The importance of Being Knowledgeable

We live in a society that is increasingly getting smaller...

Unfortunately our society is not getting increasingly more equal. We are going into unprecedented extremes of polarity between the "haves" and the "have-nots" and it is quite worrisome. Gaps between wealthy individuals and those who are poor are increasing, yet the greatest gap seems to be forming in the realm of knowledge.

A long time back, it was possible for an individual to be a "master" of all or almost all fields of human endeavor. Nowadays, our fields of endeavor are so vast and complex, it takes a lifetime to master (sometimes not even reaching that far) a single field. Conversely, individuals are being misled and misguided in what they feel is truthful. Unfortunately, today the world is full of information and ignorance. I am someone who always wanted to be known as being well-informed. I would love to read news articles and discuss the events of the day with others.

I remember a discussion I once had with a friend of mine about the Iraq War (during the Iraq war - in early 2002). I told her that it seemed a bit premature for the US to have just jumped ahead with a war. It seemed almost a knee-jerk reaction and very few specifics were provided, besides the fact that Iraq apparently had "weapons of mass destruction." She replied that the war was justified and shot off a ton of factoids about the many different areas where the US was being attacked, the areas where the US army was helping civilians, etc... At the time the information I had was insufficient to adequately argue what I felt about the war effort, so I simply shrugged and stuck to the basic facts I had, it didn't make sense.

Looking back at this example I have learned a few things. It is remarkably easy to be well-informed in our society. There are facts and figures and information everywhere. It is extremely difficult to be knowledgeable though. My friend was well-informed. I was not well-informed nor was I knowledgeable. Being knowledgeable is an exceedingly difficult thing, it requires an individual to be well-informed and then interact with this information to produce knowledge through our critical faculties.

We all need to become more knowledgeable, we need to see when things we read are bluster and when they contain true substance. Even the best sources of information get it wrong, or have an angle on the information they feed the public. This is normal because news and information cannot be objective when it is reported by a person. We bring our own biases and subjectivity to anything we relay. Critical thinking is what leads to knowledgeability.

I don't want to just be well-informed anymore. None of us should be pleased with that title. We need to all strive to be knowledgeable... Maybe then we can figure out how to close that knowledge gap.

The Beggar's Lesson

We recently had the good fortune of going on our honeymoon to Italy and France. Fantastic countries with great food, usually friendly people and amazing sights. One of the interesting things I noted were the number of beggars in the streets. There were far more than we are familiar with in Canada (though admittedly far less than I've seen in Tanzania and other parts of the world). However, one experience in particular stood out for me.

I saw a man sitting on the ground smoking contentedly on a cigarette... casually put out his cigarette and then ask for money.

This was interesting for me because it led me to examine the morality of the decision. Now, in Islam we are encouraged to give to the needy and the poor, however there is also the deep belief against harming the self and the intellect. I personally cannot stand cigarettes and know that this individual asking for money is subsidizing the tobacco industry, so I feel that giving in this circumstance is not correct morally, by doing so I would be giving some money to something I feel is wrong.

What about other cases? How many people who are begging are going to use the money they gain from begging on personal expenses that the giver would feel are wrong or unwarranted? Does it matter? Or rather, did it matter? Because when I think of that I wonder - the issue of misuse of donations had to have occurred even during the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), yet still, the Prophet urged Muslims to give to beggars and the needy. How would he expect individuals to discern which beggars were going to use their gains in a positive manner and which would use it frivolously?

When I think about it... maybe it doesn't and didn't matter. Maybe the gain from giving to a needy person is simply meant to be enjoyed by the giver and the consequences of the action lie purely in the hands of the receiver. This doesn't mean that I personally can condone giving to someone whom I know will spend the money on alcohol or drugs or cigarettes, rather if one does so with a full heart and intent focused on helping another - The good far outweighs the bad.

Maybe I'm not blessed enough, maybe I'm too cynical... I couldn't do it. I can't do it... yet. However, I hold out hope that someday, I'll believe in my fellow human beings enough to be able to give to a person who asks without questioning their motives or what they'll do with it. I'm sure that's what our Prophet had in mind with the revelation of Surah 93 Ayat 10 of the Qur'an, "and for he who asks (begs/petitions), do not repel (him)"

To giving with a full heart.

Finding God

Rabrindranath Tagore wrote an interesting short story about a man who was searching for God which I've slightly modified. Now the man looked everywhere for God and eventually became completely engrossed in his search.

One day, the man saw a signpost saying, "This is the house of God." with a long set of stairs nearby. The man ran up the stairs until he reached a house. He removed his shoes and approached the door carefully... and froze with fear.

The man began to think, "What will I do with God? I've been searching for God for years, but I don't remember why. What will I talk to God about. What can I do once I've found God?" The man quickly walked backwards, grabbed his shoes and ran as fast as he could, afraid that God would hear him and come out. Since then, the man has once again been searching for God, looking everywhere except for the house with the sign.

