88. Passion 2
Sobriety and Patience
Is better than Passion,
They become wine to those
Who have passed the state of intoxication.
……….
Chapter 1 'The Dam.SunSun.Ana' circa June 2004
Sobriety and Patience
Is better than Passion,
They become wine to those
Who have passed the state of intoxication.
……….
Chapter 1 'The Dam.SunSun.Ana' circa June 2004
In my stumbling path across the mystic-scape of old saints, I have come across terms like spiritual intoxication and drunkenness. Dear old Hallaj spouted the ‘heretical’ words ‘Ana al-Haqq!’ in such a state, and the poor fellow lost his head because of it. I do not wish to lose my head. Having my head attached to my torso for a good 40 years, I have become fond of it. I would feel weird to walk about without it.
I can do passion easy. I can do drunk and under-the-table-spiritual-ecstasy with two hands tied behind my back. So obviously I am suppose to go in the opposite direction. In the Guide-to-Life manual I have in my heart, the caption reads – GO THIS WAY. TO SOBRIETY AND PATIENCE. Okay, okay… I am going, but I am not going to enjoy it!
Hehehe
You know, I bitch a lot. But the truth is I do want to be patient. I don’t want to be a dog whose bark is worse than his bite. I don’t want to even bark. I want to be Paris Hilton’s pooch-in-a-bag sorta canine - harmless and polite. This may be the only paragraph on the internet where you will read the heiress’s name together with the Prophet. But I am leading you somewhere. About 3 years ago, I met a king in his palace. It was a small palace, but there was a royal arch and ancient cannons rested at each side, ready to repel republicans. In his royal court sat me and a couple of my good buddies. We smoked and chatted at ease. Then in a matter-of-fact sorta way the king suddenly said that the Prophet Muhammad spoke to him last night (Eh?!), and said that many people are trying to follow his traditions (Sunnah) but few willing to follow his Sunnah of Patience. I remember writing a poem of this surreal incident…
I can do passion easy. I can do drunk and under-the-table-spiritual-ecstasy with two hands tied behind my back. So obviously I am suppose to go in the opposite direction. In the Guide-to-Life manual I have in my heart, the caption reads – GO THIS WAY. TO SOBRIETY AND PATIENCE. Okay, okay… I am going, but I am not going to enjoy it!
Hehehe
You know, I bitch a lot. But the truth is I do want to be patient. I don’t want to be a dog whose bark is worse than his bite. I don’t want to even bark. I want to be Paris Hilton’s pooch-in-a-bag sorta canine - harmless and polite. This may be the only paragraph on the internet where you will read the heiress’s name together with the Prophet. But I am leading you somewhere. About 3 years ago, I met a king in his palace. It was a small palace, but there was a royal arch and ancient cannons rested at each side, ready to repel republicans. In his royal court sat me and a couple of my good buddies. We smoked and chatted at ease. Then in a matter-of-fact sorta way the king suddenly said that the Prophet Muhammad spoke to him last night (Eh?!), and said that many people are trying to follow his traditions (Sunnah) but few willing to follow his Sunnah of Patience. I remember writing a poem of this surreal incident…
.
28. Patience is my way
They wear my beard,
They wear my perfume,
They rejoice in my many ways,
But in their dealings with God,
With men and with themselves,
They do not wear my patience.
Is it a surprise
That in this way,
They wear themselves out?
……….
Chapter 23 'My Lord has Answered me' circa March 2007
They wear my beard,
They wear my perfume,
They rejoice in my many ways,
But in their dealings with God,
With men and with themselves,
They do not wear my patience.
Is it a surprise
That in this way,
They wear themselves out?
……….
Chapter 23 'My Lord has Answered me' circa March 2007
We do wear ourselves out. Because of impatience. If I had a dollar for every time I was impatient, Bill Gates would be a pauper next to me. Impatience is like the evil Ring of Sauron, and I am Gollum. When I am impatient I get angry. When I get angry I get ugly just like Gollum. And suddenly I feel my very soul stretched to an almost breaking point. Not a nice thing to happen. A Master once advised his student to carry a compact mirror. So that every time the student gets angry, he should whisk the mirror out and take a good look at his scowling reflection. He can then change his face back to normal - Control his impatience, tame his anger and put the bridle and saddle back on the donkey we call our Ego.
