I know of hemlock that I may know of bees and their honey,
I know what is wrong that I may do what is right,
I know pain and illness that I may receive relief and comfort,
I know the brightness of day that I may keep by His side through the night,
I know of illiteracy and ignorance that I may receive His Holy Words,
I know of evil that Man do that I may see God's Own Goodness,
I know the bland and dull that I may see His Most Wonderous
Speaking to me in tongues too subtle for men to record,
About Him, His Mercy, He, our God
At His Most Glorious!
........................
Everything is known by their opposites. And this is good news for me as a sinner (and perhaps for you too), for I have sown my sins and tilled the field of my ignorance. I have spread darkness across the horizon of my own world till it has gone all dark. As if the night of my negligence was not dark enough, I have poured into the sky, the blackest ink from my pen.
But now that the dark is getting darker, the sky is getting blacker, I can see the Light shining brighter, and the stars of His Muhammad (saws) and the Companions (ra) radiating brighter and brighter.
It's a karma thing. He he he.
Tahajjud. My ancient friend tells me that "When you wake up in the middle of the night, know that Allah (swt) is calling on you to an intimate congress with him. Take your wuduk (physical and spiritual ablution) and perform the tahajjud (nightly prayers). And see where the Glory in the Night will take you..."
The devil cannot hurt us here. Not our overbearing nafs (lower desires) nor our ego is dominant here. Here in the Ocean of His Mercy, it is His Love that is the Sultan. Far from the shallows where the terrible tripartite hold sway, the water here is clean and pure. The deep sea of His Compassion is the treasure trove of the Prophets and the Saints, and they come here like fishermen, taking what is afforded to each one of them according to His Will... in the safety of His intimacy.
For you see, the devil, the nafs and our ego can only hurt us when we stray into the shallows, and become ourselves shallow. For how can the devil and all our enemies even curse us properly, when they don't even know our secret names? So don't be shallow and petty. Learn to be a servant and swim into His Embrace and be happy and free of these evils.
The Shallow Norms
Come! Come into the waters!
Come as you are,
No matter what they call you,
Believer, unbeliever, sinner
Or the foolish one!
Leave the shallows and the water's edge
For those still distracted
By the norms of their
Religion and Age!
...............
At the dawn of this second day of Ramadan, may Allah (swt) bless you, may Nabi Muhammad (saws) guide you, and may you love and live like a diver in His Mercy Ocean. And if you see me in the shallows (as inevitably I am), struggling like a dimwit with my pretensions of evil and piety, pull me away and take me with you to His Mercy Ocean!
We don't want to know your scandals. But how many times have we inadvertently learn something not so good about one another? And how many times were we tempted to share it with another? And may Allah forgive us, to post it, to tweet it out into cyberspace?
My old friend says - Keep your mouth shut, Notrumi. Instead invite Allah (swt) into your secret parlour for discourse over the ancient weakness of men (that means, you). You will learn more about human nature, and more importantly, far more about yourself, then were you to share it with your closest advisor.
It is laughable, is it not? That a blogger can still keep secrets? But I do try. And when I do I notice God Almighty stringing a path of events that shows us just how much He loves us, and just how important is our love-link to Him through His Beloved Muhammad (saws).
I cannot explain any further. After all... it's a secret!
He he he.
Secret Duties II Allah is the Source of all Secrets,
And we are lost without Him
In the maze of our human confusion,
But it is no secret that
Nabi Muhammad is His Beloved,
And we, the Nation of the Beloved!
Oh, the Banner of Muhammad is made of Light!
Light upon Light!
Run, shadows... run! The secrets I have is not for you!
Muslims often say, "Jihad is not just war. The Jihad ul-Akbar (the Greater Struggle) is the personal struggle against our own ego and nafs (base desires)." Yeah... we say a lot of stuff. But we don't actually mean it, for time and time again, I observe than we are often overwrought and impressed by military history, weapons of destruction and violent sentiments. Of course we couch it in the name of God and His Beloved Muhammad (saws).
So I say now that...
The First Struggle
The first struggle for you
Is to overcome your self-delusion
That you truly understand
What is the Greater Struggle,
And for you to mind your manners with
The ant under your feet,
The woman that you claim to love,
The air that you breathe but do not own,
The God that you claim to worship but Whom you keep distant
And the Prophet that you claim to love but do not follow.