This story is very interesting on many fronts. On first read, a part of me said, "but God is everywhere, He does not reside in a single house." but then I began to think on the messages embedded in the story. God does reside everywhere but there are some places where it is easier to access the Divine. One of these places is within the self through meditation and love... and what about the key question the man cannot answer? Can I answer that question? What will I do if I find God?

It's a very tricky question and a scary one too. Upon finding God, if one is so fortunate, does one lose their sense of self? Are thoughts of "what will I do?" moot? Does the finding of God render knowledge to the individual? Will one simply know? It's truly a tricky thought, because it can act as a barrier or as an inspiration.

At the end... does it matter? Does one need a reason or a purpose to search for and find the Divine? Will a reason hasten the search?

The answer lies beyond the door, all we have to do, is open it.

What is love? - Wedding Speech

Love is ineffable, indescribable, beautiful. Yet, it is one of the key things that makes us human.
In our lives, most of us experience some form of love, something that makes life worth
living. Yet, even with the fact that most of us have been touched by love… It is impossible to
articulate. What, truly IS love?

Love is a smile, love is a kiss, it’s an emotion, it’s a mental exercise.
Love is meant for God. That’s why we have been given the gift of being able to love… so that
we can love God. God put us here, so that we could recognize His creation, so that we could
experience it fully, so we could love Him through it. Loving God is a tricky thing though. God is
everywhere and in everything… and that’s what we truly fall in love with. When we love one
another, we love that reflection of God that we see in that person. This applies to all forms of
love. When a mother loves her child, when a brother loves his sibling, and the love between
friends. We care for another because we can, but we love each other because we must.

Different people reflect God in differing ways, yet none of them are bad because wherever
you look, however you choose to perceive it, if you try, you’ll see God. All I can say from my
experience is that eventually, it feels perfect. Eventually you find someone, and you love them,
and you realize that this, right here, right now, is the best reflection of God for you. The one
that makes your heart tingle, the one that puts those butterflies in your stomach, and the one
that keeps you awake at night.

And maybe, that’s what love is. Love makes us so happy, love energizes us, love drives us to go
to the ends of the earth because…

Love… is seeing God.

Life and Death

A man recently committed suicide... Before doing so, he published a webpage detailing why.

I saw a copy of the webpage (the original was taken down soon after being posted) here http://www.zeroshare.info/

On his webpage, Martin Manley talked about the struggles people face as we age, he decided that he did not want to face those struggles, he wanted to take things into his own hands, he wanted to choose the time and place of his death, so he did.

The term suicide is associated with a great deal of stigma and there have been various reasons offered for this. This gentleman was actually very eloquent. His perspectives on life and death are worth reading. He discusses the fact that he did not commit suicide for any traditional reason, but rather, the end-goal seemed to be control (my words, not his), control of his destiny, control of what he will be remembered for. I'm sure many of us have thought of an "age-limit" where we at this point in time we would presumably be happy to die. For those who have thought of this, it may be that we would ideally live to be 70, for some it would be a lower, or higher number, regardless, very few people with whom I've had this discussion state that they would like to live as long as physically possible, because they don't wish to suffer. They don't want to be a burden on others, they don't want to live, simply for the sake of living.

The arguments Martin Manley makes are very logically sound. Why would anyone want to "push through" their latter years when these years are filled with the greatest challenges?

But then, we look at human nature... It is in our nature to survive. We NEED to survive. People "fight for their lives" regularly... Why? We fight through pain, through suffering, through deprivation and hardship to live. What makes us want to live so badly that we can and do push through terrible circumstances?

I think that if one looks simply at Martin Manley's arguments from the perspective he offers, they seem very sound, but one needs to look at them from a spiritual perspective as well...

At times, even when a person seems to be suffering, we cannot understand their spiritual experiences... in fact, they may not understand their spiritual experiences either. Even a person who is in a vegetative state has some unknowns... We don't know whether that individual can have any experiences, and so, we are unable to judge.

If we look at a human life as a conglomeration of the physical and the spiritual, we may find that the individual undergoes numerous transformations. However, even the negative transformations that accompany injury, age, disease, etc... may still be necessary for a spiritual journey. I know this may not bring relief to a person who is truly suffering, but sometimes that is a necessary aspect of life. Cutting one's own life short is a decision that assumes that there is nothing left to live for, when in reality, there is a spiritual journey still left. If someone looks in the right places, they'll always find something to live for. That is why we struggle to stay alive. Yes, we are instinctively driven to survive at all costs, but we don't choose en masse to die because we all have something to live for, whether we recognize it or not and whether it is physical or spiritual. Life is not simply an obstacle to salvation, nor is death the relief of suffering. Life is a pathway, and death is the gate. The destination depends on where the gate is and where the path has taken you.