Some time later in 2007, I recorded this little banter about Prophet Muhammad…
Some time later in 2007, I recorded this little banter about Prophet Muhammad…
18. Loving me
Loving me,
Is to learn patience,
And pass through each ‘you’,
Until you find me.
It will not be easy,
But ease is not for this life,
Not if it is to be worthwhile,
Dear friend,
Ask the stars, if you will,
Ask the moons and the sun,
Ask the arch angels and the cherubims,
Is there any better end for you than coming to me?
They shall not answer you completely,
For their wisdom does not encompass my reality,
But for you? Oh blessed you, you need only to find me!
……….
Chapter 26. 'Stay Clear' circa November 2007
Loving me,
Is to learn patience,
And pass through each ‘you’,
Until you find me.
It will not be easy,
But ease is not for this life,
Not if it is to be worthwhile,
Dear friend,
Ask the stars, if you will,
Ask the moons and the sun,
Ask the arch angels and the cherubims,
Is there any better end for you than coming to me?
They shall not answer you completely,
For their wisdom does not encompass my reality,
But for you? Oh blessed you, you need only to find me!
……….
Chapter 26. 'Stay Clear' circa November 2007
So here I am. Still looking for Muhammad. And finding his words, his love and mercy, and his sanctified patience coming out of the most unexpected of places and people. In the palaces of the mighty, in the pocket of a vagrant, on the lips of a prostitute, in the embrace of a child, in the tears of a businessman, in the smile of a priest, in the regret of a thief - Everywhere and anywhere, I find this Muhammad.
It is a personal thing of course, this mad, mad obsession with the Prophet. I use to agree with Muslims who felt that the word “Mohameddans” instead of “Muslims” is somehow wrong and an intentionally misleading term perpetuated by Orientalists. I do not think so anymore. I would love to be true “Mohameddan”. Indeed, I think that you cannot call yourself a Muslim, if you are not a “Mohameddan” first. I am nowhere near being a Mohameddan. I am not even a step in that direction. But I can hear the call sometimes. It is in the wind and the breeze. And I felt it tonight.
Thank you for reading my sinful ramblings. You are just encouraging me, you know!
Have a great Saturday, sunshine!
Pax Taufiqa.
It is a personal thing of course, this mad, mad obsession with the Prophet. I use to agree with Muslims who felt that the word “Mohameddans” instead of “Muslims” is somehow wrong and an intentionally misleading term perpetuated by Orientalists. I do not think so anymore. I would love to be true “Mohameddan”. Indeed, I think that you cannot call yourself a Muslim, if you are not a “Mohameddan” first. I am nowhere near being a Mohameddan. I am not even a step in that direction. But I can hear the call sometimes. It is in the wind and the breeze. And I felt it tonight.
Thank you for reading my sinful ramblings. You are just encouraging me, you know!
Have a great Saturday, sunshine!
Pax Taufiqa.
2 comments:
Oh, you have had me laughing out loud today. You and I are like two peas in a pod. As my Granny would say, You're both as crazy as bedbugs!" I too do falling under the table drunk with passion and impulse,and soap boxing fist pumping, just call me Madame President :), and too much is never really too much quite well too...sobriety, patience, slow and rational deliberations...not so much. Yet, these are spiritual gifts worthy of God, and traits I so admire in others, rare and wonderful as they are.
Paris Hilton's pooch?? Taufiq...you are a piece of work, a very good and clever, if sometimes, "drunken" piece of work!! Pink bows and a doggie chef too?!!
Ah well, I shall patiently meditate on that...your grateful fan, Nun Tuck
I hope your meditation is giving you some satisfaction! I always try to write what I feel, and offer any netizen who has the awful luck of stumbling into my blog the world according to my love-warped view. Some friends have commented that SURELY the divide between faiths is not so easily bridged over. I say yes. A million times yes. It is easy. When we accept that we are all the same type of fuddy-duddies trying to make a decent life, that we are no better than anyone else, that with knowledge comes responsibility to be kind and tolerant - It is easy!
And of course, bumping into like-hearted kindred spirits like yourself simply affirms my belief. So thank you, Nun Tuck! I am lucky to come across a good Christian. I know you will object to my accusations of you being a "good" Christian. You will throw your hands in the air declaring all sorts of personal imperfections and errors that you have made(and are likely to continue making). Hahaha. You don't fool me!
Again, thank you for dropping by! And sharing a little bit about your Granny!
Pax Taufiqa
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