Spiritual Chat 4 - Outline & Summary Version About Spiritual Chat 4 Title: "Say 'Bawa', And Not Be There, Letting God Be There" Date: February, 14, 2002 - Discussion of Some Chat 4 Topics Chat Between: Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) and Rumi Library Navigation Tree Go To Spiritual Chat 3 Chat 4 - Related Material Page 1 of 2 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. My love you, my dearest brothers and sisters. Outline of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction ................................. Summary of Introduction or Text of Introduction Summary of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction Our dialogues are even deeper than the dialogues of Plato, and you can join us in these Spiritual dialogues, if you like, by downloading the new Free AIM Instant Messaging Software. Click HERE to download the Free AIM IM software. 2. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God Once we get it, one we understand how the path of God really works, it becomes very easy, and all of our difficulties become something else, they become what is standing between us and God, between us and our fun, not something that "we" have to over come or correct, but rather what God has to remove from within us, so we as His Children can have fun, can play with God in the "Presence of God", can sit on God's lap while Bawa "teaches us what we do no know" 3. The Nature of The Path of God The path of God is joining in partnership with God within us, so God can finish what God has started within us, which is to reveal True Man within the Creation of God within us, so True Man within us can reveal God within True Man, and we start this journey, in this age, by realizing, understanding, accepting, and joining with His Holiness, with our Father, with the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). There is no other way for this age. 4. About Picking Up And Putting Down We cannot pick anything new up unless at the same time we are putting something old down, because all of the "new" of us has been hidden by God within the "old" of us, like the apple tree is hidden within the apple seed, the apple seed that is hidden within the two coverings of the apple seed, that protect the apple seed from being prematurely destroyed by the earth that it is buried within. In this way, we must put down the two coverings of the "Seed of Us", the soul of us, which is our mind and desire, so our wisdom can liberate and join with our sixth life, our soul life, our light life, removing Jesus (may the blessings of God be upon Him) from the cross of this 5 elemental body, allowing the "Seed of Us" to germinate and reveal the "Tree of Us", the wisdom life of us, to reveal True Man within the Creation of God, as the Oneness of God and His Creation. 5. An Uninvestigated Life Is An Unlived Life We must come to understand the schemes of the mind, that define us as separate from God, as separate from each other, and as separate from the Creation of God, and realize that this is the source of our sorrow and suffering, these schemes of our mind, which only our wisdom can cut. For as His Holiness teaches us about the cause of our suffering in Chapter 1, in "Sandakumaran's Song", in the book, "Maya Veeram or The Forces of Illusion", starting on page 8, "What is the cause of suffering? Your mind engulfs you and gathers in sorrow. You fail to understand this wisely O man, and conclude these must be the trials of God. The sorrow and torment, the demons that attack and bring turbulence to your life, will be destroyed when wisdom cuts the schemes of your mind." "What suffering can there be then? Analyze and examine yourself, then you will know the state of being one with God. What other bliss can there be. Know this." 6. How To Merge With The Guru Merge with the Guru by realizing, understanding, accepting, and joining with the life and teaching of God for this age, which is the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). Click HERE to read Spiritual Discourse 1, by His Holiness, "How To Merge With The Guru", given to us by His Holiness on April, 26, 1972. 7. Page Turners On The Path of God We must make everything an opportunity to dialogue with Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), by falling into the life of "oneness with" within us, not as an opportunity to dialogue with the world, by falling into the life of "separation from" within us. 8. Settling Into Stillness Through The Realization That Everything Is Perfect We must do this by realizing that God is in charge, not us, for as His Holiness teaches in the Epilogue of the book, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi", page 140, "Our entire life and everything that happens to us is conducted by Allah, not by us. He is the One who carries out everything. He is responsible for the cause and the effect." Click HERE to read the entire text of this quote, in the "Epilogue" from the book, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi", by His Holiness, beginning on page 140. 9. The Only Way To Win The Drama of Our Life Is Not To Play To stop the drama of our life we must be certain, without the slightest doubt, that there is absolutely nothing for us to do, that there is nothing for as a life separate from God, to add to what God has already done, and is already doing, at every level within every creation. 10. Become The Children of God For This Age To become the Child of God for this age, this age of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) we must learn to sit on the lap of God let Bawa "teach us what we do not know" Text of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction MuhaiyaddeenLB: Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God the most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Rumismith: Al salam alaykum, dear Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Wa 'alaykun al-salam, Rumismith. MuhaiyaddeenLB: We are trying out the new AIM Instant Messaging System, which is a little different from the AOL one, which you can only use if you have AOL. The AIM IM is free for anyone using the Internet, and you can do a lot more with it, like talking directly to each other and transferring files. Also, with it you can send Links, like Spiritual Letter 14, at : www.SpiritualLetter014.homestead.com. Try out this Link and see if it works for you. Click HERE to download the Free AIM IM System. Rumismith: I am asking Bawa inside what to say or write. I am still going over our dialogues of the past couple of times, I was reading them last night, my heart was really open, so much wisdom is in those words. At work I am reading the Dialogues of Plato but our dialogues are even deeper. MuhaiyaddeenLB: They certainly are. Rumismith: Let me try out the Link. 2. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God MuhaiyaddeenLB: Once you get it, how the path of God really works, it becomes very easy. For example, just look at the face of a child while the child is playing, and learning something new, and you will realize how easy it is. Once we understand this, then all of the darkness within us becomes what is standing between us and God, between us and our fun, between us and our only real fun which is standing in the "presence of God", rather than something that "we" have to over come or correct, but rather what God has to remove from within us, so we as His Children can have fun, so we as His Children can stand in "His Presence", not "our presence", not "our presence" which in truth is the darkness within us, the darkness within us that has grown over the light within us, which is "God's Presence" within us, the oneness of God and His Children within us. And like any Good Child, when these difficulties appear within us, when this darkness of "our presence", this darkness of "us" as separate from God rises up within us, we then call out to our Mother to get rid of them, to remove all these unnecessary things, that are interfering with our play, with our