My secret fear

I live in perpetual fear that someday, at some time, a seeker of truth will come up to me and ask me, "what's the true purpose of prayers and ritual? If faith and intention are the most important things, what's the purpose of differences in physical practice?"

It's a tricky question. The essence of the question is asking what is the true purpose of physical expression, or does physical expression have a true purpose when dealing with mindful intention?

Prayer acts as a bridge between the physical and the esoteric. It plays a vital role in bringing our spiritual selves into our lives, yet we always talk about the intention behind the prayer being the most powerful and most important part... but what about the physical?

I mean, when I hear someone reciting their prayers and I hear obvious mistakes, I often take it upon myself to correct those mistakes, because in this way I help that person... right?

but, if the intention is the most important part of the prayer... then why correct it? Why worry about the physical manifestation? Why does it matter if a person does not raise their hands when asking God for something? Why does it matter if an individual recite their prayers correctly?

Obviously, it doesn't matter THAT much... obviously the intention is the most important part of it... but does that mean that the physical aspects are unimportant? Does that mean that we should allow mistakes to creep into our practices... In fact, why even cling to the practices of the past? We are praying by intention now! In fact, why even differentiate religions? As long as we agree on basics, let's just lump everyone together!!!

There are some problems with this train of thought... Prayers and their physical expressions are important towards not only expressing the spiritual, but also to establishing a spiritual identity. This does not mean that any particular identity is superior to another, far from it, but the essence of the physical action works towards creating a sense of self within a religious whole. When I pray to God, I do so surrounded by others in a chorus, a litany. Be it silent or loud. That sense of community is a part of being closer to God, because through this community God's presence is felt in our daily lives. The physical actions that accompany any prayer are essential and cannot be ignored, they are important. How we say our prayers, how we hold our hands... Although these things should never be a source of conflict amongst people, nonetheless, they hold weight in our collective consciousness, and so they should. Whether we greet each other in a unique manner, or commune with God in differing ways, "prayers" and rituals in this manner serve a greater purpose. They let you be you, while belonging...

Maybe that's what I'll say when my greatest fear is realized?

The Art of Conversation

I had a very odd conversation today. I was speaking to a Psychiatrist (there is an unjustified taboo against that phrase but just to clarify, it was to ask for help with a volunteering project), and I had this strange sense that our conversation was odd. I felt awkward and couldn't figure out why as I'm usually confident in most conversations. Maybe he didn't want to talk to me? Maybe he was sending out vibes regarding not being interested in the volunteer opportunity? Maybe... Then it hit me.

It felt awkward and odd because this other member of the conversation was intently listening to everything I was saying. He was completely silent while I was speaking, I didn't feel any sense of being... rushed...

After the conversation, my first thoughts went to why it was so awkward, what had he done, or what was he trying to tell me through silent language? That made me think, was it really a message or was I the one who handled the conversation the "wrong" way?

Looking back at other conversations I've participated in, it seems as though oftentimes everyone is anxiously trying to state their opinion as quickly as possible... often we miss opportunities to communicate and to listen. Thinking back on that makes me a bit sad. Just reflecting on this "awkward" conversation led me to learn so much. How much would I have learned in my life if I was a much better listener?

We only live for a short period of time, and maybe that's what gives us such a sense of urgency in our lives. We need to do everything we can... right? Or rather, is it more important to do everything we should do and must do, and do it with a sense of intention? I don't know exactly which way is the right way, but I feel as though doing a few things with intention and with love would lead to more satisfaction in our lives and our societies. Maybe if we all just took a moment to breathe and listen we would hear more. Maybe that's one of the many paths we can take to God. To listen to each other.

What do you say? Please allow me to listen.

Time Machine

A time machine would be a wonderful tool. We could use it to undo many things in the past that we regret. We could use it to better our world, ourselves, those around us... but it can't exist...

Why?

From a physics perspective, some physicists believe that we are 3 dimensional beings, existing in a 3 dimensional world, able to experience in 3 dimensions, with just a touch of a 4th thrown in. That 4th dimension is time.

The way in which time works in this theory would be similar to a river (not the water in the river, the actual river itself). The river exists as a continuous stream from beginning to end. All aspects of the river are present. Our experience of this river would be as a rock embedded in the riverbed. We would experience the river constantly changing and moving around us, and it is, however the actual river itself exists as a whole at all times, only our perception of the specific river in our surroundings changes.

This means that our perception of time determines our experience of it. Time itself is not a linear concept, however we perceive it as such. This in turn determines our conception of time.

So, we can't change the past, the present or the future... A very interesting argument indeed.

From a spiritual perspective I like this theory with some reservations. I do agree with the theory that time itself exists outside the human perception and that all aspects of time exist simultaneously (that is, that in reality, past, present and future happen at the same time), however it leaves me wondering about the importance of perception in determining reality. If something is perceived in a certain light, does the perception of it alter it's reality? The same argument that Heisenberg made modified. You can determine the speed of an electron or it's position in space, but not both... Your perception of the electron in terms of discovering it's speed alters the reality of it's position and vice versa.

