Sunday, March 22, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My Quranic Understanding: SOLIDARITY BETWEEN HUMAN BEINGS
The Creator in His infinite wisdom had created diverse cultures, languages and social groupings (peoples, nations and tribes). Why was such diversity created? The Quran gives the following reason:
“O mankind! Indeed We have created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Indeed the most noble of you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things”. (Quran: 49:13)
The purpose is for us to get to know each other. If we do that, we not only learn amazing things about life, we also see the greatness of God. There is no nobility or honor per se belonging to any single social grouping – “Malay”, “Chinese”, “Indian”, “white”, “black”, “Caucasian”, etc. The most honored is the one who is most righteous ie does good deeds and lives decently.
However, some human beings have insisted on turning this diversity into problems and sometimes into causes of immense misery. “Devils” or “Satan” is not necessarily of the Stephan Spielberg Hollywood types. They live among us in the shape of evil minded human beings. They create fears, make empty promises, they rouse people to hate each other and be suspicious of each other. DO not worship such evil people. If you allow them to influence you thoughts and your heart that means you are worshiping them.
"Did I not enjoin on you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan; for that he is to you a clear enemy?- (Quran 36:60)
Fortunately, many more human beings celebrate this diversity and enjoy the pleasure that comes from it. This choice of behavior makes sense – why agonize when you can enjoy? Why hate when love is healing and creates bonds of solidarity between us?
For the life of me, I cannot imagine anyone who claims to believe in a Creator to ever discriminate negatively between human beings on the basis of God’s decision to place them into a specific social grouping. If they do, maybe they should review their belief.
“Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty” (Quran 3:105)
The signs are clear – divided we fall, united we stand.
My Quranic Understanding: FACING LIFE'S CHALLENGES
(Image taken from here with thanks)As we journey through this transient life, there certainly are moments when we are challenged by circumstances, and what seems as hindrances. We feel weak and helpless at times against what we see as problems laid in our path. We go through internal conflicts and prayers of hope. We wish the problematic situation would just dissipate into thin air, go away.
I have always believed that nothing happens in our life in vain. However trivial it may seem to us at the time, there is a purpose for the event. However painful the experience, it is either functional towards our self or preparatory for our continual journey.
Sometimes, the burden of life may seem unbearable and insurmountable. This is not true. The Creator who created us knows the endurance, stamina and capacity of us of each. He does not place on us any burden that we are unable to bear. Each of us can overcome and face the respective challenges in our life. The Creator has promised that. I have always believed in it.
“On no soul does Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which you did lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith." (Quran 2.286)
We must have faith that we have been sufficiently equipped to undertake this journey in life. WE must not be influenced by the others who lack faith and tell us that we are incapable. We must recognize our strengths and use them to overcome our weakness.
“Allah desires that he should make light your burdens, for man was created weak (in flesh)” (Quran 4.028)
PEACE！
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My Quranic Understanding: FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY
“Remember Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them, and said: "No one among men can overcome you this day, while I am near to you": But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels, and said: "Lo! I am clear of you; lo! I see what ye see not; Lo! I fear God: for God is strict in punishment." (Quran 8.48)
It is so often that money, power, family, influence and such leads us into a state of false sense of security. When, whatever we touch seems to turn into gold, we get into a mindset that we are almost immortal. Nothing can ever go wrong, we are duped into thinking. We have it set.
This false sense of security if unchecked may lead to a more dangerous situation of “silent arrogance”. “Silent arrogance” is where, without us being aware, we behave arrogantly towards life. We betray our own promises to ourselves to do the right thing.
We forget what it was to be lacking. We allow the sin of pride to slowly consume us or even worse, we develop a self-righteous personality that becomes detrimental to others’ well being.
We foolishly allow ourselves to deny the reality that whatever is with us must one day be gone. Due to this foolishness or “self cruelty”, we become overcome by the illusion of life.
When the hammer falls, we are usually left alone to ponder, where did we go wrong, why did we do what we did? We are left alone in the lurch because the evil whisperer had fled.