fun. This is the path of God, a Child of God playing in the "Presence of God", not the personal struggle that we have made it into through our ignorance. MuhaiyaddeenLB: It is this separating from us of all the things that separate us from God, by turning to God to separate them from us, not by personally doing battle with these things of separation, that makes the path easy. Our doing battle with them only strengthens them, like Bawa's story of the elephant and the armadillo. Click HERE for Bawa's story of the elephant and the armadillo, and for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God 3. The Nature of The Path of God Rumismith: Yes, that is how it felt today. You see people seem to be my big button pushers. MuhaiyaddeenLB: We were just reading the definition of the term shukr in the book by His Holiness, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi". It is the whole path, as follows: "Shukr (A) (pl. shukur). Contentment arising out of gratitude; the state within the inner patience known as sabr; that which is kept within the treasure chest of patience. Lit.: gratitude; thankfulness." "Ya Shakur - one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. To have shukr with the help of the One who is true shukr." In this way, we can only truly have shukr, contentment and gratitude, by turning to God, to Ya Shakur, to the One of shukr, the One of Contentment and Gratitude, when we experience our lack of shukr, our lack of True Contentment and Gratitude. Click HERE for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - The Nature of The Path of God 4. About Picking Up And Putting Down MuhaiyaddeenLB: In this way, we need to look at what we say, and learn that something else within us is saying these things, not us, and begin to disassociate ourselves from them, and instead associate ourselves more with God. Remember, His Holiness teaches us that we cannot pick anything new up unless at the same time we are putting something old down, because all of the "new" of us has been hidden by God within the "old" of us, like the apple tree is hidden with the apple seed. Click HERE for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - About Picking Up And Putting Down. For example, take the things you last said, "You see people seem to be my big button pushers". Who said that? Within that one sentence is a wealth of information about the things within you that need to be handed to God, the things within you that are separate from God, and cause you to be separate from your brothers and sisters, and from all of the Creation of God within you, a wealth of information about what these things within you are pushing, the agenda of separation that they have, and the belief structure that has grown around you, because of them, because of their life of darkness within you, that is false. Bawa calls this the schemes of the mind. Also Bawa teaches us, that, "What separates us from God is what separates us from each other, and what separates us from each other is what separates us from God". 5. An Uninvestigated Life Is An Unlived Life You know, all day today when I was with my little boy, I asked myself where do the words come from, who or what is saying them. I just went deep inside to listen. I didn't get an answer, but it felt good to have that awareness. MuhaiyaddeenLB: For Earlier Point: And it is only wisdom that can cut these schemes of the mind. So the trick is to take what "you" think, as separate from God, as not the correct thinking, but just as what is being given to you, by your mind and desire, by what has in your ignorance grown within you, covering the life of the soul within you, covering the life of "oneness with" within you, with the life of "separation from" within you, and rather than getting into it, rather than getting into "you" thinking, as separate from God, instead hand it, hand it to Bawa. For New Point: Yes, that awareness is wisdom, it is a connection to something within you other than "you", other than the "you" that is separate from God, other than the mind. There is an old saying that I heard growing up, that an uninvestigated life is an unlived life. It is sort of like that. The value of what you experience, like what you just shared, is investigating it, is opening it up to see what is inside of it, not living it as you. None of it, as separate from God, is you. You are of God, and of the things of God, the things that God is one with, not of the things that you are experiencing that only exist as separate from God. 6. How To Merge With The Guru MuhaiyaddeenLB: Today's project is the beautiful discourse given by Bawa on April 26, 1972, "How to Merge With The Guru", and He opens this discourse with the following quote: Beginning of quote ------- " I am telling (this to) my children who are members of the Fellowship. There are about one hundred members, who are members of the Fellowship, and who have accepted the Guru, who have accepted me as your Guru." "It is only when you hold onto a Guru, and rest on the Guru, that you can develop your own wisdom and grace. You must take your heart and merge that heart with the heart of the Guru, and you must take all of your responsibilities and hand it over to the Guru as His responsibilities". End of quote ------- A copy of this discourse is now available as Spiritual Discourse 1 at: www.SpiritualDiscourse001.homestead.com. Try and access this one too. Rumismith: Beautiful - what a gift. What a purpose of life. I certainly will access it. 7. Page Turners On The Path of God MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is the trick of this tricky business, finding ways to keep Bawa, and the life and teaching of Bawa in front of you. Mitch Gilbert used to call it setting up page-turners in your life, setting up things that keep you in front of your Shaikh. In this way, you are tricking your own mind. It really works. So instead of living in the world, you are living in the heart of Bawa tricking "yourself", tricking the "you" of "separation from", allowing the you of "oneness with" to emerge, which is Bawa, tricking your mind and desire with your wisdom. This really helps keep us as a light little child, rather than a dark big adult, and it becomes the game of our life, joining with Bawa against "you". 8. Settling Into Stillness Through The Realization That Everything Is Perfect Rumismith: Yes, it takes practice. Today when I was trying to have awareness of who or what is speaking (from within me), I was in touch with that Truth inside and I tried to speak only from that point, but then automatic responses just kept coming out. MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is very good, but gradually make speaking something that has to be pulled out of you by Bawa, not something that you are trying to improve. In this way, let speaking happen within you, rather than being the one who speaks. Become the one who is silent within so the one who is now silent within you can become the one who speaks from within you. Rumismith: I understand. MuhaiyaddeenLB: In this way, Bawa teaches us that, "Only God can make the one who speaks silent, and the one who is silent speak". So the value of our speaking is to hear it, disassociate from it as "you" speaking, but rather as the speech that is coming from within you, from the mind and desire within you, from the life of separation and differences that has grown within you, no matter how exalted it may sound, and then hand it, hand it to God so God can make it silent, and harvest out of it the silent one who now speaks, and as the silent one speaks we hear it, just like everyone else hears it, but we don't have a sense of being it, of being the one who is speaking. This is the experience of this child. This is how we "settle into stillness through the realization that everything is perfect", and since it is all perfect, there is nothing for us to say. This is the ummi, the unlearned one, the unlearned, illiterate one, which is a title given to Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him), the Ummi Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him). 