I wonder if the same can be said of time? Time exists in a single continuous stream, but my perceiving time as this moment must in some way alter it...

I can't know, all I do know is that my perception of time tells me it's limited and a precious commodity that I have only a very limited amount of.

Let's take a moment to think on that.

Physics

As some of you may know physicists at the Large Hadron Collider recently discovered probable proof of the Higgs-Boson!

Great news, any scientific discovery is an important one but this one ties together so many things about the universe... Except it doesn't. The discovery wasn't a perfect one because there were some slight differences between what was seen and what was expected. In a nutshell, we cannot explain the entirety of the universe(s) yet. This may also mean that there may be more than one universe... An interesting concept.

Why talk about this here? Well, religion tells us that the true scope of creation lies far beyond anything we could even begin to imagine... and that refers to only the creation of God, not the Creator.

We will never fully understand and transmit everything, we are probably incapable of it - partially because we are limited in our abilities to articulate and understand and partially because of our innate curiosity and inability to stop. Human beings will never stop trying to grow and because of this, God shall not stop creating.

This leads to the crux of this message today. Some believe that when we discover some phenomena, that moment is when God has created it. Others feel this idea is ludicrous, but it may hold some weight.

Looking at the Higgs-Boson, it is almost like an author saw an opportunity to add a plot twist into a perfectly convenient story. It was perfect. Einstein discusses relativity, if we believe the universe follows a set of laws, that will lead us to the truth, we keep following this path making amazing discoveries... only to find that the set of laws are not fixed. There are a vast multitude of laws and ours...? Ours is an extremely unlikely, rare possibility. One of an almost infinite number. Every law we followed wasn't the truth because the real truth lies beyond all laws, all belief, all understanding.

The truth is beauty. An incomprehensible concept, one that we can't sandbox into the rules of science or religion or even of the universe. The truth is art. Something purely creative, chaotic and ordered at once.

My memories

I was recently thinking about my earliest confirmed memory.

It's an odd one. I now know that I was about 3.5 years old. Prior to this moment I had three small, short scenes I recall, however whether those were a dream, false memories or real ones I don't know. This memory is different, from this time onwards I have a steady, unbroken stream of memories.

I was standing in front of the mirror in my parents room looking at myself... That's it.

That's my first memory, while looking at a mirror and seeing myself, I suddenly realized that I was looking at "me."

It's an odd thing to really think about, at that specific moment, I believe I was first able to truly comprehend what an "identity" was, at least in my simplistic way. I realized that there were discrete pieces of existence in the universe and that I represented one of these discrete bits.

Looking back at it, it may also have been one of the saddest moments of my existence...

Some mystics have claimed that God is separated from the human soul by an infinite number of veils. They go on to say that God has allowed the veils to come up, but He has not created them - we have.

Through our sense of self, through our ability to discern that there is a difference between "I" and "we" we find a double edged sword. On the one had, this ability lets us fulfill an important role, as the Qur'an says, we are all "vicegerents of God on Earth" which means we are here to represent God and care for all creation. On the other hand, this role we have taken on grants both intellect and separation.

As Rumi says, we are like reeds separated from the reed bed - we long for the source. If we are separated for long enough, we continue to feel incomplete, but we no longer truly know what to do to feel complete. We lose that connection to the reed bed until eventually, our mournful cry becomes less mournful, we begin to forget what we have lost and look to the world around us to fill the separation within our souls... unsuccessfully.

Coming back to my first memory, this moment was my moment of personal attainment. I began to become a person, I became an individual, but my longing for my reed bed continued and continues to this day... This was the moment (as close as I can tell), when I was looking into that mirror, when I realized who I was, that I forgot who God was.

Pushing the rocks!

There is an old story about a man who is asked by God to push a rock.
The rock is large in size, but the man tries. He pushes and strains... no movement.
The man puts his back into it. Bears his might... no movement.
The man puts every ounce of strength he has and pushes. Then when he can push no more, he takes a minute to rest and tries once again... still, no movement.
Finally God returns, and the man apologizes. "I'm so sorry, I just could not move the rock."
God smiles at the man and tells him, "I didn't ask you to move the rock. I asked you to push it."

This short story contains a great deal of wisdom... Many times in our spiritual journeys, we find tasks that are exceedingly difficult. For me, one of these difficult tasks is finding the time and will to wake up early in the morning to pray on a daily basis. Extremely difficult for someone who is a self-professed night owl. Considering that some nights I fall asleep when I'm supposed to be waking up to pray, it's a hard task, and one that I'm still working towards doing. However, I know many others who are similar of temperament who have completely given up. They see the size of the rock and say that, "since it's way too big to move, there's no point in trying at all."