.................
I read someone who decries why Muslims are not "jihad-ing" like how we used to in the past. The struggle, right from the moment of the prophet of Muhammad Habibullah (saws) continues. Look with your heart and see our struggle! Not one moment passes that we are not walking upon the path between right and wrong!
Mika completed his first khatam quran yesterday at his mummy's house.
And it was a struggle. How beautiful it was because it was indeed a struggle!
Ya Maulana, when you looked within me, what did
you see?
Ya Maulana, though we met but for awhile
My heart, since then, has never been free.
..............................
Not too much thought to this posting, sunshine. Just a poem written almost 10 years ago. And I still do not know what knot he tied nor what he saw in me. But the journey of discovery has been, alhamdulillah, beautiful. And I pray and anticipate more and more beauty... of an inner and spiritual kind.
I know this, because though I am the reprobate one, my friends who have met him constantly show me their growing kindness, tolerance, mercy, generosity and patience. And they do this without even knowing it as they carry their faith lightly in their heart...
Which kinda makes sense... because after all, light has no weight.
The Veil of Separation Between Us. We have personal identities, separate and distinct from one another. There is the 'me' and the 'you', not to mention the 'us' and the 'them'. But this distinction is only true at the very most shallow end of our ocean of understanding. The truth is that human beings are much more porous and absorbent than we care to admit. We are like a sponge, absorbing our surroundings and the people we interact with.
Understanding Through Prosperity and Adversity. So we are asking Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saws) to bring us to favourable circumstances and in the company of favoured souls. But we are also asking God the Illuminating One to teach us humility and understanding if life in testing company and circumstances is to be our fate. For in both conditions of 'prosperity' and 'adversity' there is much to learn of our soul, and the mettle of our courage and patience.
Peace. So give salam (greetings of peace) even to your enemy(assuming you have one), for he holds within him an understanding of your own self. And truth be told, how you act with someone you disagree with can reveal more of you than the manner you act with someone you adore...
The confusion, the hubris and the ignorance of mankind,
Seeding in our society envy and anarchy,
But most of all, I hate what he does
Because he makes me hate me...
And makes me despair of my own humanity.
So this begs another question...
Why do I listen to him?
...................
The Devil is real. I think we should be very clear about this. He is not some intangible malevolent force in the human consciousness, like a typhoon blazing destruction across the plains of your soul. Mr. D has a personality, he is intelligent, belligerent and has amassed countless years of experience to hone his skill in his job description - which is to morally corrupt all children of Adam and Eve, and lead them to utter spiritual and physical annihilation.
But we are also not stupid. God All Wise, in His wisdom has given us akal, the cerebral faculty to reason things out, to weigh the pros and cons of our actions (or inactions), to judge which is the best path to take, and to learn from our own history, the History of Man that is often bloodied with wars, oppression, xenophobia, hubris, ignorance and hate, but are also shining with beautiful examples of messengers, prophets, saints and everyday simple people who were hardworking and intelligent, grateful and worshipful to their Maker, aka God Almighty. Surely, with such knowledge of our shared past, we would not fall to the deceit and dark whispering of Beelzebub.
Old Tricks New Suckers. But we do fall for his tricks, again and again. On a daily basis. Perhaps not murdering, pillaging or robbing a bank... but small 'white sins' that this sinner himself must admit to. I leave it to your imagination to contemplate this.
The Power of Remembrance. Which goes back to our enemy. If only we can always remember... remember God, remember our beloved Prophet, remember the kindness of our parents and siblings, the tolerance of our friends... remember the common history shared by all humanity... and learn from the lessons that our past can teach us... how would the Devil fool us?
He won't be able to.
But this would not fit God's plan for us.
The Gift of Forgetfulness. So I guess that is why we are also built with the capacity to forget. To give the Devil the opportunity to fool us and to corrupt us. So you see, God has leveled the playing field between Adam's Children and the Devil to give the Devil an even chance defeat mankind. Which goes without saying that Allah (swt), aka God Almighty is the fairest of them all... fair even unto the Devil himself.
And this also speaks of another thing... God's belief in us and in our inherent courage and goodness, that mercy-rich fitra (essence) of Muhammad (saws) that is in all humanity (not just them Muslims).
So perhaps we should remember all this and believe in God too.
I am trying. In my inevitably bumbling and clownish way.