9. The Only Way To Win The Drama of Our Life Is Not To Play MuhaiyaddeenLB: If something needs to be said, like right now, then God has to come and say it, not us. It is this refusing to participate that causes the mind to sit down. For as Bawa teaches us, "The only way to win the drama of our life is not to play." It is the belief that we have something to offer, that there is something for us to do, that keeps our mind active. So it is the realization that "we", as "separate from", have nothing to offer, nothing to say, that in truth there is nothing of value for us, as the life of "separate from", to do. It is this realization that causes our mind to sit down. In this way, we must be certain, without the slightest doubt, that there is absolutely nothing for us, as a life separate from God, to add to what God has already done, and is already doing, at every level within every creation. This is why Bawa teaches us, that, "To find fault with any of the Creation of God is to find fault with God, because God is the one who is conducting every life, and everything affecting every life." Rumismith: Yes, I always think I should say something, because the other person is expecting it. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Right. Instead, sit back and watch the show, God's show. It is all perfect - until we say something, or try to do something, or try to see, hear, smell, taste, touch or understand something, as separate from God. Rumismith: Al hamdu lillah. This is the Truth. MuhaiyaddeenLB: All we do, when we try to act or live as separate from God, is interfere with what God is doing with our life, with His life within our life, not add to it, or correct it, or improve it. This is the heart of it. 10. Become The Children of God For This Age MuhaiyaddeenLB: Having fun? Rumismith: Fun? These words are blessings upon blessings. Ambrosia. MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is fun, God's fun. We must realize it. Life is fun, that is the way it is when God is in charge. Again, use the little child as the guide to life, the little child is always having fun, knowing that everything is Ok. End Page 1 of 2 of Spiritual Chat 4 - Outline & Summary Version - ........................................... Spiritual Chat 4: Related Material or Discussion of Some Chat Topics This material is normally accessed from within the Chat, but can be read separately here. List of Discussion Chat Topics 1. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God Remember the story by His Holiness about the elephant that got bitten by the armadillo. Beginning of quote ------- "An elephant put its trunk in the wrong place, in a hole in the ground, and an armadillo living in that hole, thinking it was being attacked, bit into the trunk of the elephant. The elephant feeling the pain pulled outs its trunk with the armadillo still holding onto its trunk, for dear life, thinking something was trying to kill it." End of quote ------- Now the question that His Holiness asked, was what should the elephant do to escape from the armadillo now attached to his nose, which if not removed would eventually kill the elephant, preventing the elephant from eating, drinking, and breathing properly? And His Holiness gave two answers, first what the unwise elephant did, and then what the wise elephant did, in this circumstance. And we, that is "you" and "I", are both types of elephants, depending on the state we are in, depending on who we are trusting in to eat, drink, and breath properly. His Holiness said, Beginning of quote ------- "Now the unwise elephant, in its panic, in its fear for its life, in its belief that it had to attack what was attacking it, started to beat the armadillo on the end of its trunk against the nearest tree, thinking incorrectly that if it hurt the armadillo it would let go, but the pain it gave the armadillo had the opposite effect, because the nature of the armadillo, when it is holding onto something, in fear of its life, is to hold on tighter and tighter as it is hurt more and more." "So the more the elephant banged the armadillo against the tree the deeper and deeper the armadillo bit into the trunk of the elephant, until the elephant became exhausted, and eventually died." "But the wise elephant didn't panic, instead it trusted in God for its life, and for the protection of itself, and through its faith and trust in God it was able to reflect on its condition without fear, but with faith, and immediately ran to a nearby pond and put its trunk in the water, submerging the armadillo beneath the water." "Immediately the armadillo realized it was under the water, and the fear of drowning was greater than its fear of being attacked, so it let go of the trunk of the elephant and swam to the surface of the water, free the elephant and the armadillo from all danger." End of quote ------- End of Discussion of Chat Topic 1 ------- 2. The Nature of The Path of God Our peace comes from understanding "how it works" and being able to deal with everything that comes to us by turning to this understanding of "how it works", preventing what comes to us from overwhelming us, or catching us, or making us overly happy or sad, helping us put everything into its proper perspective, helping us realize the value of the things that come to us, what to do with them to profit from the experience, and in this way, to harvest the maximum value from the experience, and what not to do to avoid the inherent danger in every experience in the world, because like the honey bee, each experience has both honey and a stinger. This definition of Sabr shows us clearly "how it works". Lets review "how it works" in steps. Step 1. God is good. Step 2. Only God is good. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God. Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. The understanding that occurs through contrast, the contrast of unity and the lack of unity. In this way, the nature of the Creation of God is both unity and lack of unity, and as unity, is the Oneness of God and His Creation, which is the Secret of His Creation, the Secret of God that is hidden by God within each of His Creation when He Created it, when He gave it form, when He looked at it allowing it to manifest or exist as a form separate from Him, but not as a life separate from Him. In this way, God Creates, Protects and Nourishes the form of His Creation, as He secretly exists as its life within its form, allowing it to exist as "separate from" Him, for His higher purpose, which is to reveal Himself, for the benefit of all of His Creation. As such God as the life within His Creation is "one with" His Creation, while the form of His Creation is "separate from" God, and "separate from" all of the rest of the Creation of God. In this way, the nature of the Creation of God is both unity and lack of unity, is both "one with" and "separate from", is both God and the opposite or the contrast to God, through which the understanding of God can occur, is both life and form, is both Secret and manifestation, is both Sirr and sifat. Step 6. Islam is Unity, and only Iman Is Islam Islam is unity or tawhid, which is the principle tenet of Islam, is the affirmation of this truth, the affirmation of the unity of Allah, and this unity of Allah, this Islam is only reflected from the purified heart of Iman, of absolute faith, certitude, and determination in God, and reflected in the face of God's beauty, which is the heart or aham and the face or muham of Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him). Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. And as such, is the Secret hidden by God within each of His Creation, when God looks at it and gives it a form, a form which is "separate from" God, but with a life that is God, is "one with" God. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. So the purpose of the Creation of God is to provide the contrast so understanding can occur, to provide the contrast of "one with" and "separation from" so understanding, the understanding of the life of God, the Secret of God hidden within the manifestation or form of the Creation of God, which is True Man, can occur. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. The Creation of God that has the consciousness to understand God, to understand the nature of God hidden within the Creation of God, which is unity, which is "one with", which is the life of God within the form of all of the Creation of God, through the contrast provided by the form of the Creation of God, through the contrast provided by the form of "separate from". Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. The path is extracting the Oneness of God and His Creation from His Creation, is extracting the Secret from the manifestation, is extracting the "one with" from within the "separate from", is extracting True Man out of the Creation of God. Step 11. The path is walked by not walking alone. It is walked by not walking as the Creation of God, by not walking as "separate from", by not walking as the form of the Creation of God, but by walking in partnership with God, by walking as the Oneness of God and His Creation hidden within His Creation, by walking as "one with", by walking as the life of God within the Creation of God. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. This is our path in the world, in the dunya within us, which is the 18,000 universes within us, allowing True Man within us to reveal God within the Creation of True Man, which is akhirah within us, which is firdaus or the Kingdom of God within us. In summary, these 12 steps are: Step 1. God is good. Step 2. Only God is good. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. Step 6. Islam is unity, and only Iman is Islam. Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. Applying these 12 steps to the following definition of Shukr, gives us another way of looking at "how it works". "Shukr (A) (pl. shukur). Contentment arising out of gratitude; the state within the inner patience known as sabr; that which is kept within the treasure chest of patience. Lit.: gratitude; thankfulness." "Ya Shakur - one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. To have shukr with the help of the One who is true shukr." Step 1. God is good. God is shukr, contentment and gratitude. Step 2. Only God is good. Only God is shukr, contentment and gratitude. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God There is nothing other than shukr, contentment and gratitude. Shukr is what is there in everyone and everything, that is the truth of everyone and everything, that is the reality of everyone and everything, not lack of shukr, not lack of contentment and lack of gratitude. This is what should ground us in all situations, this is what should support us in all situations, this is what should support us, and help us, and see us through each and every situation of our life, the realty of us, the truth of us, that is always there within us, and never leaves us, because it cannot leave us, because it is the "us" of us, it is the "us" of us that is permanent, that is immovable, that is immutable (not capable of or susceptible to change), as the basis of us, as the life within the life of us, as the God of us, as the True Man of us. Anything other than this, that is being experienced is not us, is not "who we are", is not "where we are", is not "what is happening" in our life, is something else, is someone else, but not us, and has to do with something God is doing, has to do with understanding that "There is nothing other than God", has to do with that God is doing to us, to Himself through us, to help us, to support us, to move us forward in our journey, in the journey that God sent us on, as His representative, as His Messenger, as His Son, to "teach us what we do not know", so we can become One with Him, so we can become Him, so He can reveal Himself for the benefit of all of the Creation of God. As the apple seed becomes hidden within the earth so it can reveal the apple tree that is hidden within it, and as such them are one, one within the other as one, one revealing the other within it, as one hides oneself within the one that is being revealed. And as such True Man and God are one, one within the other as one, one revealing the other within it, one hiding oneself within the other as the other is revealed from within it. Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. Step 6. Islam is unity and only Iman is Islam. Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. End of Discussion of Chat Topic 2 ------- 3. About Picking Up And Putting Down So in truth there is no picking up without putting down, no "new" of us without discarding the "old" of us, like there is no apple tree without the destruction of the apple seed, because the apple tree is hidden within the apple seed, and is only revealed when the apple seed realizes, understands, accepts, and joins with this truth about itself, which is the story of the apple tree hidden within it, and joins with the earth to germinate, to destroy itself as it is currently being experiences, and reveal the apple tree hidden within it. To destroy the life surrounding the apple seed buried in the earth, the life of the two coverings of the apple seed that protects the apple seed from the earth it is buried within, from being destroyed by the earth it is buried within, and reveal the apple tree hidden within it. In this way, we must be putting down what we are currently holding onto, as "who we are", as "where we are", and as "what is happening" in our life, putting down the life that surrounds the "Seed of God's Grace" buried within the "Earth of God's Grace", putting down the life that surrounds the Seed of God buried within the Creation of God, putting down the life that now surrounds our soul, putting down the life of mind and desire, the life of separation and differences, the life that we are currently experiencing as existing "outside" of us, that now surrounds our soul, that now surrounds the Seed of God buried within the Creation of God within us. So the truth of our life can be revealed, so the "Tree of God's Grace" can be revealed within the "Seed of God's Grace" within the "Earth of God's Grace" within us, so God can give us an experience, of "who He is" within us, and of "where He is" within us, and of "what He is doing" within us. So in each situation, we must realize that what we are experiencing within us, as "who we are", is something less than the experience of "who God is" within us, in the same situation, like the difference between God's shukr, God's contentment and gratitude in each situation, and our lack of shukr, our lack of contentment and gratitude in each situation, And when we experience our lack of shukr, our lack of contentment and gratitude, in a situation that we are experiencing, as "what is happening" to "us, then hand what we have, what we are currently experiencing, to God, with the intention that God transform it into what He has, into what He is experiencing in that same situation, with the faith and trust that God will then hand us back what He has. For example, that God will take our lack of shukr, that we are currently experiencing in a situation, and harvest out of it His shukr, His contentment and gratitude, and then hand His shukr to us. In this way, and only in this way, does what we have become valuable, having been transformed by God into something valuable, through our partnership with God. My dearest loving brothers and sisters, may we both think about these beautiful wisdom points a little. End of Discussion of Chat Topic 3 ------- End of Discussion of Some Chat 4 Topics ................................... |