I would venture to say that at times, we aren't trying to change our surroundings. At times, we are supposed to change ourselves. If a person strains and pushes at that large rock for enough time, they'll notice a change within themselves. The muscles that they are using will grow stronger, their sense of patience and time will change. They may never move that rock, but maybe they're not supposed to... Maybe there's another, smaller but more important rock that they are supposed to move, and this big rock is just preparation for that task...

We struggle in aspects of our lives because it is necessary. Not everything can be, or should be easy. At times, things must be difficult because we are meant to grow with the experience... There may never be anything we can do about the large rocks in our lives, maybe the obstacles we face are not meant to be overcome, however, the attempt to try... That's where our humanity comes in. Throughout our history, we have never failed to at least attempt the most challenging of tasks.

Back to pushing the rock I go, are you coming?

The Nature of Evil

Evil is a strange concept.

We know it is the opposite of "good" but what exactly does "evil" constitute?

There are some actions, thoughts and intentions that most human beings can agree are "evil" at their core, but even this is problematic... Because evil requires a confluence of actions, thoughts and intentions.

If someone performs an action that is heinous but had no negative intentions, is this an evil deed or simply an accident?

Similarly, if someone thinks something terrible but does not act upon it, does this constitute evil?

What if someone has negative intent in an action but no harm comes of it?

The answer to the above would often fall into the gray area of uncertainty that makes most of our lives, things are not black and white... but for many people the final of the above scenarios is likely the worst. If one has negative intent towards another and means them harm - even if no actual harm occurs - this seems worse than the others.

The world has been made to exist with poles and polarity, for every positive there must be a negative, and between the two there lie varying degrees of each. This is because the world is by nature subjective. Everything that exists must be perceived to exist to exist. By this I don't mean that I subscribe to the naive belief that things outside our perception do not exist, but they cannot exist for us if we don't see them.

If there is a major conflict on the opposite side of the world, unless I make an effort to see it or discover more about it, or it makes an effort to make itself known to me - it doesn't exist for me. It obviously exists for the people living it, but we all have bubbles around us that shelter us from what is outside our perception. What happens elsewhere to all intents and purposes, simply doesn't exist...

Maybe that's the true nature of evil...?

Maybe evil is ignorance... maybe that's why it is impossible to eradicate evil from this world and why it is so pervasive. When another is suffering and we do nothing, that is wrong... but when another suffers and we don't even know of the event... that's a more subtle flavour of evil.

It's impossible to know everything, that's a given, a person cannot be expected to know of all the harm happening to every person, but, not making an effort to try to inform oneself is wrong. Passing by a crime without taking some action (be it calling for help or reassuring the victim after the fact) is wrong. Speaking out about one form of violence while blatantly ignoring another is wrong. The point is to make oneself aware of what is out there and to try and help... and if you feel helpless to do anything... then pray. Prayer is the least and the most that you can do to help someone in need.

There will always be more ignorance than knowledge in the world, ignorance like knowledge spreads easily from person to person, but ignorance cannot stand in the face of knowledge. Let us all try to think critically and interact with information we are given, look outside the facts to find the truth. That is possibly the only way to make a small impact on evil in this world.

After all, the "good society" the Greek philosophers spoke of is today known as our "knowledge society" isn't it?

Let's talk

There are many news articles out there that talk about religion... Perhaps rightly so, many news articles talk about views held by some Muslims that are misogynistic, racist, prejudiced, condescending, snobby and a host of other adjectives.

It is very difficult to defend against these perspectives, because they are truly held by co-religionists of mine. Some Muslims do carry these perspectives as do some Christians, some Atheists, some Hindus, some Jews, some Buddhists, etc... but the thing of real concern to me is found below the articles, in the comments. More and more often, in more and more diverse sources I find people who are frankly, quite reasonable holding views such as "Islam's values [being] incompatible with those of Canada," or the rejection of "Shariah Law" (which by the way is preposterous, in Canada the only law that can exist is Canadian Law... According to some definitions of the word "Shariah," it refers to the way in which the world and universe are ordered... by this definition, everything must live by Shariah Law, besides this definition, there is no other threat of any other set of laws coming into Canada, I would personally fight against any laws that I felt were unjust or impinged on anyone's rights).

These opinions and comments are disconcerting because they carry some truth to them. Why are there so many Muslims who carry radical perspectives? If Islam is a religion of peace, then why is it surrounded by war? What kind of backwards people follow a faith that subjects women to such hardships and makes people into suicide bombers?

There are so many ways to answer these questions, but no one will listen. You can shout from every rooftop in every city, yet people will still ask, "Where are the moderate voices of Islam?" The moderate voices of Islam are in your everyday life, in the Dentist who works on your teeth (okay, fine, I get it - you hate dentists, it doesn't mean they're out to get you), in the cab driver who takes you home after a long night, at the checkout of the Walmart where you get groceries.

