He was asked, 'What is the way to God?" He answered, "Leave the way and you have arrived at God." I think what he means is if you stop seeing God as a thing or destination and let go, then you'll realize that God comes from within ourselves and he is everywhere. Once you give up everything and let God in, then he will be everywhere.
"This thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it." That didn't make sense at first, but I think what he's trying to say is that you can't go out and find God like a treasure map. You just have to be ready and open and waiting and seek Him into your hearts, and then you'll find him, well more like He'll come to you.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
al-Misri
"The saint becomes more humble every house, for every house he draws nearer to God. The saints see without knowledge, without sight, without information received, without observation, without description, without veiling, and without veil." They are not them themselves, they are God and God is them. Saints know so they don't need to know because God is with them. They are to do God's work and it seems to me that they're suppose to be some kind of consious to people. If they've forgetten about God, remind them. If they're afraid, reassure them.. It sounds like if people are in need or unsure then the Saints should go out and help them be reassured. I like the end, "You are my saints, my beloved: you are mine and I am yours." It reminds us that God is equal and it's possible to be more like him, forgiving, loving, and trusting. And it reminds me that he loves us like equals and doesn't want to rule us. It's intimidating to think of him as the most powerful everything. God must truely be unbelievably amazing to not want to rule us, people with power always want more power or to control everything. But God just lets us be and live. What an amazing everything. I don't want to call him a person or Him or anything like that because he's not, he's everything.
Muhammad
Islam means "surrender to God." When we surrender ourselves fully, there is nothing but God: not even a "there"; not even an "is"; not even a "God."
I think that is my favorite part of the entire reading. I think what he's trying to say is that there is not beginning and no end, and there isn't even a thought of what is God or that there is a God, God is just there and everywhere. No thought needed, it's plain and simple. Like being enlightened, you don't have to think about it to know it, you just simply know it.
The second part of the reading just sounds like it's coming from a preacher. "All that is in the heavens and in the earth magnifies God. He is the all-strong, the all-wise. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth. He gives life and He brings on death and He is omnipotent over all things.." It's weird studying Islam and hearing it the same way the Christians teach. But at the same time where it says things like "Whoever knows himself knows God" and "True religion is surrender" are phrases that remind me of Buddhism back to the clearing your mind thing. I think it all comes down to knowing God. We all were born with him and know he's in us and in everything. So by knowing ourselves or clearing our minds, we can remind ourselves of what we already know deep down.
I think that is my favorite part of the entire reading. I think what he's trying to say is that there is not beginning and no end, and there isn't even a thought of what is God or that there is a God, God is just there and everywhere. No thought needed, it's plain and simple. Like being enlightened, you don't have to think about it to know it, you just simply know it.
The second part of the reading just sounds like it's coming from a preacher. "All that is in the heavens and in the earth magnifies God. He is the all-strong, the all-wise. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth. He gives life and He brings on death and He is omnipotent over all things.." It's weird studying Islam and hearing it the same way the Christians teach. But at the same time where it says things like "Whoever knows himself knows God" and "True religion is surrender" are phrases that remind me of Buddhism back to the clearing your mind thing. I think it all comes down to knowing God. We all were born with him and know he's in us and in everything. So by knowing ourselves or clearing our minds, we can remind ourselves of what we already know deep down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)