Some Shaykh: "O' Taufiq. If you clown around too much, you will always risk dropping and shattering your heart. I am here to help you, but what if I am not? What then? The Clown: You will always be here, wherever you may be...
Perhaps this would be what my late brother would tell me now. And I think I must agree with him. I am not interested to live through the past regrets and wasted opportunities of my life (I am too lazy). But I think we can change the past by learning to apply it in the present. Let me explain...
Oranges. Yesterday, while having an after dinner cigarette with my dad (who is turning 80 next year), he passed me a plate of sliced oranges. "This is good..." He said. I balked, because I actually stole a slice earlier from the fridge, and oh boy, was it sour. But then I recall the last conversation I had with Abang Chik (whom you call Poone). He was asking me (for a second time) to eat the tuna sandwich that he bought earlier that afternoon. And for a second time I said no - first I declined because I just had lunch, and I said no for the second and last time because we were already going out to dinner. A dinner which we were all destined not to have when arwah Poone suddenly passed away just as we were about to leave our house on that rainy evening on 14th September.
"So what if this is the last orange that my father might offer me?" The thought crossed my mind. After all, if Poone could go so suddenly, why not me, and why not my dad. "Perhaps this would be the last dinner we shall ever have together in this life?". Oh boy, the drama, the weighty issues at hand.
So yes. I had that orange. A couple of slices actually.
And yes. It was still damn sour.
Hehehe.
Appreciate every second of your life, sunshine. And every second of your kin and friends' time here. It will not last forever. Don't be like me and take everything for granted.
A Caveat about the Sinners' Almanac - Just a short reminder before I leave you... You know, I often share stories about my life here. And some of them appear to make me out to be a decent sort of fella. I am not sure I am. For just like the man who posts on his Facebook wall, pictures of him going to the gym, you must ask yourself about the number of times that he hasn't actually gone to the gym (he he he). He is not going to post pictures of him lazing on the sofa in front of the TV. I think I am like that man.
Rumi: "Sufi, proto-Sufi, neo-Sufi... Oh, come on. You doth protest too much of your aversion to arrogance. Give me a freakin' break, dude."
30. Cows’
Manure = (humility)0
You are not a Sufi, you say,
Talking about Sufism doesn’t make you a Sufi, you
say,
But all knowledge comes with a purpose.
So what is the purpose of this knowledge for you?
Please don’t offer me the same cows’ manure in
reply.
Denying who you are or what you can be is not humility,
It is bad habits, laziness and your reluctance to
change.
...............................
Oh, I wonder what loathsome experience I underwent to record the prose above. A prose which is undeniably true for me today as it was when I first wrote it many years ago. For despite the decade that has gone by, I reckon I am still very much the same. Perhaps even worse!
I wonder when I will ever have the chance to change this almanac's name to TheBelievers' Almanac, or perhaps even The Saints' Almanac. By the look of things I am afraid this will never come true. At least not for me. He he he. But my fate need not be shared by you, sunshine. You are already good, and you can be better still, simply because you have the virtue of self-discipline. As another prose observes...
9.
Discipline of Roses (with Shamsul)
Though Love is the bloom
Of the rose,
Mercy its perfume,
The Sun its nourisher,
The Rain its sustainer,
It is self-discipline
That first raises the rose
Above the crowd
Of lesser flowers.
........................
So don't be a lesser flower, my friend. God has made you to be a rose, imbued with remembrance of God Almighty and His Beloved Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), the Greatest of Flowers in His Garden of Creation.
And yeah... I guess I am hard on myself sometimes. But it is only because I believe that any change for the better is not change at all, but the unveiling of the true nature of our spirit, rising above the corrupting influence of our ego and nafs (base desires). Not a conversion, but a reversion to our fundamental inclination towards love, truth, justice, mercy and beauty. It appears to be so easy and natural to drop a bad habit, but for someone like me, it is so difficult.
*sigh*
It is frustrating sometimes, I must confess. But it can also be very inspiring, sunshine. And I guess that is why I keep writing.
What are the Muslims frantic about? They are doing just fine
from where I am looking... it is the Quraish that are in trouble!
13. Siege?
What Siege? (With Poon)
Someone said to someone else during the siege of
Medina,
“O’ brother!
We are trapped, we are trapped by the Quraish!”