Just asking for moderate voices is not enough. People in society have to listen to the voices all around them. People always ask, why aren't Muslims taking accountability for getting their message out there? I think it's a two way street. It isn't just up to Muslims to tell people that they have the same hopes and dreams and aspirations as anyone, it's up to those who are asking for answers, to listen to those answers. By, the way, it seems obvious to me that all people regardless of religion, race, creed, etc... hold the same basic desires. We all want what's best for ourselves and our families. How we go about doing this differs, but the basic desires are always fundamentally the same.

There are Muslims who carry radical perspectives, maybe there are more Muslims than Christians who carry these perspectives. Maybe it has something to do with socioeconomic factors. It can even be argued (I would say unsuccessfully) that there are religious differences that contribute, but just quoting lines from translated Qur'anic verses out of context (keeping in mind it's a pretty hefty book), without any reference to who translated it, why they translated it from Arabic and the background of what the translator wished to accomplish doesn't do much. The Qur'an can mean anything anyone wants it to mean. It's meant to be allegorical and to have multiple meanings, and yes, some of those meanings can be taken in a very negative light, but the same can be said of anything that encounters the human mind.

There are many uneducated and ignorant individuals who are Muslim throughout the world... and maybe this can be excused, compare people living in Agrarian Muslim majority countries with Agrarian Christian majority countries (yes, you may have to go back in time a bit) and you'll likely find comparable levels of education about social matters and egalitarian ideals. However, those who live in a privileged society, owe it to themselves to learn more about a faith with 1.3 billion+ adherents before calling them backwards and ignorant. Who is more ignorant, the educated one who has books in front of him and refuses to read them, or the one who cannot read?

So, let's talk... and listen to each other.

The Life of Pi

The book "The Life of Pi," was an interesting work written by Yann Martel... Amongst the things I found most interesting lay in the way it was marketed as a book that will "make you believe in God."

Intriguing! It will convince one of the certainty of God? That's a book that I need to read... so I did (don't worry if you haven't read the book or watched the movie, there won't be too many spoilers here).

The book is actually a lovely piece of prose filled with metaphors... and those metaphors deal with belief.

In the novel, fantastic events happen to the protagonist and at the end they are explained in 2 ways, a "realistic way" and the way of "mythos." After reading this novel, most would agree that not knowing the truth of events, we would all wish for mythos over "reality"... and that is the genius within this book.

The metaphors within it act to point out to us that there are multiple ways of interpreting and explaining phenomena we perceive... Our many holy books and scriptures often sound fantastical and "unrealistic" to some, however that does not mean that they are false accounts. Oftentimes, metaphors are needed to explain reality. Sometimes reality is too harsh for the human mind to accept or want to accept, sometimes reality makes less sense than fantastical metaphors, and sometimes we just want to believe in a perspective which allows us to live in our world happily.

If given a choice between believing that we are always loved by a supreme being who has created everything, and believing that the world is an empty place created by random chance, where thoughts, feelings, emotions have no life beyond our own, where there is no true purpose, no true meaning... many would choose to believe in the plan... we are wired to want to do so.

But this wiring points us towards something... Why are we "wired" to want to believe? Is it some psychological flaw in the general human psyche, or is there truly something inside of us that wishes to tell us something deeper exists? What about the spiritual experiences of thousands of years of collective memory where we have had individuals who have "experienced" God?

We can never know the truth with our limited minds, however we can choose to believe in whatever we want to. As in "The Life of Pi," in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I choose to follow what the metaphor of my very existence shouts out to me. I believe!

Where do thoughts go?

The concept of duality within the self has been rejected by many great minds who study cognition. It is argued that since alteration of the physical structure of the brain results in alteration of the thoughts of an individual, it is impossible for thoughts to be distinct from the brain that created them.

A very compelling argument to be sure, if one does not have a brain then they cannot have thoughts... But I wonder about it...

A thought does not have a physical form, in fact we cannot isolate an area of the brain where a specific thought forms. We have found areas of increased activity associated with different actions and specific thought patterns and behaviours, but this does not effectively isolate where that thought really comes from. As such, we cannot truly know what happens to these thoughts.

As a hypothetical experiment, let us examine the possibility of dualism and presume that the material body is what gives expression to the thought. That is, our bodies exist for the sole purpose of giving life or voice or expression to our thoughts. Our thoughts and psyche represent an ephemeral existence that lies somewhere within the physical form that gives it expression. If this were to be the case, death of the brain would result in a mind that may not die with the body, but exists without a receptacle or body to give it expression.

When you think about anything, these thoughts find expression as a "voice in your head." This voice can then interact with the world through physical expression or it can remain within "your head." Either way, the fact that there is an "ear to listen" to the voice means that it is being heard, it has a physical expression... This can be likened to the philosophical dilemma made popular by Bart and Lisa Simpson, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" If a soul exists as thoughts, and no one is around to hear it, does it have physical expression? Does it exist?