Spiritual Chat 4 - Outline & Summary Version About Spiritual Chat 4 Title: "Say 'Bawa', And Not Be There, Letting God Be There" Date: February, 14, 2002 - Discussion of Some Chat 4 Topics Chat Between: Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen (Louie Beutler) and Rumi Library Navigation Tree Go To Spiritual Chat 3 Chat 4 - Related Material Page 1 of 2 Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. My love you, my dearest brothers and sisters. Outline of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction ................................. Summary of Introduction or Text of Introduction Summary of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction Our dialogues are even deeper than the dialogues of Plato, and you can join us in these Spiritual dialogues, if you like, by downloading the new Free AIM Instant Messaging Software. Click HERE to download the Free AIM IM software. 2. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God Once we get it, one we understand how the path of God really works, it becomes very easy, and all of our difficulties become something else, they become what is standing between us and God, between us and our fun, not something that "we" have to over come or correct, but rather what God has to remove from within us, so we as His Children can have fun, can play with God in the "Presence of God", can sit on God's lap while Bawa "teaches us what we do no know" 3. The Nature of The Path of God The path of God is joining in partnership with God within us, so God can finish what God has started within us, which is to reveal True Man within the Creation of God within us, so True Man within us can reveal God within True Man, and we start this journey, in this age, by realizing, understanding, accepting, and joining with His Holiness, with our Father, with the life and teaching of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). There is no other way for this age. 4. About Picking Up And Putting Down We cannot pick anything new up unless at the same time we are putting something old down, because all of the "new" of us has been hidden by God within the "old" of us, like the apple tree is hidden within the apple seed, the apple seed that is hidden within the two coverings of the apple seed, that protect the apple seed from being prematurely destroyed by the earth that it is buried within. In this way, we must put down the two coverings of the "Seed of Us", the soul of us, which is our mind and desire, so our wisdom can liberate and join with our sixth life, our soul life, our light life, removing Jesus (may the blessings of God be upon Him) from the cross of this 5 elemental body, allowing the "Seed of Us" to germinate and reveal the "Tree of Us", the wisdom life of us, to reveal True Man within the Creation of God, as the Oneness of God and His Creation. 5. An Uninvestigated Life Is An Unlived Life We must come to understand the schemes of the mind, that define us as separate from God, as separate from each other, and as separate from the Creation of God, and realize that this is the source of our sorrow and suffering, these schemes of our mind, which only our wisdom can cut. For as His Holiness teaches us about the cause of our suffering in Chapter 1, in "Sandakumaran's Song", in the book, "Maya Veeram or The Forces of Illusion", starting on page 8, "What is the cause of suffering? Your mind engulfs you and gathers in sorrow. You fail to understand this wisely O man, and conclude these must be the trials of God. The sorrow and torment, the demons that attack and bring turbulence to your life, will be destroyed when wisdom cuts the schemes of your mind." "What suffering can there be then? Analyze and examine yourself, then you will know the state of being one with God. What other bliss can there be. Know this." 6. How To Merge With The Guru Merge with the Guru by realizing, understanding, accepting, and joining with the life and teaching of God for this age, which is the life and teaching of our Father, Shaikh Muhammad Rahim Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him). Click HERE to read Spiritual Discourse 1, by His Holiness, "How To Merge With The Guru", given to us by His Holiness on April, 26, 1972. 7. Page Turners On The Path of God We must make everything an opportunity to dialogue with Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him), by falling into the life of "oneness with" within us, not as an opportunity to dialogue with the world, by falling into the life of "separation from" within us. 8. Settling Into Stillness Through The Realization That Everything Is Perfect We must do this by realizing that God is in charge, not us, for as His Holiness teaches in the Epilogue of the book, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi", page 140, "Our entire life and everything that happens to us is conducted by Allah, not by us. He is the One who carries out everything. He is responsible for the cause and the effect." Click HERE to read the entire text of this quote, in the "Epilogue" from the book, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi", by His Holiness, beginning on page 140. 9. The Only Way To Win The Drama of Our Life Is Not To Play To stop the drama of our life we must be certain, without the slightest doubt, that there is absolutely nothing for us to do, that there is nothing for as a life separate from God, to add to what God has already done, and is already doing, at every level within every creation. 10. Become The Children of God For This Age To become the Child of God for this age, this age of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (may God be pleased with Him) we must learn to sit on the lap of God let Bawa "teach us what we do not know" Text of Spiritual Chat 1. Introduction MuhaiyaddeenLB: Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. In the name of God the most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Rumismith: Al salam alaykum, dear Shaikh Muhaiyaddeen. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Wa 'alaykun al-salam, Rumismith. MuhaiyaddeenLB: We are trying out the new AIM Instant Messaging System, which is a little different from the AOL one, which you can only use if you have AOL. The AIM IM is free for anyone using the Internet, and you can do a lot more with it, like talking directly to each other and transferring files. Also, with it you can send Links, like Spiritual Letter 14, at : www.SpiritualLetter014.homestead.com. Try out this Link and see if it works for you. Click HERE to download the Free AIM IM System. Rumismith: I am asking Bawa inside what to say or write. I am still going over our dialogues of the past couple of times, I was reading them last night, my heart was really open, so much wisdom is in those words. At work I am reading the Dialogues of Plato but our dialogues are even deeper. MuhaiyaddeenLB: They certainly are. Rumismith: Let me try out the Link. 2. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God MuhaiyaddeenLB: Once you get it, how the path of God really works, it becomes very easy. For example, just look at the face of a child while the child is playing, and learning something new, and you will realize how easy it is. Once we understand this, then all of the darkness within us becomes what is standing between us and God, between us and our fun, between us and our only real fun which is standing in the "presence of God", rather than something that "we" have to over come or correct, but rather what God has to remove from within us, so we as His Children can have fun, so we as His Children can stand in "His Presence", not "our presence", not "our presence" which in truth is the darkness within us, the darkness within us that has grown over the light within us, which is "God's Presence" within us, the oneness of God and His Children within us. And like any Good Child, when these difficulties appear within us, when this darkness of "our presence", this darkness of "us" as separate from God rises up within us, we then call out to our Mother to get rid of them, to remove all these unnecessary things, that are interfering with our play, with our fun. This is the path of God, a Child of God playing in the "Presence of God", not the personal