Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.

Definitely posted under “things I wished I had written”.

Schools of the future

By BEN OKRI

In the future, centres of learning will teach at least one thing we do not teach today: the art of self-discovery. There is nothing more fundamental in education. We turn out students from our universities who know how to give answers, but not how to ask questions.

Our students do not come in contact with the centres of wisdom in our culture. They leave universities with skills for the workplace, but with no knowledge of how to live, or what living is for. They are not taught how to see. They are not taught how to listen. They are not taught the great art of obedience, and how it precedes self-mastery.

Be — A proclamation

“It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. And the practice can be carried out as a group, as a city, as a nation.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

I truly believe that this is emerging at this very moment and it shall continue to unfold. 

For this to happen, education is key. Not the formal education as we know it, but an education for human to be fully human – a blessing to the universe, a vicegerent of the All Compassionate. 

I bow to those who have boldly initiated these moves — who have started to form such communities, provide such education, and live an “alternative” way of living — one that is more compassionate and humane. Those who have shown us that not only this is possible, it is also most certainly desirable. I love you.

I dedicate my life for this vision to manifest. This much I know. As a dear friend once quoted, “our job is to be an awake people… utterly conscious, to attend to our world.”

God knows best and He guides the Way. May He make it easy for us.

Post script: I wanted to write more, but there are no words to add yet. I felt it is important for me to put this out there urgently. A stated intention. A proclamation. A dedication. An invitation. A green light to what is unfolding. I am saying yes to the Universe.

A post for the new year

[dis]honesty

“Honesty.” The word was offered by a friend as a topic for a blog post. I sat with it almost the whole day today. What I realised is that I know very little of what it means. What kept coming up were two words: Truth, and Heart.

How interesting.

To many, myself included, being honest means to not lie. To say what we think — never mind the consequences, or whether it is hurting those around us or even ourselves.

But is that what honesty really means? Or is there more to it than just saying bluntly what’s on top of our mind, or gut? Is what we feel really what we feel or is it only what we think we feel? If it is not, are we then still expressing honesty? Is there any difference between blurting out our pain body and honesty? Are you with me on this?

A talk on Love

A talk I gave towards the end of my first six month course in the Beshara School, UK.

“You must love”
A beautiful poem by Hazreti Uftade.

You have to come soon to the Real
You have to find His wise ones
If you truly cannot find them
With all your soul and with all your heart,
You must love.

Those who have loved have found them
Their souls have reached the Real (God)
Their faith has become whole
With all your soul and with all your heart,
You must love.

Always trace out their tracks
Listen to their beautiful discourse
If you say you would like to see their faces
With all your soul and with all your heart,
You must love

This dervish, this unhappy Uftade,
Has become a beggar on the road of God
May God fulfil his desire
With all your soul and with all your heart,
You must love.

It seems that is what I came here for. To love.

If I do not wake up the next morning

They say
“If everyday you wake up thinking
this could be the last day of your life,
one day you will be right.”

So if I do not wake up the next morning

Let me tell you a tale of an aspiring servant
Whose restlessness would not subside
Until she is one with her true Love

Menyimak Yaa Siin

Semalam menghadiri 1000 harian saudara. Sambil mendengarkan pembacaan surat Yaa Siin dalam bahasa Arab, saya membaca terjemahannya dalam bahasa Indonesia dari awal hingga akhir.

Saya mendapatkan pembelajaran yang belum pernah saya rasakan dari surat ini. Sepanjang pengajian, saya seperti terhanyutkan oleh cerita yang tengah dituturkan kepada saya, diperjalankan dalam aliran lembut proses penciptaan, kehidupan serta perjalanan pulang.

Feel the invitation

When sadness comes early in the morning, dissolve the habitual conclusion that something has gone wrong. When hopelessness, burning, and longing greet you in the night, melt away the dream that you have somehow failed yet again.

“She let go”

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.