The same can be said of our tree in the forest, if no one is around to hear it, perhaps the argument can be made that it does not make a sound, for the existence of sound requires a listener. However, the existence of the tree and the forest... that is more difficult to debate. If no one knows of the existence of a forest, does that negate it's existence?

Of course, this whole premise rests on several assumptions, and in science the theory that makes the fewest assumptions is presumed correct until a null hypothesis can be found to disprove the initial theory. This means that looking at it from a scientific perspective, dualism meets with a great deal of resistance. The concept requires too many assumptions for a scientific mind.

... If a theory makes many assumptions but cannot be dis-proven does that mean it is wrong?

In the dark

I was thinking of a good metaphor to describe spiritual struggle and an interesting analogy struck me.

Inner spiritual struggle could be visualized by a person having a large object (an obstacle) blocking their path to a source of light. With the large obstacle in one's way, one cannot see the source of the light directly, but one is able to see reflections of the light and glimmers of it in many places. However, the source of the light is the true goal... So, how can one reach the source? There are 2 ways. A person can travel far enough of a distance from the obstacle so that the source becomes visible, and then look for a way to skirt around the obstacle with their new perspective. Or, alternately, one can travel deeper into the shadows looking for a way through or past the obstacle directly.

The first path seems easier at first, it is truly easy to look at the positives in one's life and build upon these positives and travel further from the spiritual obstacles within ourselves until we are truly able to see the entirety of the light. However, this takes a great deal of time, and it may very well be that the shadow cast by our obstacles makes this path an unfeasible one... if a wall is tall enough and wide enough, you may never see what is on the other side, or if the light is hiding completely within the darkness, this path will yield no fruit.

The second path brings with it many risks and potential difficulties. Traveling deeper into the shadows of one's own negativity brings the possibility that one will never be able to find even the glimmer of the light again. However, if one is successful, the rewards are tremendous. This path requires vast amounts of patience, it means that one must truly face up to the deeper shadows within. To squarely and unflinchingly acknowledge internal faults, and to chip away at these faults bit by bit.

Facing the darkness is difficult because it can seem counter-intuitive... How can one discover the beauty within oneself by focusing on one's faults? However, for me, this seems to be the surest path to discovering the true beauty within. By working through the inner obstacles, by struggling to face one's own faults and inadequacies the light becomes apparent.

Going into the darkness within will eventually yield the light inside of the dark.

Intercession

As Isma'ili Muslims, one of the primary differences between our belief system and that of many other groups deals with the concept of intercession... That is, that we believe an individual requires some intermediary between themselves and God.

Why the difference?

It deals with belief. Although many different groups of traditions both within and without the Muslim world share our perspective of what God is, there is no universal agreement on what this belief means in a practical sense.

When I think of God, I think of an infinite and non-existent entity that makes up the being of everything that exists, everything that can exist, everything that does not exist and everything that cannot exist... A circle whose perimeter is everywhere but whose center is nowhere.

How can one interact with something beyond conception? ... Better yet, how can one love It?

It definitely is possible for us to love a concept, we are all adept at loving the thought of what a person could be rather than the reality that is in front of us, but this is not easy to do in our daily lives. It is not easy to love God... No one said it was. Only a select few throughout history have been effectively able to do this, to love the concept of God, to love the true Essence.

But what about the rest of us?! For God is All-Merciful... How could He leave the 99%+ of humanity behind while leaving only a few to love the essence?

For the rest of us, we have religion, we have our own paths and our own journeys. Eventually if we follow them truthfully, I believe we will learn to love the Essence in our own ways.

For Isma'ili Muslims, this path to God requires an intermediary, it requires us to focus our attentions on a medium between ourselves and God. For us, this medium is what we call our "Imam." This does not mean that our doctrines say that our Imam is God, the concept of God would make such a belief very simplistic. However it does mean that we reach God through loving creation. Through a love of the creation, we love the creator...

A piece of clay is turned into a beautiful piece of pottery and has become an object of wonder now that it has been shaped and moulded. The world is full of clay, we walk over it every day, we walk past it all the time, but it is beneath our notice. When it is turned into a work of art it becomes noticed. This is the nature of the spirit. The Essence is the clay that surrounds us all the time, but it needs to be turned into a form that we perceive and can interact with for us to appreciate all of the potential beauty around us. The piece of art realizes where it has come from, but the casual observer cannot see this.

Each of us looks for the clay whether we know it or not, many of us need to look at pottery to appreciate the clay. What's your pottery?

Why Ask?

There are many ways to pray, but one of the most common one that exists deals with requesting or asking for things in our lives. These prayers of request are extremely common and are seen in most faiths, where something is asked for, be it help with specific circumstances or general aid with troubles, or spiritual obstacles.

