A reminder (to return)

I woke up this morning thinking, perhaps I should read a prayer from Ibn Arabi’s book. Somehow, I hesitated, changed my mind, and did not read the prayer.

Then a friend posted this on Facebook. A prayer from that exact same book:

“O God, I ask of You light and guidance, and good behavior in [my] conformity. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul, and from the evil that separates me from You. There is no god but You. Purify my soul from doubt and bad character, from misfortune and negligence. Bestow upon me true servanthood, that I may be obedient to You in all my states…”
(Monday Morning Prayer – The Seven Days of the Heart, Ibn ‘Arabi)

My God. Thank You for your relentless invitation for me to return. I am so sorry for not hearing You well earlier. Thank You so much.

In all my states. Amen.

Celebrating you

I couldn’t resist :p

ps: The pdf version actually looks better. The Pages version even more. But upload function on FB, Twitter, WP, etc restricts file types to picture files such as jpeg. *mumbling of a perfectionist geek*

ChippingIn magz (Jul-Aug 2012)

Things I do during my spare time, e.g. turning blog posts into magazine or newsletter format. Couldn’t resist.

View this document on Scribd

“The woman I love”

THE WOMAN I LOVE
by Hafiz
translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Because the Woman I love lives
Inside of you,

I lean as close to your body with my words
As I can–

And I think of you all the time, dear pilgrim.

Because the One I love goes with you
Wherever you go,
Hafiz will always be near.

If you sat before me, wayfarer,
With your aura bright from your many
Charms,

My lips could resist rushing to you and needing
To befriend your blushed cheek,

But my eyes can no longer hide
The wondrous fact of who
You Really are.

The Beautiful One whom I adore
Has pitched His royal tent inside of you,

So I will always lean my heart
As close to your soul
As I can.

Dear Lord, thank You for …

An English translation of the previous post, which I wrote in Indonesian. Some posts are simply worth writing in both languages.

Dear Lord,

I actually thank You for my life as a whole. So much ease and abundance that you have unceasingly pour into my life.

But for now, I want to be specific. I want to thank You for the feast that You have provided in the last three days for me, and–let me be selfish, just for me.

I thank You for the three days that I spent with a group of magnificent people.

Tuhan, terima kasih untuk …

Dear Tuhan,

Aku sebenarnya berterima kasih atas hidupku. Demikian banyak kemudahan dan keberlimpahan yang tak hentinya Kau tuangkan dalam hidup ini.

Namun, saat ini, aku mau spesifik. Aku ingin berterima kasih atas tiga hari terakhir yang Kau hidangkan untukku, dan, ge-erku, hanya untukku.

Aku berterima kasih atas tiga hari yang kulewati bersama sekelompok manusia luar biasa.

Menjadi Sham

Kuingat, beberapa tahun lalu, aku berdiri di depan pusaramu, Sham-i-tabrizi. Kesederhanaan menyelimuti ruang di sekitarmu. Terbersit dirimu dan sahabatmu, Rumi.

Aku tercenung dan menyadari sesuatu:

Aku ingin sepertimu, Sham. Menjadi seorang Sham untuk seorang Rumi. Menjadi sahabat seperjalanan bagi seorang pecinta penuh kasih. Menjadi lapisan bening bagi warna-warni cemerlang. Menjadi latar untuk sesuatu yang agung. Menjadi tanah bagi suatu bangunan indah. Kasih, warna, keagungan dan keindahan yang menyebar dan membawa manfaat bagi seluruh alam.

Inginku. Semoga selaras dengan ingin-Nya.

Sometimes I do

In your light, I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,
Where no one sees you.

But sometimes I do,
And that light becomes this art.

-Rumi

Breton Fisherman’s prayer

“Dear Lord, be good to me
the sea is so wide
and my boat is so small.”

Say yes

Some years back, I visited a familiar place without knowing what I would do there. I just knew that everything has been arranged for me to get there. So I went.

The host arranged for me special program after program to help me make the best of my stay. I stayed for three months. It was a magnificent three months period beyond my imagination.

Towards the end of my stay, I shared this with my friends there. I said “I didn’t know what I would do, but I came anyway. All I did was say yes.”