“When distress seizes you at sea, those that you call upon - besides Himself - leave you in the lurch! but when He brings you back safe to land, you turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man!” (Quran 17:67)
“Do you then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when you are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that you shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you?” (Quran 17:68)
who would ever imagine the sea and the waves coming onto the land in the form of a tsunami and snatching away lives from otherwise "safe places"? Who would ever imagine houses and building collapsing?
Something to ponder.
Peace !
NOTE: AS ALWAYS, THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF QURANIC VERSES, AND NO ONE IS UNDER ANY OBLIGATION TO ACCEPT IT NOR IS ANYONE EXPECTED TO AGREE WITH IT.
It is so often that money, power, family, influence and such leads us into a state of false sense of security. When, whatever we touch seems to turn into gold, we get into a mindset that we are almost immortal. Nothing can ever go wrong, we are duped into thinking. We have it set.
This false sense of security if unchecked may lead to a more dangerous situation of “silent arrogance”. “Silent arrogance” is where, without us being aware, we behave arrogantly towards life. We betray our own promises to ourselves to do the right thing.
We forget what it was to be lacking. We allow the sin of pride to slowly consume us or even worse, we develop a self-righteous personality that becomes detrimental to others’ well being.
We foolishly allow ourselves to deny the reality that whatever is with us must one day be gone. Due to this foolishness or “self cruelty”, we become overcome by the illusion of life.
When the hammer falls, we are usually left alone to ponder, where did we go wrong, why did we do what we did? We are left alone in the lurch because the evil whisperer had fled.
“When distress seizes you at sea, those that you call upon - besides Himself - leave you in the lurch! but when He brings you back safe to land, you turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man!” (Quran 17:67)
“Do you then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when you are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that you shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you?” (Quran 17:68)
who would ever imagine the sea and the waves coming onto the land in the form of a tsunami and snatching away lives from otherwise "safe places"? Who would ever imagine houses and building collapsing?
Something to ponder.
Peace !
NOTE: AS ALWAYS, THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF QURANIC VERSES, AND NO ONE IS UNDER ANY OBLIGATION TO ACCEPT IT NOR IS ANYONE EXPECTED TO AGREE WITH IT.
Monday, March 9, 2009
PAIN AND SUFFERING
The whole of last night I could not sleep thinking of Buddha. In fact until now, I have yet to sleep. What kept me awake was the excruciating pain that my tooth was giving me. It was terrible and you just do not know what to do. Toothaches affects both your ears and your head. All dentists are closed and today being a holiday too.
While sitting on my bed, "enjoying" the pain, my mind keeps floating back to Buddha and his questions on pain and suffering. He had asked why is there pain and suffering in life. I am asking the same question now but rhetorically. In one sense, the pain became "bearable" only because I was not sure whether there may be any more painful experiences that I may have to experience in the future. But at this point in time, the pain felt unbearable.
Between the wait for daylight to come and the hope of my dentist friend accommodating me on a holiday, there my mind floated among philosophical questions.
The ying and yang of life. The pain is physically unbearable but I told my mind that that is the yang of life before the ying (joy) comes later .
I always remind a seven year old friend that life is about balance. Ying and yang.
While I wished the toothache would just dissipate and promised to all that is good once it is over (so typically human!), I also could not avoid the thought that it just reminded me again about how dispensable I am in life. One toothache and all my plans go haywire. Human proposes and God disposes becomes so real.
When you have a severe toothache, all you can think about is for the pain to go away. Lofty ideals and the business of life seems suddenly so trivial.
Suddenly all else seems unimportant. You realise that you may have taken life too seriously. Imagine all these thought just due to one toothache. What if I had experienced worse things????
Thank God, 8 am finally arrived and I called up my dentist friend of Maha Dental Surgery, Taman Tun Dr Ismail. He kindly opened his clinic and treated me - being doctor and nurse at one go! Bless him for relieving my pain and working on a holiday. As always, he was kind and as gentle as possible. Do you realize it is difficult to find dental clinics open on public holidays?
The "aftermath" of pain is always the most joyful. I only wish my memory could record it accurately forever as a constant reminder of the things to be grateful for...and not to take life too seriously.
PEACE !