Speaking from a Muslim perspective, the question must arise... why?

I mean, God is supposed to be omniscient right? Why would I need to ask for anything? If I really need anything and I'm a good person, why would I need to specifically ever ask? Shouldn't bad things go away on their own, shouldn't good flood to me through my deeds? Would a good person even truly need to ask for anything?

These are great questions... the answer, as with most things - depends.

In my personal perspective, I would say that over time, all negative events are temporary. Even the worst of all situations cannot perpetuate indefinitely and eventually some positive aspects of life will become manifest. However, this does not take away the fact that in many faiths, prayers for the easing of difficulties are encouraged...

Rumi once said something that really struck a chord with this topic, so I will quote him - from his philosophical work - Fihi ma Fihi, "God says, 'Oh my child, I would answer your smallest petition and slightest complaint without delay, if it weren't that the voice of your complaint is so sweet to my ears. My answer lingers unspoken in hopes that you might complain again and again, for the sound of your voice is so sweet to me.'" Now obviously, when Rumi mentions the word, "child" it is a metaphor for the fact that God has created us, but the importance here is in the fact that God wants to hear from us. He loves us and wishes for even a word of complaint from our mouths.

So, are our pleas even needed?

I look at this question from the perspective of a family. When I was young, we would sometimes go to restaurants and grocery stores, and at times my dad would give me money. He would ask me to pay for the things that he was buying in order to feed and sustain the family. When I used to give the money to the cashier, I would always feel a sense of accomplishment... I helped! In some way, I am helping to feed my family!

The money came from my dad... Most of the important items that were bought were picked out by one of my parents... yet... My father in his love and grace gave me the means to help him.

Prayers of request are the same. God does not need any help to fulfill our prayers, he knows what we need, when we need it. He lets us help Him through His grace. We are given the ability to help, we are given the power to accomplish what needs to be done. If we didn't pray, we wouldn't be left alone... He would still take care of us and our needs because He can do no less, He loves us.

These prayers are our way of helping ourselves, so go ahead. Ask for what you want! Anything at all. After all, it isn't necessarily in your control what you receive, but it is in your power to "make God smile."

Loss

When I think of our purpose in terms of existence and the universe I am led to an inescapable fact... That fact is that there must be a reason... After all, what kind of All-Merciful God would separate us from happiness and perfection to put us here without a good reason? Now, I have discussed this earlier, and I believe that we are here to "find" God, to "understand" the Truth and gain Light within our perspective of the universe... but how does being on this Earth help us? How does separation from the Beloved help us?

... I am reminded of the story of Rumi. Mawlana Rumi was a Sufi poet who is the most read poet in the entire world today (yes, even counting Shakespeare). Now, Rumi was a man who had attained a great deal of knowledge, and eventually many traveled from every corner of the world to be his disciple until he met a man who changed his life... His Shams.

As Rumi was teaching his disciples by a riverbank once using several thick, imposing books, a man came walking by, very haggard in appearance and asked what they were learning. Rumi replied, "You wouldn't understand." So, the man took the books and put them in the water of the river creating a great furor, everyone was dismayed that these rare, valuable books were now gone. The man reached into the water and pulled the books out... dry. Rumi was amazed and asked, "How?" To which the man replied, "You wouldn't understand."

So Rumi sought to understand. He spent all of his time with this man, his teacher, his beloved, his Shams, neglecting everything in his life, his wife, children, disciples, all were forgotten. One day late at night, there was a knock at the door, Shams went to answer, and never returned. Rumi searched everywhere for his beloved. He searched in many countries, but was unable to find his Shams... Until, one day, in the midst of his depression, confusion and loss, he realized that Shams was within him still. He came to become self-actualized and realized that he did not love the form of Shams, he loved the God that was expressed in every atom of Shams' being... and he realized this, not through having Shams in his life, but by losing him.

Rumi spent a great deal of time with Shams, learning from him, knowing the truths that Shams knew. However, we do not remember Rumi for how he loved Shams when they were together. We remember Rumi for his intense grief on losing his Shams, we remember Rumi for the poems of longing he wrote, we remember him for the Sema ceremony involving spinning in a circle that he created while in a state of search for his Shams. We remember him for his unity with the Truth... something he could only have attained when he lost his guide.

As human beings, we have lost an exalted status... we were united in the ocean of love that is God, but we have been separated... why? The drop of water from the ocean does not realize the beauty that it is a part of until you allow it to see it from above. The glory of the ocean lies far beyond the water, there are hidden within the water molecules, salt molecules. There are pearls and treasures throughout the ocean, there is life, beauty, there is earth and there is even fire.

Our loss of our exalted status is our presence here on this earth, and it is meant to act as a catalyst to enable change. We are meant to experience this loss and understand that truly, we have not lost anything at all. The ocean never ceases to surround the drop, because the drop contains all of the beauty of the ocean within it.