struggle that we have made it into through our ignorance. MuhaiyaddeenLB: It is this separating from us of all the things that separate us from God, by turning to God to separate them from us, not by personally doing battle with these things of separation, that makes the path easy. Our doing battle with them only strengthens them, like Bawa's story of the elephant and the armadillo. Click HERE for Bawa's story of the elephant and the armadillo, and for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God 3. The Nature of The Path of God Rumismith: Yes, that is how it felt today. You see people seem to be my big button pushers. MuhaiyaddeenLB: We were just reading the definition of the term shukr in the book by His Holiness, "Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi". It is the whole path, as follows: "Shukr (A) (pl. shukur). Contentment arising out of gratitude; the state within the inner patience known as sabr; that which is kept within the treasure chest of patience. Lit.: gratitude; thankfulness." "Ya Shakur - one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. To have shukr with the help of the One who is true shukr." In this way, we can only truly have shukr, contentment and gratitude, by turning to God, to Ya Shakur, to the One of shukr, the One of Contentment and Gratitude, when we experience our lack of shukr, our lack of True Contentment and Gratitude. Click HERE for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - The Nature of The Path of God 4. About Picking Up And Putting Down MuhaiyaddeenLB: In this way, we need to look at what we say, and learn that something else within us is saying these things, not us, and begin to disassociate ourselves from them, and instead associate ourselves more with God. Remember, His Holiness teaches us that we cannot pick anything new up unless at the same time we are putting something old down, because all of the "new" of us has been hidden by God within the "old" of us, like the apple tree is hidden with the apple seed. Click HERE for a discussion of this Wisdom Topic - About Picking Up And Putting Down. For example, take the things you last said, "You see people seem to be my big button pushers". Who said that? Within that one sentence is a wealth of information about the things within you that need to be handed to God, the things within you that are separate from God, and cause you to be separate from your brothers and sisters, and from all of the Creation of God within you, a wealth of information about what these things within you are pushing, the agenda of separation that they have, and the belief structure that has grown around you, because of them, because of their life of darkness within you, that is false. Bawa calls this the schemes of the mind. Also Bawa teaches us, that, "What separates us from God is what separates us from each other, and what separates us from each other is what separates us from God". 5. An Uninvestigated Life Is An Unlived Life You know, all day today when I was with my little boy, I asked myself where do the words come from, who or what is saying them. I just went deep inside to listen. I didn't get an answer, but it felt good to have that awareness. MuhaiyaddeenLB: For Earlier Point: And it is only wisdom that can cut these schemes of the mind. So the trick is to take what "you" think, as separate from God, as not the correct thinking, but just as what is being given to you, by your mind and desire, by what has in your ignorance grown within you, covering the life of the soul within you, covering the life of "oneness with" within you, with the life of "separation from" within you, and rather than getting into it, rather than getting into "you" thinking, as separate from God, instead hand it, hand it to Bawa. For New Point: Yes, that awareness is wisdom, it is a connection to something within you other than "you", other than the "you" that is separate from God, other than the mind. There is an old saying that I heard growing up, that an uninvestigated life is an unlived life. It is sort of like that. The value of what you experience, like what you just shared, is investigating it, is opening it up to see what is inside of it, not living it as you. None of it, as separate from God, is you. You are of God, and of the things of God, the things that God is one with, not of the things that you are experiencing that only exist as separate from God. 6. How To Merge With The Guru MuhaiyaddeenLB: Today's project is the beautiful discourse given by Bawa on April 26, 1972, "How to Merge With The Guru", and He opens this discourse with the following quote: Beginning of quote ------- " I am telling (this to) my children who are members of the Fellowship. There are about one hundred members, who are members of the Fellowship, and who have accepted the Guru, who have accepted me as your Guru." "It is only when you hold onto a Guru, and rest on the Guru, that you can develop your own wisdom and grace. You must take your heart and merge that heart with the heart of the Guru, and you must take all of your responsibilities and hand it over to the Guru as His responsibilities". End of quote ------- A copy of this discourse is now available as Spiritual Discourse 1 at: www.SpiritualDiscourse001.homestead.com. Try and access this one too. Rumismith: Beautiful - what a gift. What a purpose of life. I certainly will access it. 7. Page Turners On The Path of God MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is the trick of this tricky business, finding ways to keep Bawa, and the life and teaching of Bawa in front of you. Mitch Gilbert used to call it setting up page-turners in your life, setting up things that keep you in front of your Shaikh. In this way, you are tricking your own mind. It really works. So instead of living in the world, you are living in the heart of Bawa tricking "yourself", tricking the "you" of "separation from", allowing the you of "oneness with" to emerge, which is Bawa, tricking your mind and desire with your wisdom. This really helps keep us as a light little child, rather than a dark big adult, and it becomes the game of our life, joining with Bawa against "you". 8. Settling Into Stillness Through The Realization That Everything Is Perfect Rumismith: Yes, it takes practice. Today when I was trying to have awareness of who or what is speaking (from within me), I was in touch with that Truth inside and I tried to speak only from that point, but then automatic responses just kept coming out. MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is very good, but gradually make speaking something that has to be pulled out of you by Bawa, not something that you are trying to improve. In this way, let speaking happen within you, rather than being the one who speaks. Become the one who is silent within so the one who is now silent within you can become the one who speaks from within you. Rumismith: I understand. MuhaiyaddeenLB: In this way, Bawa teaches us that, "Only God can make the one who speaks silent, and the one who is silent speak". So the value of our speaking is to hear it, disassociate from it as "you" speaking, but rather as the speech that is coming from within you, from the mind and desire within you, from the life of separation and differences that has grown within you, no matter how exalted it may sound, and then hand it, hand it to God so God can make it silent, and harvest out of it the silent one who now speaks, and as the silent one speaks we hear it, just like everyone else hears it, but we don't have a sense of being it, of being the one who is speaking. This is the experience of this child. This is how we "settle into stillness through the realization that everything is perfect", and since it is all perfect, there is nothing for us to say. This is the ummi, the unlearned one, the unlearned, illiterate one, which is a title given to Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him), the Ummi Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him). 