The someone else replied quietly,
“Trapped? We
are not trapped, it is they who are trapped.”
“Whatever do
you mean?!
How can they
be trapped?
It is we who
are encircled!” retorted the someone.
The someone else sighed and nodded.
“O’ my
excitable brother, do listen.
Yes, the
city of Medina
is encircled, I agree.
But it is
the Quraish who are trapped.
Trapped between us and the rest of the world!”
...................................
Win! A winning disposition. A positive reinforcement. A bright look towards life in the face of great adversity. It is all about perspectives. So try to keep up a good and optimistic look towards everything that you are enduring, it will make for a better read in your biography later. After all, "He endured and he overcame" sounds far more riveting than "He wilted, capitulated and laid down to wait for death's bitter kiss..." He he he.
Muslims! What people are entitled to have this optimism? It is the Muslims, for if they believe what they preach, verily, Allah (s.w.t.) has favoured them to have success not only in the afterlife, but also in the here and now. All they have to do is to follow His edicts and the traditions (Sunnah) of His Beloved, Muhammad Sayyidinna Alamul Huda s.a.w. (the Flag of Guidance). And this is no brash optimism. This is a Divine Warranty that cannot be unmade or unwritten... If the Muslims actually believe and do what they preach.
So take stock of your actions and hidden desires. Make them as close as possible to the ways of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). For to try to imitate somone is the best form of flattery, and it is the clearest evidence of that intangible force that drives all of Creation - Divine Love.
A Divine Supernova. The Companions of the Prophet did this with the direct physical support and presence of the Prophet, while we are bereft of such blessings. But our days are part of the End of Time, and if we look into our hearts we can see God's own bright lamp, the divine lantern that shines like the Piercing Star through the darkest of our night sky - Muhammad, Sayyidina al-Najm ath-Thaqib (s.a.w.s). In that divine supernova is born all our hopes and optimism. InsyaAllah (Godwilling), take it for it is your inheritance.
From here onward, despair, hopelessness and all its anxieties are forbidden for you, my friend.
Dear old Mikhail, borrowing an umbrella, after a Cukur Jambul ceremony for my partner Alex's youngest
newborn son, Siddi. Like myself, he is apolitical and does not
subscribe to any political ideologies (or umbrellas).
Election Fever. Last Thursday a friend asked me, "So which party do you support? Or are you a fence-sitter?" He is asking me this question because of two reasons - Firstly, he knows of my discontent about our country's present political system of representative democracy, a template which was handed down to us when we obtained independence in 1957. And secondly, it is because this coming Sunday the whole of Malaysia shall be queuing at the polling stations to vote in this country's 13th General Election. With 579 candidates vying for 222 parliamentary seats and 1,321 chasing 505 state seats, and an expected high voter turn-out rate, this is one of the most anticipated election in our recent history.
Cukur Jambul involves a ceremonial cutting of
the newborn's first lock of hair, preceded with
prayers for Sidi and his deceased relatives. While
the guests cut Sidi's hair (little bits only), his proud
grandmother along with her nasyid group sang
the Marhaban, songs welcoming and praising
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) Later there is food for all.
Fence-destroyer. I remember being stumped to answer. Which party do I support? And if I support none, am I a fence sitter? But then again, why need there be only two possible answers? There is perhaps a third possible reply, and it was the one I chose. I said, "Bro... I support no party, but I am no fence-sitter. In fact it is my fervent hope to destroy that damn fence."
Anarchist me? He he he. My reply makes me sound like an Anarchist. But I don't think I am, because Anarchists are often secular and all about destroying the old system, old ways and prejudices, to bring in the new. My like-minded friends are the opposite of Anarchists, for they are concerned with addressing modern problems brought about by 'new things' such as democracy, the usurious fiat (paper) money and global banking system. We are also much worried about the over-weening power of global corporations, the plague (yes, plague) of bio-tech revolution which is affecting the precious bio-diversity and fine balance of our natural environment. All this is new, a 21st century problem. But the solutions we seek are ancient solutions, in the living pages of the Holy Quran, and in the living story of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), as guided by our Masters. We always have this qualifier in our statements because, to be honest here, we are not the brightest people around, nor the most virtuous. We need our saints to hold our hand.
And what is the cure?
Almost ten years ago I recorded a prose about the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) and about walls and roads. The first part of the prose, which is the one that concerns us, goes like this...