While sitting on my bed, "enjoying" the pain, my mind keeps floating back to Buddha and his questions on pain and suffering. He had asked why is there pain and suffering in life. I am asking the same question now but rhetorically. In one sense, the pain became "bearable" only because I was not sure whether there may be any more painful experiences that I may have to experience in the future. But at this point in time, the pain felt unbearable.
Between the wait for daylight to come and the hope of my dentist friend accommodating me on a holiday, there my mind floated among philosophical questions.
The ying and yang of life. The pain is physically unbearable but I told my mind that that is the yang of life before the ying (joy) comes later .
I always remind a seven year old friend that life is about balance. Ying and yang.
While I wished the toothache would just dissipate and promised to all that is good once it is over (so typically human!), I also could not avoid the thought that it just reminded me again about how dispensable I am in life. One toothache and all my plans go haywire. Human proposes and God disposes becomes so real.
When you have a severe toothache, all you can think about is for the pain to go away. Lofty ideals and the business of life seems suddenly so trivial.
Suddenly all else seems unimportant. You realise that you may have taken life too seriously. Imagine all these thought just due to one toothache. What if I had experienced worse things????
Thank God, 8 am finally arrived and I called up my dentist friend of Maha Dental Surgery, Taman Tun Dr Ismail. He kindly opened his clinic and treated me - being doctor and nurse at one go! Bless him for relieving my pain and working on a holiday. As always, he was kind and as gentle as possible. Do you realize it is difficult to find dental clinics open on public holidays?
The "aftermath" of pain is always the most joyful. I only wish my memory could record it accurately forever as a constant reminder of the things to be grateful for...and not to take life too seriously.
PEACE !
Friday, February 20, 2009
In the NAME OF RELIGION?
Year 2002
For the last several weeks there has been rioting and killing in India. Hundreds have been killed. Today, March 15, 2002, is the day that many fear could engulf the entire sub-continent in a civil war in which millions could die. Ever since the Hindu Nationalist Party, the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), won elections in 1992 and drove the traditional Congress Party from power, tensions have been rising. In 1992, Hindu rioters stormed the oldest Muslim mosque in India, tore it down and reduced it to rubble. This led to riots throughout the country that left 2,000 people dead. Sam Sloan wrote this years ago. Read it here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
August 25, 2008
Hindu-Christian Violence Flares in India?
The remote, destitute state of Orissa, marred for years by Hindu-versus-Christian violence, erupted in a retaliatory killing on Monday after the murder of a Hindu leader led a mob to burn small Christian churches, prayer halls and an orphanage that had housed 21 children? Read here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
10/07/2008
A Coptic Christian so enraged by the conversion of his sister to Islam and subsequent marriage to a Muslim man has murdered his brother-in-law? The attack which targeted the whole family to place in the Cairo apartment of Miriam Atef Khella. Police are now searching for the brother and uncle. Read it here.
12th January 2009
Dancing girl 'murdered by Taliban after refusing to give up traditional performances despite death threats'? Read it here.
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
10/28/2008
Tasleem Solangi (in the photo), a 17-year-old girl, was accused without any proof of "immorality": the young woman was accused of having an "extramarital" relationship, for which reason she was punished by relatives. From the initial reconstruction, it emerges instead that a land dispute was at the origin of the brutal killing. The girl was murdered solely in order to convince her father to sell. Read it here
Inspired by “Buddhism” too?
Read here“Muslims in Burma are not considered to be citizens. They have no rights and often suffer discrimination and indiscriminate killings. Many of them, in particular after 1962, had to flee the country and still today live in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which actually do not welcome them. Although Muslims have taken active part in the 1988 revolt, and paid the consequences more than the Buddhist population, the majority of monks and Buddhists in Burma have anti-Muslim sentiments, in particular based on the fear of possible intermarriages”.
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
Friday, May 18, 2007
First death in Dera, Sikh violence?
Activists of the Dal Khalsa and Damdami Taksal attacked Dera branches at Maur and Mastgarh near Bathinda. Read it here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
OR IS IT JUST THE UGLY SIDE?
Is One God not enough?
What about compassion, kindness, mercy, acceptance, celebration as human beings and humanity?