9. The Only Way To Win The Drama of Our Life Is Not To Play MuhaiyaddeenLB: If something needs to be said, like right now, then God has to come and say it, not us. It is this refusing to participate that causes the mind to sit down. For as Bawa teaches us, "The only way to win the drama of our life is not to play." It is the belief that we have something to offer, that there is something for us to do, that keeps our mind active. So it is the realization that "we", as "separate from", have nothing to offer, nothing to say, that in truth there is nothing of value for us, as the life of "separate from", to do. It is this realization that causes our mind to sit down. In this way, we must be certain, without the slightest doubt, that there is absolutely nothing for us, as a life separate from God, to add to what God has already done, and is already doing, at every level within every creation. This is why Bawa teaches us, that, "To find fault with any of the Creation of God is to find fault with God, because God is the one who is conducting every life, and everything affecting every life." Rumismith: Yes, I always think I should say something, because the other person is expecting it. MuhaiyaddeenLB: Right. Instead, sit back and watch the show, God's show. It is all perfect - until we say something, or try to do something, or try to see, hear, smell, taste, touch or understand something, as separate from God. Rumismith: Al hamdu lillah. This is the Truth. MuhaiyaddeenLB: All we do, when we try to act or live as separate from God, is interfere with what God is doing with our life, with His life within our life, not add to it, or correct it, or improve it. This is the heart of it. 10. Become The Children of God For This Age MuhaiyaddeenLB: Having fun? Rumismith: Fun? These words are blessings upon blessings. Ambrosia. MuhaiyaddeenLB: That is fun, God's fun. We must realize it. Life is fun, that is the way it is when God is in charge. Again, use the little child as the guide to life, the little child is always having fun, knowing that everything is Ok. End Page 1 of 2 of Spiritual Chat 4 - Outline & Summary Version - ........................................... Spiritual Chat 4: Related Material or Discussion of Some Chat Topics This material is normally accessed from within the Chat, but can be read separately here. List of Discussion Chat Topics 1. Separating From Us What Is Separating Us From God Remember the story by His Holiness about the elephant that got bitten by the armadillo. Beginning of quote ------- "An elephant put its trunk in the wrong place, in a hole in the ground, and an armadillo living in that hole, thinking it was being attacked, bit into the trunk of the elephant. The elephant feeling the pain pulled outs its trunk with the armadillo still holding onto its trunk, for dear life, thinking something was trying to kill it." End of quote ------- Now the question that His Holiness asked, was what should the elephant do to escape from the armadillo now attached to his nose, which if not removed would eventually kill the elephant, preventing the elephant from eating, drinking, and breathing properly? And His Holiness gave two answers, first what the unwise elephant did, and then what the wise elephant did, in this circumstance. And we, that is "you" and "I", are both types of elephants, depending on the state we are in, depending on who we are trusting in to eat, drink, and breath properly. His Holiness said, Beginning of quote ------- "Now the unwise elephant, in its panic, in its fear for its life, in its belief that it had to attack what was attacking it, started to beat the armadillo on the end of its trunk against the nearest tree, thinking incorrectly that if it hurt the armadillo it would let go, but the pain it gave the armadillo had the opposite effect, because the nature of the armadillo, when it is holding onto something, in fear of its life, is to hold on tighter and tighter as it is hurt more and more." "So the more the elephant banged the armadillo against the tree the deeper and deeper the armadillo bit into the trunk of the elephant, until the elephant became exhausted, and eventually died." "But the wise elephant didn't panic, instead it trusted in God for its life, and for the protection of itself, and through its faith and trust in God it was able to reflect on its condition without fear, but with faith, and immediately ran to a nearby pond and put its trunk in the water, submerging the armadillo beneath the water." "Immediately the armadillo realized it was under the water, and the fear of drowning was greater than its fear of being attacked, so it let go of the trunk of the elephant and swam to the surface of the water, free the elephant and the armadillo from all danger." End of quote ------- End of Discussion of Chat Topic 1 ------- 2. The Nature of The Path of God Our peace comes from understanding "how it works" and being able to deal with everything that comes to us by turning to this understanding of "how it works", preventing what comes to us from overwhelming us, or catching us, or making us overly happy or sad, helping us put everything into its proper perspective, helping us realize the value of the things that come to us, what to do with them to profit from the experience, and in this way, to harvest the maximum value from the experience, and what not to do to avoid the inherent danger in every experience in the world, because like the honey bee, each experience has both honey and a stinger. This definition of Sabr shows us clearly "how it works". Lets review "how it works" in steps. Step 1. God is good. Step 2. Only God is good. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God. Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. The understanding that occurs through contrast, the contrast of unity and the lack of unity. In this way, the nature of the Creation of God is both unity and lack of unity, and as unity, is the Oneness of God and His Creation, which is the Secret of His Creation, the Secret of God that is hidden by God within each of His Creation when He Created it, when He gave it form, when He looked at it allowing it to manifest or exist as a form separate from Him, but not as a life separate from Him. In this way, God Creates, Protects and Nourishes the form of His Creation, as He secretly exists as its life within its form, allowing it to exist as "separate from" Him, for His higher purpose, which is to reveal Himself, for the benefit of all of His Creation. As such God as the life within His Creation is "one with" His Creation, while the form of His Creation is "separate from" God, and "separate from" all of the rest of the Creation of God. In this way, the nature of the Creation of God is both unity and lack of unity, is both "one with" and "separate from", is both God and the opposite or the contrast to God, through which the understanding of God can occur, is both life and form, is both Secret and manifestation, is both Sirr and sifat. Step 6. Islam is Unity, and only Iman Is Islam Islam is unity or tawhid, which is the principle tenet of Islam, is the affirmation of this truth, the affirmation of the unity of Allah, and this unity of Allah, this Islam is only reflected from the purified heart of Iman, of absolute faith, certitude, and determination in God, and reflected in the face of God's beauty, which is the heart or aham and the face or muham of Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of God be upon Him). Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. And as such, is the Secret hidden by God within each of His Creation, when God looks at it and gives it a form, a form which is "separate from" God, but with a life that is God, is "one with" God. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. So the purpose of the Creation of God is to provide the contrast so understanding can occur, to provide the contrast of "one with" and "separation from" so understanding, the understanding of the life of God, the Secret of God hidden within the manifestation or form of the Creation of God, which is True Man, can occur. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. The Creation of God that has the consciousness to understand God, to understand the nature of God hidden within the Creation of God, which is unity, which is "one with", which is the life of God within the form of all of the Creation of God, through the contrast provided by the form of the Creation of God, through the contrast provided by the form of "separate from". Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. The path is extracting the Oneness of God and His Creation from His Creation, is extracting the Secret from the manifestation, is extracting the "one with" from within the "separate from", is extracting True Man out of the Creation of God. Step 11. The path is walked by not walking alone. It is walked by not walking as the Creation of God, by not walking as "separate from", by not walking as the form of the Creation of God, but by walking in partnership with God, by walking as the Oneness of God and His Creation hidden within His Creation, by walking as "one with", by walking as the life of God within the Creation of God. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. This is our path in the world, in the dunya within us, which is the 18,000 universes within us, allowing True Man within us to reveal God within the Creation of True Man, which is akhirah within us, which is firdaus or the Kingdom of God within us. In summary, these 12 steps are: Step 1. God is good. Step 2. Only God is good. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. Step 6. Islam is unity, and only Iman is Islam. Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. Applying these 12 steps to the following definition of Shukr, gives us another way of looking at "how it works". "Shukr (A) (pl. shukur). Contentment arising out of gratitude; the state within the inner patience known as sabr; that which is kept within the treasure chest of patience. Lit.: gratitude; thankfulness." "Ya Shakur - one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. To have shukr with the help of the One who is true shukr." Step 1. God is good. God is shukr, contentment and gratitude. Step 2. Only God is good. Only God is shukr, contentment and gratitude. Step 3. There is nothing other than God, You Are God, And Muhammad Is The Messenger of God There is nothing other than shukr, contentment and gratitude. Shukr is what is there in everyone and everything, that is the truth of everyone and everything, that is the reality of everyone and everything, not lack of shukr, not lack of contentment and lack of gratitude. This is what should ground us in all situations, this is what should support us in all situations, this is what should support us, and help us, and see us through each and every situation of our life, the realty of us, the truth of us, that is always there within us, and never leaves us, because it cannot leave us, because it is the "us" of us, it is the "us" of us that is permanent, that is immovable, that is immutable (not capable of or susceptible to change), as the basis of us, as the life within the life of us, as the God of us, as the True Man of us. Anything other than this, that is being experienced is not us, is not "who we are", is not "where we are", is not "what is happening" in our life, is something else, is someone else, but not us, and has to do with something God is doing, has to do with understanding that "There is nothing other than God", has to do with that God is doing to us, to Himself through us, to help us, to support us, to move us forward in our journey, in the journey that God sent us on, as His representative, as His Messenger, as His Son, to "teach us what we do not know", so we can become One with Him, so we can become Him, so He can reveal Himself for the benefit of all of the Creation of God. As the apple seed becomes hidden within the earth so it can reveal the apple tree that is hidden within it, and as such them are one, one within the other as one, one revealing the other within it, as one hides oneself within the one that is being revealed. And as such True Man and God are one, one within the other as one, one revealing the other within it, one hiding oneself within the other as the other is revealed from within it. Step 4. The nature of God is unity. Step 5. The nature of the Creation of God is understanding. Step 6. Islam is unity and only Iman is Islam. Step 7. True Man is the Oneness of God and His Creation. Step 8. Understanding only occurs through contrast. Step 9. Man is the Creation of God that can understand God. Step 10. The path is extracting the life of Creation out of the form of Creation. Step 12. The path is completed when True Man has been revealed within us. End of Discussion of Chat Topic 2 ------- 3. About Picking Up And Putting Down So in truth there is no picking up without putting down, no "new" of us without discarding the "old" of us, like there is no apple tree without the destruction of the apple seed, because the apple tree is hidden within the apple seed, and is only revealed when the apple seed realizes, understands, accepts, and joins with this truth about itself, which is the story of the apple tree hidden within it, and joins with the earth to germinate, to destroy itself as it is currently being experiences, and reveal the apple tree hidden within it. To destroy the life surrounding the apple seed buried in the earth, the life of the two coverings of the apple seed that protects the apple seed from the earth it is buried within, from being destroyed by the earth it is buried within, and reveal the apple tree hidden within it. In this way, we must be putting down what we are currently holding onto, as "who we are", as "where we are", and as "what is happening" in our life, putting down the life that surrounds the "Seed of God's Grace" buried within the "Earth of God's Grace", putting down the life that surrounds the Seed of God buried within the Creation of God, putting down the life that now surrounds our soul, putting down the life of mind and desire, the life of separation and differences, the life that we are currently experiencing as existing "outside" of us, that now surrounds our soul, that now surrounds the Seed of God buried within the Creation of God within us. So the truth of our life can be revealed, so the "Tree of God's Grace" can be revealed within the "Seed of God's Grace" within the "Earth of God's Grace" within us, so God can give us an experience, of "who He is" within us, and of "where He is" within us, and of "what He is doing" within us. So in each situation, we must realize that what we are experiencing within us, as "who we are", is something less than the experience of "who God is" within us, in the same situation, like the difference between God's shukr, God's contentment and gratitude in each situation, and our lack of shukr, our lack of contentment and gratitude in each situation, And when we experience our lack of shukr, our lack of contentment and gratitude, in a situation that we are experiencing, as "what is happening" to "us, then hand what we have, what we are currently experiencing, to God, with the intention that God transform it into what He has, into what He is experiencing in that same situation, with the faith and trust that God will then hand us back what He has. For example, that God will take our lack of shukr, that we are currently experiencing in a situation, and harvest out of it His shukr, His contentment and gratitude, and then hand His shukr to us. In this way, and only in this way, does what we have become valuable, having been transformed by God into something valuable, through our partnership with God. My dearest loving brothers and sisters, may we both think about these beautiful wisdom points a little. End of Discussion of Chat Topic 3 ------- End of Discussion of Some Chat 4 Topics ................................... |
This page was last updated on: March 15, 2002
