justify about the whole thing till five in the morning. This is an example of how or what the mind can make you do often unconsciously, this blogging, making this post itself is how the mind constructs an image and set in motion a story line to further happen till the case is closed and shut.
No comments:
Post a Comment