We need to look deeply within our souls to discover if we really do believe in the Creator and “His overwhelming Mercy.
PEACE!
[NOTE: This article is not meant to insult any religion but merely to share news which shows that people act violently in the name of religion. Those who know me know that I prescribe to the Quranic view: “To you your way and to me, mine”.]
ALERT: Readers, please alert me if there are any factual errors in the news posted. Thank you.
For the last several weeks there has been rioting and killing in India. Hundreds have been killed. Today, March 15, 2002, is the day that many fear could engulf the entire sub-continent in a civil war in which millions could die. Ever since the Hindu Nationalist Party, the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), won elections in 1992 and drove the traditional Congress Party from power, tensions have been rising. In 1992, Hindu rioters stormed the oldest Muslim mosque in India, tore it down and reduced it to rubble. This led to riots throughout the country that left 2,000 people dead. Sam Sloan wrote this years ago. Read it here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
August 25, 2008
Hindu-Christian Violence Flares in India?
The remote, destitute state of Orissa, marred for years by Hindu-versus-Christian violence, erupted in a retaliatory killing on Monday after the murder of a Hindu leader led a mob to burn small Christian churches, prayer halls and an orphanage that had housed 21 children? Read here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
10/07/2008
A Coptic Christian so enraged by the conversion of his sister to Islam and subsequent marriage to a Muslim man has murdered his brother-in-law? The attack which targeted the whole family to place in the Cairo apartment of Miriam Atef Khella. Police are now searching for the brother and uncle. Read it here.
12th January 2009
Dancing girl 'murdered by Taliban after refusing to give up traditional performances despite death threats'? Read it here.
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
10/28/2008
Tasleem Solangi (in the photo), a 17-year-old girl, was accused without any proof of "immorality": the young woman was accused of having an "extramarital" relationship, for which reason she was punished by relatives. From the initial reconstruction, it emerges instead that a land dispute was at the origin of the brutal killing. The girl was murdered solely in order to convince her father to sell. Read it here
Inspired by “Buddhism” too?
Read here“Muslims in Burma are not considered to be citizens. They have no rights and often suffer discrimination and indiscriminate killings. Many of them, in particular after 1962, had to flee the country and still today live in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which actually do not welcome them. Although Muslims have taken active part in the 1988 revolt, and paid the consequences more than the Buddhist population, the majority of monks and Buddhists in Burma have anti-Muslim sentiments, in particular based on the fear of possible intermarriages”.
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
Friday, May 18, 2007
First death in Dera, Sikh violence?
Activists of the Dal Khalsa and Damdami Taksal attacked Dera branches at Maur and Mastgarh near Bathinda. Read it here
Has humanity grown since or is religion still obstructing it?
OR IS IT JUST THE UGLY SIDE?
Is One God not enough?
What about compassion, kindness, mercy, acceptance, celebration as human beings and humanity?
We need to look deeply within our souls to discover if we really do believe in the Creator and “His overwhelming Mercy.
PEACE!
[NOTE: This article is not meant to insult any religion but merely to share news which shows that people act violently in the name of religion. Those who know me know that I prescribe to the Quranic view: “To you your way and to me, mine”.]
ALERT: Readers, please alert me if there are any factual errors in the news posted. Thank you.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Violence of Hypocrisy
The minds of human beings have been trained by our current system to recognize only what is superficial and what is physically imminent. Our kindergartens, schools and universities are geared towards “physical survival studies”. Hence we may produce excellent technocrats but poor human beings. Academically brilliant but with poverty of character.
We often speak against the violence of physical wars. True, wars are destructive, cruel and irrational. But what are the real underlying causes? What is it that makes one human readily and nonchalantly murder children, women, and families in broad day light and then – celebrate the killing as a victory of some dubious cause? Have we ever addressed the roots?
To me, it is totally hypocritical to speak of the sanctity of life and yet in same breath destroy it. To a large extent it is also the hypocritical nature of human beings that has been the cause of untold miseries on earth. The refusal of human beings to recognize and manage this nature. For me, the violence of hypocrisy is far more deadly and destructive than the violence of the physical wars. It encompasses the physical violence.