The Roadbuilder
I build roads,
Not walls.
For my message
Is peace,
Not war...
.............................
Poor Siddi yawning. It's his sleep time now (daytime). He spends his nights keeping
his parents awake. Ergo, I often find his dad blinking away half-awake in the office.
On the day of the Cukur Jambul there was good merriment and gratitude.
Politics were forgotten, and the true important things in life celebrated -
Our family, our friends, in the Grace of God Almighty
and Muhammad Habibullah (s.a.w.s.)
The Message of Adab. The sublime Prophetic message of Muhammad (s.a.w.) touches all mankind. And it is essentially a message of Adab (good manners). For though we may differ in our ideologies and creed, if everyone is willing to treat one another with high Adab, there would be no need for all this fear-mongering, bickering, backstabbing, betrayal and slandering - the common weapons of choice in this election thus far. Often now we find in both the mainstream media and the new social media public comments and postings which are either insulting, or at best condescending and sanctimonious. Sometimes, I would like to ask them, "Who died and made you right?"
The Fence. So however attracted you are to any party's slogan or promises, don't build your fences too high until you find it so difficult to understand the other side's point of view. Are we not all human and do we not all err and in perpetual in need of God's forgiveness? Who is to say we are right or wrong? Or whether we are on the right side or the wrong side of an argument?
Tall Fences
Come to your senses,
My would-be martyrs!
And rely not on man-made borders
That keep outsiders outside!
For today you may be within,
Come tomorrow you may be without...
Then we shall see how well you fare
Clambering up your proud fences
Built tall and fair
With your incessant and foul pretenses...
.....................................
Wahhabism. We are also concerned with the persistent influence of Wahhabism in Malaysia, that strange extremist off-shoot of Islam, propagated with the sword and oil-money from the Middle-east. And the worrying trend of the two dominant 'Islamic' parties (PAS and UMNO) in Malaysia flirtation with the Wahhabi-centric political clerics and celebrity ustaz (religious teachers). Wahhabis are expert fence builders, and have a nasty habit of declaring people who disagree with them as apostates. Anyone who flirts with such people are flirting with spiritual poison.
I used to vote back in the days when candidates and their supporters, of whatever race, creed or political affiliation used to have decent manners. This year I shall not vote and continue to prop up these political fences that divide the people of Malaysia. Why should I when every election cycle seems to bring out the worst in many people? If my fellow Malaysians vote this coming Sunday, I wish them well, and hope that however you may mark the ballot paper, it does not colour your perception of the Oneness of God and the Mercy of His Prophet.
Madad (support us) ya Saydeena Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). Lead us back to our traditional good adab as exemplified by you, best of creation and God's own appointed Mercy to all the Worlds, for the sake of all humanity. The ringing song of Marhaban... marhaban... marhaban lingers in my heart still.
No party colours here. Just thirsty seekers looking for the Nur (Light).
Saying, "His mother knew not her child was destined
To be the Seal of the Prophets long awaited,"
Saying, "Why celebrate the Prophet's birthday?"
They have found Islam,
And it is an empty hollow shell.
They think they are authorised to interpret God's words,
But it is their own words speaking to them from hell,
Making the most gentle Prophet appear hard,
As the ego-voice in the empty hollow chamber
Distill history and make mischief
In their unfortunate hearts.
..............................
It is election season here in Malaysia. And word in the street (and cyber-street) is that the political party in Malaysia that is championing Islam will do very well (again) in this 13th General Election since our independence in 1957.
For myself and my friends, whom do not believe in this thing called Democracy, we can understand how people have spiritual aspirations. But when you mix religion within the context of a populist electoral process, what you essentially get is a spiritual leader with the most followers. And you get the most followers by saying things people want to hear. This is one problem, but the biggest problem is when it is you who wants to be the leader. It is you who wants to become the Prime Minister or (God forbid!) work to bring down the Sultanates of Malaysia, so that you can also become the first President of the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. And may Allah s.w.t. protect us from that spiritual reformation. For despite all your protestation of loving akhira (the world Hereafter) and despising dunya (this world), you are in fact chasing power in this world after all.
The Muslim is the one who loves and appreciates this world, as a mirror to the other world, and the True Reality of Allah s.w.t. and the Beloved One, being Muhammad s.a.w.s. Nothing else matters. The Muslim who has not found love - visceral, real and passionate love and veneration for Muhammad bin Abdullah s.a.w.s. and His Family and Companions and Saints, has not completed his faith. God has made it clear in His Holy Quran...
Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.
(Quran 33:56, translation by Marmaduke Pickthall)
The Election Day is this coming 5th May 2013. I pray that Allah s.w.t. shall continue to bless and protect this country. For it is my country, and despite everything, I love my people.
What can a Muslim build if the Prophet's name is not spoken
and his person venerated and blessed with high praise?
Nothing, but a false edifice of the human ego.
We cannot actually determine what happens. Even this simple act of writing is an action replete with an enormous possibility of failures, successes, delays and unexpected endings. But we can determine our intention. And with the Grace of God and the Lessons of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), we can even determine our emotions.
Between our intention and emotion is the determination of our reflective reality to the Absolute Reality of Allah (s.w.t.) - God Almighty, Creator of all men and women, children and little kittens.
And that is wonderful news for all humanity, for it assures us of God and His Utter Loveliness and Absolute Compassion for His creation. In the unexpected endings and pauses in our life - in our smiles, laughter and cries, He is there.
Fare thee well in thy journey, sunshine! For thou art a favoured servant of The Kindest Lord, God.
Will you be the Firaun or
will you be worse than the Firaun?
At least the Firaun was a
generous leader, are you as generous
With the pennies that you have?
Or are you deluding yourself
That when you get rich you
will get kinder?
If you complain about your
neighbour’s noise,
How many times have you
yourself disturbed their peace?
If you question someone’s
sincerity,
Why should you not question your own sincerity?
If you look down upon
someone’s fall into disrepute,
How far will you yourself
fall into disrepute?
If you sneer at a woman’s
dress or impropriety,
Why do you not avert your
eyes instead?
If you possess an envy for
so-called jihad-crusade wars,
Why are you not thankful for
the peace in your own land?
If you question the love a
Mureed (student) has for his Murshid (master),
Is it because you possess
none for anyone else but yourself?
If you think you can yourself
perfectly interpret the Holy Quran,
Why did God even bother
sending a Messenger when
He could have simply sent the Holy Quran?
If you think that democracy
is the way forward for Muslims,
Why do you think the
Messenger stressed so much on adab (good manners)
Above personal hak (rights)?
If you think Islam is the
best religion,
Why do you feel oppressed?
Who is oppressing you but
yourself?
Who is humiliating you but
yourself?
The nation will receive unto
it the leaders it deserves,
The nation will receive unto
it the religion it deserves,
You preach insularity and
introvertness,
But when the Messenger
(s.a.w.s.) looked within himself
He saw God, and outside he
saw the vast ocean of humanity.
What do you see when you look
within yourself?
Your ego? Dressed in a
religious cloth?
You speak of defending the
faith.
You say speak in the Name of God,
But the truth is you do not
Even understand the
Nature of Words,
And how Words
Can be sorcery
And how Words
Can be
Mercy.
You throw your day away contemplating
over the Devil’s deception,
Until you yourself become
part of his deception,
You wring your heart and beat
on your chest,
In righteous anger at the
Devil, at the unbelievers,
At the Jews, at the
Christians, at the Hindus,
But I see you there alone,
standing in front of the mirror,
And the only person I see you
harassing and haranguing
Is you and no one but
you...
There is no evil but evil,
And you have become the messenger of evil, o’ Man.
O’ Humanity, O’ Muslims, O' Sincerity, wake
up! Wake up!
.......................................
The Dajjal (Antichrist) is only One-eyed because, in truth, it cares for no one but itself...
The Spring of Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa has become the Spring of the Self, in an Age of the Self. Insufferably selfish, we-have-all-the-answers, down-with-the-old-and-up-with-the-new political movement with a million-headed hydra of individual fears, desires and hubris.
There are no real leaders because such leaders that they have follows the selfish self-centred whims and fancies of 'the people'. But they are not following the people, because the desires of the people are not the people themselves. But none understands this because the people sees their egos and themselves as one.
And that is the greatest tragedy in the Century of Self (which is coincidentally the title of this amazing BBC documentary. Just like the prose, the documentary is too long, 235 minutes. But worth every second, I think.).
May we all have a conscious day today, aware of ourselves and cautious of our ego, always.
.jpg)
.png)