No wonder then that Allah in the Quran denounces the hypocrites as being worse than the disbelievers. The Quran in chapter Al-Baqarah (2) verse 44 says:
“Do you enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it)
yourselves, and yet you study the Scripture? Will you not understand?”
And further, Allah says it is an odious or hateful attitude to say one thing and to do another:
“O you who believe! Why do you speak of that which you do not do? Grievously odious is it in the sight of God that you say that which you do not”. (Quran 61.2 - 3 )
There must be consistency in behavior, speech and judgment. Any consistent inconsistency in the inner world (our selves) is violent and brings forth violence in the outer world.
2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (Bible: Matthew 7:2-4 (New International Version)
In religion especially, the sin of hypocrisy is rampant.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Bible: Matthew 23.27-28)
The hypocrite wishes to enjoy the approval of his peers and even the perquisites of a religious office by appearing outwardly moral or religious, while inwardly he is not. Furthermore, when hypocrites rise to high position, they set a bad example for ordinary believers and bring religion itself into disrepute. They also exhibit satanic or demonic qualities and unleash violent miseries. We will see behavior that we cannot reconcile with the merciful or the “rahmah” nature of the Divine being.
“Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance; these are the marks of those who are born with demonic qualities, O Arjuna.” (Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 16 verse 10)
The Buddha calls him a Brahman whose passion, hatred, pride, arrogance and hypocrisy has fallen like a mustard from the needle.
IF we accept that hypocrisy is an unavoidable human condition, then the problem will be the failure to manage it. We must learn to hate this hypocrisy and prevent it from externalizing itself into miseries for others and violent consequences for the world.
On the other hand, if we accept that hypocrisy is a sickness, then we must cure this deadly virus.
PEACE !
We often speak against the violence of physical wars. True, wars are destructive, cruel and irrational. But what are the real underlying causes? What is it that makes one human readily and nonchalantly murder children, women, and families in broad day light and then – celebrate the killing as a victory of some dubious cause? Have we ever addressed the roots?
To me, it is totally hypocritical to speak of the sanctity of life and yet in same breath destroy it. To a large extent it is also the hypocritical nature of human beings that has been the cause of untold miseries on earth. The refusal of human beings to recognize and manage this nature. For me, the violence of hypocrisy is far more deadly and destructive than the violence of the physical wars. It encompasses the physical violence.
No wonder then that Allah in the Quran denounces the hypocrites as being worse than the disbelievers. The Quran in chapter Al-Baqarah (2) verse 44 says:
“Do you enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it)
yourselves, and yet you study the Scripture? Will you not understand?”
And further, Allah says it is an odious or hateful attitude to say one thing and to do another:
“O you who believe! Why do you speak of that which you do not do? Grievously odious is it in the sight of God that you say that which you do not”. (Quran 61.2 - 3 )
There must be consistency in behavior, speech and judgment. Any consistent inconsistency in the inner world (our selves) is violent and brings forth violence in the outer world.
2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (Bible: Matthew 7:2-4 (New International Version)
In religion especially, the sin of hypocrisy is rampant.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Bible: Matthew 23.27-28)
The hypocrite wishes to enjoy the approval of his peers and even the perquisites of a religious office by appearing outwardly moral or religious, while inwardly he is not. Furthermore, when hypocrites rise to high position, they set a bad example for ordinary believers and bring religion itself into disrepute. They also exhibit satanic or demonic qualities and unleash violent miseries. We will see behavior that we cannot reconcile with the merciful or the “rahmah” nature of the Divine being.
“Hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance; these are the marks of those who are born with demonic qualities, O Arjuna.” (Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 16 verse 10)
The Buddha calls him a Brahman whose passion, hatred, pride, arrogance and hypocrisy has fallen like a mustard from the needle.
IF we accept that hypocrisy is an unavoidable human condition, then the problem will be the failure to manage it. We must learn to hate this hypocrisy and prevent it from externalizing itself into miseries for others and violent consequences for the world.
On the other hand, if we accept that hypocrisy is a sickness, then we must cure this deadly virus.
PEACE !
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